How to Send a Proper Venue Inquiry for a Client or Investor Dinner
How to choose a restaurant or private dining venue for teams planning client dinners, investor dinners, partner dinners, and customer appreciation events at restaurants or private dining venues.
Learn how to contact, evaluate, and secure the right restaurant or private dining venue for your next business event. This guide shows what to decide before you reach out, exactly what to include in your venue inquiry, questions most teams forget, and how to avoid common mistakes that lead to the wrong space or poor service.
Many teams reach out to venues too late, ask the wrong questions, and end up booking the wrong space for their event. The result is slow service, noise issues, awkward seating, timing problems, and a night that doesn’t convert after. Your event should convert for your brand and that starts with the right venue. The right venue makes the evening feel effortless and allows you to focus entirely on your guests.
Before you email a restaurant or venue, use this checklist to make sure you’re getting the right venue.
What most teams don’t realize
The table shape will change how conversations form
Staggered arrivals can break the kitchen’s service flow
Food & beverage minimums do not include tax and gratuity
Two hour reservations are not enough for business dinners
Restaurants treat “events” very differently than reservations
Step 1: Decide these things first
Before you contact a venue, decide on a few things as a team.
Exact guest count range Knowing the full range will help you to narrow down spaces that will work for you.
Purpose of the dinner Will this be a client dinner meant to say thank you for being a great customer of ours? Or is this a sales dinner meant to wow your guests and create something memorable that they’ll be talking about for months to come? Knowing the purpose will help you narrow down what kind of venue you’ll need.
Desired tone of the dinner Is this a casual dinner where a table in a quieter restaurant will suffice? Or is this a conversational dinner where a private room will be needed so restaurant noise doesn’t deter? Knowing the tone will help decide if a venue is a good fit.
Presentation needs Will this dinner be something where you need to make a formal presentation? Will that presentation need to be done with a screen and a microphone? Or is someone from your team casually standing up to address the table?
Neighborhood or location Is everyone staying near one part of town for a conference? Will there be traffic to account for or will people be walking from an office? Knowing your neighborhood will narrow down possible venues.
General dietary guidelines for the group Do you know that your group has some vegetarians or some that don’t eat fish? Knowing a general guideline can make sure whatever venue you choose can accommodate.
Table shape preference The shape of the table changes how conversations flow and how guests move through an event. This matters more than most teams realize. Do you want a long rectangle where conversations will naturally break into smaller groups or a large round where conversations can be more communal?
Preferred day of the week and time Is this a weekday lunch? Some venues might not be open yet. Are you looking to host on a Monday night? Some venues close on Mondays. Is there flexibility in the day and time? If there’s a venue you have in mind, it can be helpful to have multiple dates in case one is booked. Some venues also have different pricing for different days. It might be cheaper to do an event during the middle of the week than on a Friday night. How long will the event run? Some venues book multiple private events on a night. If you’re hoping to mingle all night and the venue rental is for two hours, it might not be a good fit.
All-in budget What do you want to walk away from the event having spent, including with tax and gratuity? Some venues charge a rental fee for their rooms, some only charge a Food & Beverage minimum. This minimum is what you must meet in your food and beverage purchases. If what you order does not cover the minimum, the restaurant will still charge you this amount. Food & Beverage minimums do not include taxes and gratuity so keep that in mind when calculating. Use your overall budget to determine your budget range per person.
General run of show Are all your guests arriving together? Or will your guests come on their own? If guests come in on their own, that can delay service since they might not all arrive at once.
Other activities Will your guests need to get up and walk around to meet each other and converse? Will your guests need a happy hour before hand to meet and network?
Step 2: What to Include in Your Initial Venue Inquiry
Once you know your general details, it’s time to start reaching out to venues. I recommend starting the reach out 4 to 6 weeks in advance of your event for the best availability and rates. Some venues charge higher fees to accommodate on a short turn around time and some won’t book events close to the date because of needed ordering and prep work.
Copy and paste the below structure, filling in for your details:
Hello,
I’m looking to host a business dinner for [guests] on [date] between [time range]. My dates are / are not flexible.
We’re looking for a private or semi-private space conducive to conversation. Budget is approximately [$X per person] including alcohol.
A few details that will help determine fit:
Guests may arrive at staggered times
Preference for [single long table / rounds]
Need for [A/V or brief remarks]
2.5–3 hour event window
Could you please share:
Photos of the space set for this guest count
Sample menus
Food & beverage minimums and room fees
Availability for the date(s) above
Thank you,
[Name]
Step 3: What Most People Forget to Ask
After they’ve responded to your initial inquiry, if all seems to align with your event, make sure you also confirm
What is the deposit requirements to hold the venue? Does the venue allow for a soft hold or right of first refusal where you don’t pay until closer to the date?
Is there a physical door that blocks the space from the rest of the restaurant if it’s a private room? How loud does the space get during peak times?
How many servers are assigned to your group?
Is there a bar space inside the room or will drinks come from the main bar? Is there an extra fee for a bartender for your group?
How long is the reservation?
What time can you arrive to set up place cards, materials, or swag?
Is the menu flexible or prix fix? Can we order additional food night of from the regular menu?
How does food get served? Is it served buffet style, plated where everyone’s served at once, or family style? How does the kitchen handle staggered arrivals? What happens if a guest is late?
Are there restrictions on the beverages or can guests order anything? Do you want to put restrictions on the beverages?
When does the venue need your final guest count and any dietary restrictions? What are the penalties for not providing this information by that deadline? Some places won’t allow changes within a certain time window.
Who is the dedicated event contact day-of?
How should guests get into the space? Do they need to check in?
What is the lighting of the room? Is it natural light, dim, or bright fluorescent? Can it be adjusted?
Does the space print menus? If so, can they customize the menu? If so, what do they need to customize the menu?
What does parking look like? Is there valet, a garage or street parking? Can you take care of parking costs for your guests?
What happens if a guest is a no-show?
What is the cancellation policy?
Red Flags:
Be cautious if the venue
won’t confirm the table layout
doesn’t assign an event contact
avoids putting details in writing
or treats this like a normal reservation.
Step 4: Review the BEO and Contract
A reputable venue will provide a Banquet Event Order (BEO) or written event summary and a contract.
Before you sign, make sure that you read through the contract carefully. Most reputable venues will have a contract. If there’s not a contract or the team seems to be treating this like a normal reservation and not an event, proceed with caution.
Make sure you confirm the total estimated costs and the timing.
Then put all the details and deadlines into your run of show for your team.
If reading this made you realize how much goes into choosing the right venue, this is exactly what Aligned Gatherings handles for teams.
Book a no-strings attached 20 minute planning call.