Restaurant Event Planning Checklist

Get the event type, primary contact, date, anticipated headcount, and stated reason for the booking. Note any non-negotiables up front — kosher service, dry event, child-friendly, dietary restrictions — these change the menu and beverage package before any other planning starts.

Confirm guaranteed minimum guest count against the room's F&B minimum. Most private-event disputes trace back to a vague headcount or an unstated minimum — get both in writing now, not at the contract step.

Build the Banquet Event Order with room, timeline, menu placeholders, bar package, service style (plated, family, buffet, stations), and any AV. Include cancellation terms, F&B minimum, service charge, and tax line items so the client signs the full economic picture.

Do not hold the date past 30 days out without a signed BEO and the deposit cleared. Save the countersigned PDF in the event folder; chargebacks and disputes need the original signature trail.

Coordinate with the chef on a date that is not a Friday or Saturday service. Cap the tasting at the client plus two guests; bigger tastings burn the line and skew the chef's preparation.

Lock courses, plate counts, and any tableside elements with the executive chef. Pull the prep list and walk-in plan back from the event date so the line is not double-booked against regular service.

Collect allergen and dietary notes from the client (gluten, dairy, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, egg, sesame). Cross-contamination at a plated event is anaphylaxis risk; allergen ticket protocol must be set before the line ever fires the menu.

Choose beer-and-wine, full bar with well, or premium call. Set host-bar vs. cash-bar in writing — surprise switches at the door are a frequent revenue dispute. Confirm a TIPS- or ServSafe Alcohol-certified bartender will be on the event.

Walk the sous and the affected station through dedicated board, dedicated tools, glove change, and a separate fry if the menu includes one. Tag the allergen tickets in the POS so the expo sees them on every print.

Block the private dining room or the relevant section in the reservation system so floor staff do not double-book the space. Add the event tag so the host stand sees it on every shift leading up to the date.

Coordinate with the client on the invite send and RSVP deadline. Keep a running tally in the event sheet; do not rely on the client's memory of who has confirmed.

Most contracts set the 72-hour mark as the point where the guaranteed count locks for billing. Send the chef the final number for prep; under-prepping a private dinner is a service failure, over-prepping is a food-cost hit on the event P&L.

Cover the captain, servers, runner, and busser ratios for the service style. A plated four-course typically wants one server per 12-15 guests; family-style runs lighter, stations run heavier on runners.

Walk the captain through the BEO timeline — arrival, toasts, course fires, cake or dessert, departure. Flag any VIPs, repeat clients, or guests with dietary holds that need a personal touch.

Full-bar events at 50+ guests need a dedicated bartender plus a bar back to keep up with the first-hour rush. Skipping the bar back is the most common reason cocktail service falls behind at events.

Confirm DJ, band, or acoustic act with a written rider that lists load-in time, power needs, break schedule, and noise cutoff. The cutoff is municipal and non-negotiable; surprise overage from a wedding band has cost operators their entertainment-license standing.

Map mic, projector, screen, and dedicated power for any band rig. Walk the circuits with the kitchen lead — a 1500W coffee urn on the same line as a PA will trip the breaker mid-toast.

Coordinate linens, chairs, glassware, or specialty serviceware with the rental house. Stagger the delivery so it does not collide with a regular-service receiving window; have someone on the floor to count and sign for the drop.

Set tables to the approved diagram, place card check, candle and floral placement, AV cabling taped down. Walk the room with the captain before doors open; any guest tripping on a cable is a real liability claim.

The fire marshal's posted occupancy is the cap including staff and entertainment. Going over is a citable violation and a liquor-license exposure in many jurisdictions. Compare to the final guaranteed headcount before doors open.

Every bartender pouring needs a current TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, or state-equivalent cert. Verify the active liquor license is posted in public view; ABC inspectors do show up at high-visibility events.

Cover egress routes, the fire-extinguisher locations, and the ADA-accessible exit. Identify the manager on duty as the assembly-point lead. Five minutes during pre-shift, not during the incident.

Fifteen-minute lineup with FOH and the line: timeline, course fires, VIPs, allergens, host-bar vs. cash-bar boundary, toast cues. Allergen briefing is repeated here even if the line was briefed earlier — repetition is the defense.

Captain owns the timeline and signals course fires to expo. Manager owns the client interaction and any in-event change requests — get any added service in writing on the BEO addendum before the line executes it.

Match the BEO against actual covers, bar consumption, and any addendum items. Apply the service charge per the contract and run the tip pool per the house policy and state tip-credit rules.

Send a short follow-up to the client and capture the captain's and sous's notes from service. Staff feedback is where the real lessons live — the client will tell you what went well, the line will tell you what nearly broke.

Log the menu items that landed, the staffing ratio that worked, the timing surprises, and any client behavior that should adjust future contracts (deposit terms, addendum policy, cancellation window). Save to the events shared drive for the next planner who runs a similar booking.