Outdoor Entertaining: Restaurant Guide for Memorable Gatherings

Throwing an outdoor gathering isn’t just about picnic tables and grills. These get-togethers are about people catching up with friends or family and enjoying each other’s company. And on memorable occasions like this, you’d want to prepare and ensure that your clients or customers have fun– whether you’re organizing a food festival or a small, intimate gathering.

Have An Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen is very convenient because you won’t need to go inside and outside just to get the food. If you have a restaurant with outdoor seating, have a multi-purpose bar-style setup. That bar can double as your kitchen if a group reserves the whole outdoor area for an event. Ensure that your outdoor bar has a sink, a stove, and an outdoor cooler.

If you are catering in someone’s backyard or a public area, you won’t need a full-fledged outdoor kitchen. Find a sink near the garden area, and use that as a starting point. Then, you’d want to place a portable stove or a grill for cooking nearby. Finish it with tables for food preparation.

Plan Your Menu Beforehand

You’ll avoid stress during the gathering itself if you’ve organized well. This includes planning the menu, especially if you’ll entertain many guests. Estimate how many people will attend and prepare the ingredients, such as the correct amount of meat, vegetables, and simmer sauces, a few days before the event. Don’t forget to plan the snacks, sides, and desserts, and let your clients approve them.

You may also prepare those that can be done in advance – such as chopping the carrots and potatoes. Store these in an air-tight container, and put them in the fridge. That way, you’ll save a lot of time when it’s time to cook on the day of the gathering.

During the event, you can dedicate one whole table for the food for a ‘buffet-style’ experience. Have plates and utensils on the buffet table as well. This is a unique yet practical way to throw outdoor parties.

Don’t Forget The Drinks

After a meal, don’t let your client’s guests go thirsty. Prepare cups and set up a separate lemonade-style booth where everyone can self-serve with drinks. For kids, you’ll want to have some fruit punch ready. You may also serve alcoholic drinks for older guests. Don’t forget the water!

Some guests would like to have ice for their drinks. Have a cooler nearby and fill it up with ice. You can also place a bowl filled with ice and place your canned and bottled drinks over it to keep them cool.

Set Up The Tables And Seating

For any outdoor event, ensure that your tables and chairs are weather-proof. If you’re on a budget, you can get plastic monoblock tables and chairs and cover them with tablecloths and seat covers. Match the upholstery with the event’s theme.

For intimate gatherings, you can arrange the tables into one long line to fit everyone for a more exclusive feel.

Set The Mood With Decor And Music

Your event’s decorations can greatly change the whole vibe of the party. No matter what the theme of the event is, consider these:

Lighting

If your client is having the gathering at night, ensure ample lighting to brighten up the whole space. LED fairy lights work well on almost any party theme.

Table decorations

Your table decorations should be easy to set up. Aside from that, it should also be weather-proof. Opt for decorations that could be found in nature, such as hand-picked flowers from the garden. Branches are also good table decorations, giving your event a rustic feel.

Candles

Especially during summer, there may be a lot of insects that could ruin your guests’ dining experience. Add citronella candles to every table to ward off mosquitoes away. Do this even if the event is held during the daytime.

Music

Music completes the mood and vibe of your client’s event. Set up speakers around the venue and play classic, elevator, or trendy music or sounds– depending on the theme. You can also have a live band to perform. Singers and musicians can roam around the venue and entertain each table or have a stage dedicated to them.

Be Ready For Unpleasant Weather

Even if you’ve double-checked the weather forecast for the event date, there’s still a chance of an unexpected weather disturbance. You don’t want to ruin your perfect outdoor setup!

In such cases, have shades ready just in case it rains. Your outdoor kitchen should be the priority for the shade. For the tables and seating, you may want to set them up in naturally shaded areas, such as tree canopies. Suggest venues with covered areas or gazebos to your client if possible.

Clean As You Go

You may have limited time to clean up once the gathering is over. When someone’s done using his plate or glass, wash these already so you’ll spend less time washing the dishes. Do this so you can focus on removing the tables and chairs and cleaning the venue after the event.

You may also opt for disposable cups, utensils, and plates for less formal events.

Organize A Memorable Outdoor Gathering

When organizing an outdoor gathering for your client, you’re not just supposed to focus on food. The whole process should be considered, including the ambiance and the weather. With all these factors in mind, you could give your clients a more memorable outdoor gathering experience– with a chance for repeat bookings!