A Guide to Business Lunch

For thousands of years, important business deals have been struck over a fine meal. Food and drink bring people together in ways that few other things can. At the same time, a meal gone wrong can sour a deal very quickly.

A business lunch is part meal, part meeting. It’s informal, but at the same time there’s a long list of unwritten rules that can’t be broken.

Here are some essential aspects and steps that you should consider in order to get started on the right foot.

- Choose the right restaurant – Your choice of restaurant says so much about how you value your client or colleague. Select a place that’s reliable when it comes to business lunches. You want a restaurant with good service that isn’t intrusive. Also, stick with places that serve something everyone will like-steakhouses generally have meat, chicken, pasta and fish. Stay away from cuisine your guest might not have a taste for, like Mexican and Indian.

- Reservations - Select a restaurant that accepts reservations. It would be awkward to take a big client out for lunch and have to wait for a table.

- Get there early – The percentage of people being late is over 65%. Being late is rude and your guest might interpret your lateness as a lack of interest. On the other side, if you get there early you can use the extra time to make sure the waiter knows you’re the host. To avoid any awkward moments when the bill arrives, give the server your credit card before your lunch partner arrives. Feel free to tell the staff in advance of any other needs you and your guest might have.

- Turn off your cell phone – That way you won’t be disturbed; in case of an emergency excuse yourself and take the call outside.

- Think of an opening statement to make as you are shaking hands – This is part of your first impression, so make it good. Always use the guest’s first name either at the beginning or at the end of the statement. For example, “Thank you for taking the time to get together today, Caroline.” When needing to complete a group of introductions, highest rank rules over gender.

- Be in the present moment with whoever you are with – Limit glancing around the room. It’s a sign you are looking for something better. There is nothing worse than having a conversation with someone who is half there.

- Where does the napkin go? – Immediately after sitting, place the napkin in your lap. If you excuse yourself during the meal, place the napkin on the left hand side of your plate or on the chair. This signals the server that you aren’t done. When done, place the napkin on the right side of the plate and your fork and knife horizontally across the plate to signal the server you are finished.

- What to eat and use first? – Which glass or which fork can be confusing. Bread and salad plates always to the left, drinking glasses to the right. Utensils start from the outside in and the dessert fork is by the dessert plate.

- Don’t skimp – Order more food than you need; your lunch partner can take it back to the office to share.

- To drink or not to drink? – Limit yourself to one drink, and make it a light one, like a glass of wine or a white wine spritzer. Always show acceptance- that is- if a client wants a drink and you don’t have one, they might see that as judgmental.

- Lopsided Delivery - One of the most uncomfortable things during a business meeting is when one person’s food comes out several minutes before the other’s. If your lunch partner’s food is brought first, encourage him or her to start eating. If yours is brought first, share. Don’t worry about leaving hungry. There’s a fast food restaurant on every corner!

- Be nice - You should always be nice to a restaurant’s staff, but it’s particularly important during a business lunch. One of the benefits of a business lunch is that you get to see a person in a less formal atmosphere- you can get a better sense of what they’re really like. No one wants to do business with someone who treats the waiter poorly.