“INVITING A FRIEND TO DINNER”

Inviting a friend to dinner can be an enjoyable experience, and can help you learn several valuable lessons. This occasion can take place in your home or around your local community. Here are some helpful hints for anyone who likes to eat and socialize with their closest friends.

Once you have chosen a friend or friends you would like to invite, you should call them about a week or two prior to make plans. Decide early whether you and your friend are going to go out to eat or stay in. You may also want to discuss the type of meal you would like to eat, who will do the cooking and/ or how you will get to the restaurant. Other important details involved in the decision-making are your budget, food preferences and dislikes.

If you and your friend decide to go out to eat:

Be sure to have a pre-dinner discussion about where you would like to go, review a menu if you have any handy and set a budget of how much you would like to spend. This informal exchange is necessary before you set out to your destination, especially if the restaurant requires reservations. You will also reveal to each other what you really want to do for dinner. For instance, you may not have a lot of money to spend but know you want to get out of the house. A diner would be a practical choice in this situation.

If you and your friend decide to stay in and eat:

The pre-dinner discussion should probably be done prior to the meeting. A simple phone call can be made in which you and your friend decide what you would like to have for dinner. For example, you like Italian food but your friend has a taste for something Irish. Perhaps you could have spaghetti as an entrée and Irish soda bread for dessert.

Compromise is the key to this activity, as friends must work together to make the dining experience a success.