Do you think is considered to be unprofessional or poor etiquette to order drinks and desert at a business lunch if you are not picking up the tab ?
Is it OK if you are picking up the tab ?
Is it OK if you are picking up the tab ?
Ordering Alcohol and Desert At A Business Lunch ?
- Thread starter Prada's Meadow
- Start date
I think it sort of depends upon what you are trying to get out of the lunch meeting. If you're just out to chat about some business, or to hang out as friends, then do what you want. But if you are meeting new people and want to get something from them then you may want to follow their lead.
If they are picking up the check and don't order drinks, then you don't either. Although, if you are picking it up, and are trying to persuade them to do something, then try to make them feel welcome to get drinks and desert, and offer to order some yourself too
If they are picking up the check and don't order drinks, then you don't either. Although, if you are picking it up, and are trying to persuade them to do something, then try to make them feel welcome to get drinks and desert, and offer to order some yourself too
Drinks are a no - no for lunch.. LOL
Desserts are OK if everyone else is ordering desserts or coffee.
Desserts are OK if everyone else is ordering desserts or coffee.
Dessert is okay if other people are ordering it as well. A bunch of us always share a piece of chocolate cake. Drinks at lunch make you look like an alcoholic, especially if you're the only one indulging!
No to both. We always order a couple of bottles of wine and pudding for internal business lunches.
When we have clients, we are expected to order drinks as well. The firm foots the bill for all corporate entertainment/team events without question as long as it's reasonable.
We rarely get asked out for lunch by clients. They pay quite a bit for our services so we do all the wooing.
When we have clients, we are expected to order drinks as well. The firm foots the bill for all corporate entertainment/team events without question as long as it's reasonable.
We rarely get asked out for lunch by clients. They pay quite a bit for our services so we do all the wooing.
i think it's fine as long as you don't go nuts. sharing a bottle would be fine, drinking it to yourself is rather questionable. dessert would depend on the meal really, ordering a desert might be considered extravagant. 12 beers at a conference dinner on the other hand, that won't impress anyone.
i always take the cue from the others at the table, even when i'm with family and especially in a bussiness setting. if no one's drinking or having dessert, neither will i even if i want to. if everyone's drinking or having dessert, i'll order something even if i don't want it and end up picking/sipping at it. it goes all the way down to entrees...if everyone's ordering fancy foods like steak/crab/etc and i all i want is chicken strips or a sandwich, i still get the fancy stuff....and vice versa.
i've noticed a lot of people do this...when the first person orders something (healthy food, sandwich, fancy, etc) inevitably so will 1/2 or more of the remaining people even if they were thinking about something else. it's actaully a very interesting phenomenon...i wonder if there's a psych paper in there somewhere. hehe.
i've noticed a lot of people do this...when the first person orders something (healthy food, sandwich, fancy, etc) inevitably so will 1/2 or more of the remaining people even if they were thinking about something else. it's actaully a very interesting phenomenon...i wonder if there's a psych paper in there somewhere. hehe.
Yeah, I'd go with taking a cue from the rest of the table . . . . especially the boss. If the boss orders alcohol and dessert, I don't see it as a problem. (Which is wierd, because I took a business writing class and they said you don't order alcohol during a lunch / dinner interview.)
Whenever we go to lunch with people at work (of course the boss always picks up the tab, thats a given) we always watch out boss... If he orders drinks, we'll order drinks. Thats just how it is, at least at my company.
Regarding deserts, we always order deserts, our company is pretty generous and always encourage us to indulge on the sweets.
Regarding deserts, we always order deserts, our company is pretty generous and always encourage us to indulge on the sweets.
If a business contact that I'm not familiar with is paying for lunch, then I won't go too crazy. But I work in the music industry, so it's not unusual or considered unprofessional to drink at events, even if it's daytime. When we have company lunches for employees, we all always order drinks and dessert. I've done a three martini lunch when it was *my* birthday and still worked after lunch.
No to both, whether I'm picking up the tab or not. If it's a business lunch it's better to err on the safe side and keep a clear head so no drinks. In my line of work it's very frowned upon to order a drink at lunch. Also, no dessert. People are in a hurry to get their business done at lunch and get back to work and not linger or chit chat over dessert/coffee.
However, drinks and dessert are fine with a business dinner! The pace is more relaxed.
However, drinks and dessert are fine with a business dinner! The pace is more relaxed.
