Business Lunch (page 1 of 2)	
Business Lunch	
Before or after you are hired for a job, you may 
be invited to a business luncheon (formal lunch 
that is also a business meeting).  Reasons for a 
business luncheon include:  1) to talk to your 
supervisor about a project — 2) to meet new 
people who are important to the company — 
3) to talk to a customer about purchasing from 
the company.  Or, if you are applying for a job or 
promotion, the manager or interviewer may 
invite you to a business luncheon — 4) to see 
how you handle yourself during the dining 
(eating) situation.  Your table manners say a lot 
about your work habits.  Showing good restaurant etiquette (manners or 
rules of social customs) proves that 
you care enough to learn the correct way to do things, and that  you pay attention to details.  Employers 
promote employees who know how to act during meetings and during busines
s luncheons.
How do you learn good business restaurant etiquette?  A way to learn is to watch business men and women 
around you when you are eating in a restaurant.  Do they sit straight or
 slouch in their chairs?  Do they 
leave the napkin on the table, put it on their lap, or tuck it into thei
r shirt under their chin?  Do they hold the 
fork at all times or put it down frequently?  Do they bite into a whole 
dinner roll, cut it in half, or gradually 
break it into bite-size pieces?  Do the men toss their ties over their s
houlders to keep them from dipping 
into the soup or do they wear tie clips to secure their ties?  Do the wo
men place leftover dinner rolls in their 
purses to take home for dinner, ask for a box for leftovers, or leave extra food on the plate?  As you watch 
business men and women during a meeting in a restaurant, you will see th
at the rules are different from the 
rules for eating with your family and friends where the dining is relaxe
d and casual.  To help you be 
successful at business restaurant meetings, here are a few rules of etiq
uette to follow:
When meeting another person in a restaurant, wait for them in the lobby 
unless they have suggested that 
you wait at a table or counter.  If you are the first one to be seated at a table, wait until everyone has arrived 
before ordering a beverage (something to drink).
If you are the guest (not paying for the meal), find out the price 
range the host can afford by asking, "What do you recommend?"  
Look at prices of the recommended meals, then order one within that 
price range.  Do not order a high-priced meal such as lobster.  Even 
if the interviewer orders wine, you should not because it is difficult 
to answer job-related questions while under the influence of alcohol.
Order only the basics such as salad, main course, and beverage.  If 
your host (person paying for meals) suggests an appetizer or dessert, 
you may order one if it feels right to 
do so.  Do not order foods that are messy to eat!  Wait for everyone at the table to be served before you start 
to eat.

College & Career Publishing.  Permission to use with usworkworld.com subscription.  	Business Lunch (page 2 of 2)	
QUICK CHECK:
Eat at the same pace as the other person.  If the person is a slow eater
, slow down your eating.  If person is 
a faster eater than you, ask a question to slow the person's pace of eat
ing and allow you to catch up.  
Questions —  "Tell me about the history of this company" or "What are the future goa
ls of the company?"
Place the napkin on your lap as soon as everyone has been seated.  When the napkin has been placed in a 
goblet (glass), it is usually best to wait for the server to present i
t to you — or follow the cue (action) from 
what your host does.  If the host removes it from the goblet and places 
it on his or her lap, you should do 
the same.  Also, when you pick up the napkin from the table or goblet to place on y
our lap, don’t shake it 
out over the table as if you were a magician trying to make a rabbit app
ear.  Simply open the napkin as you 
place it on your lap.  Keep the napkin folded in half with the crease toward you.  When the meal is finished, 
make sure your napkin stays on your lap until everyone at the table has finished eating and drinking.   Then, 
napkins should be placed to the right of your plate.  Paper napkins shou
ld also be neatly placed to the right 
of your plate.  Never wad a napkin up and then leave the napkin in the c
enter of the plate.
For a formal meal, pick up your eating utensils from the outside in 
(going towards the plate).  If there are more than one fork or knife, 
and you are not sure of which to use, simply begin by using the utensil 
on the outside (salad fork and knife) and working your way towards 
the plate (meal fork and knife).
Do not eat or chew ice from your beverage.  When served a glass of 
iced tea or water with wedge of lemon, cup your hand in front of the 
lemon as you squeeze it into your glass so that you do not squirt a pers
on across the table with lemon juice.
Offer shared food (such as basket of rolls) to others before helping you
rself.  Pass food to the right.  When 
eating a roll or slice of bread, tear off a bite-sized piece, butter it, lay the knife across the top of the bre
ad 
plate (with cutting edge toward you), and then eat the piece.  Swallow the first piece before breaking of f 
and buttering the second piece.  If in doubt about what to do during a m
eal, watch what the employer is 
doing for clues to follow about dining manners expected during a busines
s meal.
1.  a) Define "luncheon."  b) List 4 reasons why 
you may be invited to a business luncheon.
2.  a) Define "etiquette."  b) What 2 things does 
good restaurant etiquette show about a person?
3.  Who do employers promote?
4.  Describe a good way to learn good etiquette.
5.  Where should you wait when meeting another 
person in a restaurant?
6.  When may you order a beverage?
7.  a) How can you find out the price range of food 
the host can afford? b) Why should you not 
  order alcohol?  c) Do not order what?  
8.  When should you start to eat? 9. 
a) What should you do if the other person is a 
slow eater?  b) A faster eater than you?  c) Give 
an example of a question you may ask.
10.  a) When should you place the napkin on your 
lap?  b) What do you do if the napkin has been 
placed in a goblet?  c) Describe how you should 
place your napkin on your lap.  
11.  a) What happens to the napkin after you finish 
eating?  b) Where should napkins be placed?
12.  Describe how to put lemon into your iced tea.
13.  Which way should you pass food?
14.  Explain the correct way to eat a roll.
15.  If in doubt about what to do, what can you do?
16.  Why do you think business luncheons require 
different manners than meals with friends?