Dining Manners: Business Lunch

It is quite common these days to have business lunches with your bosses or other vendors or even your potential employer. Keep this tips in mind though.

When food is ordered in to be eaten at a business meeting, the overriding rule is to keep it simple. If a knife and fork are provided, use them. However, feel free to use your fingers for foods such as pizza or sandwiches. In fact, you may be better off using your fingers than those flimsy plastic forks.

Keep the area around you clean and tidy. Use plenty of napkins or, even better, those dampened, packaged wipes. Stack the plastic mustard and ketchup wrappers. Put bones and scraps on the side of your plate, not on the table.

Keys, purses, and everything else not related to the work at hand or the meal should be off the table.


Should I Tip?
Even if you use a credit card, carry some cash for tips.

If you are a regular at a restaurant, or if you have gotten exceptional service and plan to return, tipping the maître d' is appropriate. A maître d' who provides you with a great table for a special event or oversees a smooth-running business meal should receive $10 to $20 in cash, depending on the size of your group and the complexity of your special requests.

A captain or waiter (the person who takes your order) should get five percent of the bill either in cash or specified on the bill if you use a credit card.

Your server should get at least 15 percent of your total bill, according to the level of service provided. Remember that the server usually divides your tip among the entire service team, which includes bartenders and bussers.

The sommelier should be tipped 15 percent of the wine bill if he or she performs special services (such as helping you choose the right wine for your meal).

Checkroom attendants get $1 per coat. Add another dollar for each briefcase, pair of boots, or umbrella you or your guests check

Toast
Lastly, if you're required to give a short toast, remember it has been said that toasts are like a woman's skirt. They should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be amusing. That usually translates into about one minute.

Enjoy!