• Purpose of the visit:

First you need to decide with whom and on what occasion you go to a bar or cafe. Restaurateurs divide the purpose of the visit into four groups:

1. family and friendly get-togethers;
2. business meeting;
3. romantic date;
4. banquet (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.).

Each group has its own selection criteria. For a romantic date important factors are: quality service, cozy interior, live music.

When choosing a place for a business meeting pay attention to: the prestige of the institution and the contingent of its visitors, the speed of service, the noise level (the less, the better).

For a holiday with friends or family are guided by these indicators: the best price / quality ratio (cost of food should be adequate to its quality, in this case there is no sense to overpay), proximity to home (especially if the company will be children), a wide range of alcohol, speed of service.

In the case of a banquet, the availability of a spacious hall, secure parking and the cost of food are important indicators.

• Gathering information:

Once the purpose of the visit is known, move on to the selection of a particular institution. First, you need to gather as much information as possible about the candidates closest to your home. Perhaps one of the institutions will suit you. If you don’t find any, you will have to widen your search.

You can get information from directories, brochures, the Internet, or ask acquaintances about their favorite places. Now more or less respectable restaurants, bars and cafes have their own website, which indicate: the exact address, map, pictures of interior and even the approximate cost of food.

The advantage of the Internet and the fact that the forums can find reviews from visitors who were there. I advise you not to ignore such a source of information. If there are a lot of negative reviews and specific shortcomings, it may be an indication of problems in the institution.

• Pre-visit or phone call:

A very important stage, during which the institution is evaluated. Of course, it is better to go and orient yourself on the spot, but not always there is such an opportunity, so many make an order by phone.

During the visit or a phone call, I advise you to evaluate the politeness of the staff’s answers and the completeness of answers to questions. The representative of the place, talking to you, should give out as much information as possible, and not wait until they start asking questions.

An important factor is the time after which you were given attention. Indirectly, it indicates the speed of service. If no one came to the phone a couple of minutes, or during a personal visit you had to wait a long time for the representative of the institution, it is possible that the ordered dishes or the waiter will also have to wait for an eternity.

In addition to questions that depend on the purpose of the visit, you need to ask the representative of the institution the following:

• The availability of ventilation (air conditioning) system in the hall where you will rest;
• style of cuisine (Russian, French, Italian, etc.);
• whether there are alcoholic beverages that your company prefers, for example, people who are used to drinking grappa, find this drink not in every bar;
• whether there is security;
• the number and contingent of other people who will be in the same room with your company;
  payment methods (cash only or cashless payment is possible).

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