Business dining etiquette

Welcome!Current - Young Professionals

Network September 24th 2013

Business Dining Etiquette

• Are you the host or the guest?• Host • pick out place, date, and time of dinner.• Invite your guest at least one week ahead of time.• Restaurant – Confirm reservations, arrival time.

• Guest • If invited to dinner except or decline as soon as

you know if you can make it or not.

• Dress code – find out so either party does not make a mistake


• Foundations of the dinner –

• Business impressions

• Represent organization• Influences career success • First impressions

• Stand when greeting people• Respect the situation• Pay attention to the speaker


• Moving to the table• Starting the Meal• Follow the host• The customer is most important

• Napkin• How to remove• Place on lap • When the napkin means finished or you are

coming back

• Talk about alcohol and moderation

Business Dining Etiquette• Ordering

• Keep entrée price in mind• Order in moderation

• Navigating the table • What each utensils is used for• Talk about glassware

• Dinner • Types of courses

1. Appetizer 2. Soup3. Salad4. Fish5. Grilled white meats6. Sorbet7. Grilled or roasted red meats8. Game9. Fruit and cheese10. Desserts


• Pairing food courses and wine1. Appetizer – Champagne or dry white wine, or rosé

wine2. Soup – Rosé or medium-dry white wine3. Salad – No wine4. Fish – Dry white wine or rosé5. Grilled white meats – Light bodied red wines or rosé

wine or dry white6. Sorbet – No wine7. Grilled or roasted red meats - Full bodied red wines8. Game – Champagne or full bodied red wine9. Fruit and cheese – Sweet white, rosé or light red wines10. Desserts – Sweet dessert wines or liqueurs, fortified

wines


• Style of eating with utensils• American

• Start with knife in right hand, fork in left – tines down. Makes a few cuts, then rest knife on the plate and switch fork to your right hand – tines up.

• Continental• Again start with knife in right hand, fork in left – tines

down. Make a few cuts and rest knife on plate and keep fork in left hand – tines down.

• Conversation at the table• About relationship not just food• 2 types of conversations

• Business• Small talk or light conversation


• Ending the meal • Dessert

• Share only when the host offers

• coffee or tea• Comes after the dinner unless the host offers it up.• Considered and after dinner drink

• Departing the meal • Indicating meal is done

• Done by the host

• Napkin at finish• Who pays?• Thank you

Questions?