A few years back, I hosted a surprise birthday dinner for my husband at Yamashiro in downtown Los Angeles, a Japanese restaurant with a beautiful garden and a black-and-white Japanese movie playing in the background.

I have attended many parties at a restaurant, this was my first time planning and hosting a surprise party at a restaurant. It was a great experience and one of my most memorable parties to host after my parents’ 25th anniversary.

Here are five things I learned while planning a party at a restaurant.

Contact the Restaurant

Once you decide on a restaurant to host your party at, contact the restaurant as early as possible to reserve your date. Another reason it is a good idea to contact the restaurant in advance is to ensure that they have the capacity to cater to your party size. I contacted the restaurant at least 3 weeks in advance.

Ask if the restaurant offers a private room, what the seating arrangement will be, whether outdoor seating is available for private parties, and who will be the point of contact if needed during the party. Ask if there are any reservation fees and if a deposit needs to be paid. Be sure to ask if there will be a cake-cutting or corkage fee. Ask if meeting with the chef and creating a custom menu is possible.

A cake-cutting fee is charged by the restaurant for cutting a cake brought by the patron(s). Restaurants also charge a corkage fee when clients bring their bottles of wine instead of ordering from the restaurant’s wine list.

I reserved a long table outdoors because we were a small group of 10.

Visit the Restaurant

Make sure to visit the restaurant once before sending out the invites. Visiting the restaurant helps with two things: one, you get a feel for the restaurant, and two, you can formally meet either the restaurant general manager or the event manager. Be sure to make an appointment beforehand and visit either before or after the lunch or dinner rush; you want to go at a time when the manager will be able to give you their undivided attention.

I made sure to visit the restaurant once to ensure it matched my vision. I loved the view, and the garden was absolutely beautiful. After I knew I wanted to host my party there, I met with the restaurant manager and explained everything.

If you don’t like the place for whatever reason, find another. Having at least three places on hand is always a good idea. You should find a place you like because as a host you should enjoy yourself. One thing I have learned, in all my time hosting and attending parties, is that the host sets the mood of the party and whatever energy you bring to the party will be the overall atmosphere of your party and your guests will feel it.

Make Sure Decorations are Permitted!

Be sure to check with the restaurant manager in terms of decorations. Ask if decorations are allowed and what kind. Ask if someone from the staff will help you set up or if it’s something you would have to do on your own. Ask what a good time is to set up for the party.

I asked if decorations were allowed when I met with the restaurant manager; they only allowed balloons and that they would set it up for me. I did green and white balloons and tied each to a chair and did a balloon bouquet behind my husband’s chair.

Follow up with the Restaurant

Once the invites were sent out and everyone confirmed, I contacted the restaurant manager two days before the party to let them know that I would be dropping off the cake on the day of the party along with the balloons and gave clear instructions as to how the balloons should be arranged.

Following up with the restaurant at least 2-3 days before the party will prevent any last-minute surprises and it gives you and the restaurant manager the chance to go over the logistics of the party one more time. It also gives you the chance to answer any questions or concern you or the manager might have.

You want to stay in touch with the restaurant manager and update them if there are any changes to your plan or guest list or even the menu.

What’s on the Menu

Because everyone paid for their own meals, I wasn’t too worried about having a custom menu. With parties at a restaurant, you do have the option of letting your guests choose their own meal or you can create a custom menu and have them choose from there.

For this, get in touch with the chef of the restaurant and ask what their most popular dishes are or if they have any seasonal entrees. Getting the chef’s help will make it much easier in creating a custom menu, especially if you have a budget and are paying your guests’ meal.

As a host, I personally prefer paying for my guests especially if it’s a milestone event such as birthdays or anniversaries.

The Day of the Party

Since it was a surprise party, I had my friends as well as his arrive at the restaurant an hour before our arrival. I asked one of my girl friends to be the point of contact in case the restaurant manager had any questions.

Once dinner was served, I let our waiter know when to bring out the cake and paid a cake cutting fee (this part is optional).

As the host, you just want to make sure everything is running smoothly and according to schedule.

Overall, it was a great experience and the planning process was very easy. We had an amazing time celebrating my husband’s birthday.

Remember, the most important step: Have Fun!

I would love to hear about your experience hosting a party at a restaurant!

I hope this blog helps you host a fabulous party at a restaurant with ease!

Until next time!