The Best Restaurant Birthday Ideas

Restaurant Birthday Ideas

Birthdays are a time of celebration! Not only for the person whose birthday it is but also a celebration for those who love them. While there are many ways to have a birthday party, some people will enjoy celebrating their day at a restaurant. This allows for minimal clean up and ensures everyone can have a meal that they enjoy by ordering at the restaurant.  With proper planning a restaurant birthday party can be a positive experience for both the guests and the restaurant. In this blog you will learn all the tips and tricks and more birthday party at restaurant ideas!

Restaurant Birthday Ideas: Meals

You may try searching “birthday celebration at restaurant” and not have any luck on figuring out where to start. Planning a restaurant birthday  can be daunting. However, the good news is there is more than one way a restaurant birthday party can be done. 

Contact the Restaurant

When you are searching for restaurant ideas for birthday parties the best place to begin is to contact the restaurant directly. First, see if they have a private room for parties. Ask if they prefer to do a set menu or if you can each order off the regular menu. Make sure you find out if they have any other preferences. Sometimes, restaurants pride themselves on being known as a birthday party restaurant, sometimes not, you just have to ask! When you talk to them, this is the ideal time to ask about decorations as well.

Determine Desserts

Determine if you will bring in an outside cake or if you will use their desserts. Each of these factors are important to any gathering, and having these details arranged in advance makes the experience smooth for both the guests and the restaurant. Some may even have extra staff on the schedule to cover parties, depending on how large the guest list is. 

No Outside Food

Restaurants do not allow outside food for food safety reasons. So, when planning a birthday at a restaurant choose one that will have a menu suitable for each person attending. A birthday cake may be an exception to this rule, but it is imperative to ask in advance. Having a restaurant party can be a special treat for someone who wants to enjoy a night out without the pressure of cleaning up, and for their friends and family to all meet in a central location to simply enjoy being together. 

Determine if there is a Set Menu

If the restaurant prefers a set menu, ask for some favorite meals that you know the guest of honor will enjoy, and some popular meals for everyone to choose from. Discuss any allergen concerns with the restaurant at the time of booking. The main thing to keep in mind when thinking about restaurant birthday ideas is the type of food that can be enjoyed by everyone. 

 

The Best Birthday Decorations

Decorating for a birthday at restaurant party can be part of the fun, but when held at a restaurant it is important to consider their restrictions. All restaurants follow consistent rules about decorations and what is allowed in the space due to food safety concerns. Many of these are not set by the restaurant themselves. Rather they are part of the restrictions they must follow to remain open. 

How to NOT Decorate

Glitter, confetti, and other small items that can become airborne and land in the food of other people should not be taken into a restaurant. When planning a party in a restaurant it is important to not only follow the specific rules that are in place, but also that you are considerate of other people above and beyond those rules. 

Best Restaurant Decorations

Streamers, balloons, and even a birthday banner can be wonderful restaurant birthday decoration ideas. Flowers can be placed on the table, a balloon centerpiece may be added, or balloons tied to the chairs. Gifts can be presented or placed on one end of the table. In a private room they can be placed on a separate table. 

Other fun decorations may include ribbons, bows, and cards. Photographs can be printed and placed into small frames on the table. This can double as a creative seating chart to ensure that everyone is seated with their preferred people. Having an arranged seating order may help the event to go smoothly. 

Music

There may be an opportunity for music, especially with a private room. However, a restaurant birthday is not the time for games or for loud music. Some music at a low volume may be welcome, and in some venues, there may even be space for a live band or a DJ. These are most often spaces that host large events regularly, bars, or other licensed establishments. 

Restaurants are a great fit for kid’s party places. These locations often have food available, entertainment for the kids, and a party space to fit everyone. If you’re looking specifically for restaurant birthday party ideas for adults, make sure you let the restaurant know, that way you and your group can have your privacy. 

Things to Consider

There are many things to consider when planning restaurant birthday party ideas for adults. It is necessary to plan ahead and to have a plan in place for food, cake or dessert, drinks, the correct amount of seating, and that they will be expecting you if you are a large group. Make sure to you think about these things when thinking about birthday restaurant ideas. 

Always be Considerate

If you are not using a separate room or divided space, you will need to be considerate of the other patrons at the restaurant. Do not bring in decorations that include glitter or other items that can disturb others. do not expect to play loud music. Do not move around the other tables and causing a disturbance. 

Determine How to Settle the Bill

Consider where everyone will be sitting and agree on who is paying for what before the date arrives. Some may have each guest pay for their own meal. Others will have the guests pay for the birthday meal as well as their own. Others still will pay the full bill for the party as a gift to their friend or family member. There is no wrong way to split the bill. Make the birthday event go smoother by figuring out how the bill will be paid in advance. 

For an enjoyable birthday party with little cleanup, a restaurant birthday is a great choice. Both the host and the guests can all relax and enjoy themselves. They allow for each person to have a meal they enjoy. The guest of honor can have their meal brought to them and see all the people they love, and enjoy an afternoon or an evening out. When the party is planned correctly and all the details are accounted for, it can be a birthday that is remembered fondly for years to come. Many restaurants are happy to have these celebrations at their establishment.  However, it is important that all their regulations are followed and your group is considerate of other patrons. 

Outdoor patio dining

Here at Pier Market we have the perfect private event space that can host birthday parties and all different types of private events. There’s nothing like being on PIER 39 for a celebration. Take in the iconic surroundings of San Francisco. Appreciate the unbeatable views while enjoying the best seafood restaurant in San Francisco. We hope that this blog has inspired you to host a birthday party at a restaurant. At the very least we hope it has left you with some useful tips for throwing a restaurant birthday bash.