The weeks before Thanksgiving are full of people who want to gather with friends or coworkers but do not want to host. Their apartments are too small, nobody wants to cook a turkey twice and the group chat has been debating dates for weeks.
A venue can solve that with a ready-made Friendsgiving package. It fills midweek November dates that are often quiet and introduces your space to groups who may book bigger events later. The format is simple to run, and the timing works in your favor because groups start planning in late October.
How Can a Venue Host a Friendsgiving Event?
A venue can host Friendsgiving by offering a simple package for private groups or a ticketed communal dinner, with a set seasonal menu, long shared tables and a fixed per-person price. The best dates are usually weeknights and weekends in the two or three weeks before Thanksgiving. Promote it from late October so groups can settle on a date in time.
Choose Your Formats
Offer one or two formats so groups can pick quickly.
- Private group dinner for 10 to 30 guests at a long table
- Team Friendsgiving lunch for offices on a weekday
- Ticketed communal dinner, where guests buy seats at shared tables
- A buyout of a smaller room for larger friend groups
Private group dinners are the core product. Ticketed communal dinners work well for venues with a following, since they bring in individuals and couples as well as groups.
Team lunches deserve their own pitch. Office managers often want a short, easy midday event before staff scatter for the holiday, and a 90-minute lunch with a set menu fits that need. Weekday lunches also use the room at a time it would otherwise sit empty.
Build the Menu
Keep the menu familiar and easy to serve. Family-style platters suit the spirit of the meal and are often simpler for staff than plated service.
A typical package might include a seasonal starter, turkey or another main, a substantial vegetarian main, several sides and a pie or dessert table. Offer options for common dietary needs, since groups of friends usually include a vegetarian, a vegan and someone avoiding gluten.
Some groups will ask to bring a dish from home. Many health departments restrict serving outside food at licensed venues, so check your local rules and your caterer's policy before saying yes. A dessert table with a cake cutting fee is one workable compromise.
Seating and Setup
Long tables are the signature of a Friendsgiving. They keep the group together and make the meal feel like a shared table at home.
Set tables with simple seasonal decor, such as runners, candles in safe holders and small gourds or greenery. Leave room for a group photo, since nearly every table will want one. A short welcome drink on arrival helps the evening start smoothly while late arrivals trickle in.
Price the Package
Price Friendsgiving per person, with a minimum number of guests for private groups. Build the price from food cost, staffing, the room and a margin, as you would any package.
Consider a private dinner for 20 guests. If food and drink cost $28 per person, staffing $12 per person and you want the room to earn $400 on a weeknight, your costs and room target come to about $1,200. A package price of $75 per person, or $1,500 in total, leaves a margin of about $300. All figures are illustrative, so use your own costs.
Offer a drinks add-on, such as a wine package or a seasonal cocktail, and a group discount for early bookings to encourage commitment. Take a deposit when the table is booked, since friend groups change plans more often than companies do.
A Promotion Timeline
Work back from the week of Thanksgiving and run these steps in this order.
- Late October, announce the packages with photos, prices and available dates
- Early November, follow up with past clients and local companies about team lunches
- Mid November, share remaining dates and any open seats at communal dinners
- The final week, offer last-minute tables to groups who have not yet booked
Post on your social channels, ask local businesses to share it with their teams and contact past clients who booked small group events. Make booking easy with a simple form or a ticket link, since one organizer usually books on a phone while the rest of the group decides. A ticket storefront such as ShoSoft's can sell whole tables and single seats as separate ticket types, with a promo code for early groups.
Make It a Repeat Event
After November, ask groups for feedback and invite them to book again for next year or for another occasion. A group that enjoyed Friendsgiving at your venue is a natural lead for birthdays, holiday parties and other celebrations.
Keep a simple record of which groups booked, how many guests came and which menu they chose. Next October, contact those organizers first with a reminder and an early booking offer before you announce the dates publicly.
Plan Your Friendsgiving Package This Week
Choose your dates, set the menu with your kitchen or caterer, price the package and take photos of a sample table setup. Write a short description of each format with its price, the minimum group size and what is included. Then announce it before November begins, while groups are still choosing their date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Friendsgiving event?
Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving-style meal shared with friends instead of family, usually held in the weeks around Thanksgiving. Many groups now hold it at restaurants or venues instead of at home. Venues can offer packages for private groups or ticketed communal dinners.
When do people usually celebrate Friendsgiving?
Most Friendsgiving gatherings happen in the two or three weeks before Thanksgiving, often on weeknights or weekends. Some groups hold it the weekend after. Venues often find midweek November dates the easiest to fill this way.
How much should a venue charge for Friendsgiving?
Price it per person from your food, staffing and room costs plus a margin, and set a minimum for private groups. Local market rates and the menu will shape the final price. Offer drinks as an add-on.
Can guests bring their own food to a venue Friendsgiving?
It depends on local health rules and your caterer's policy. Many licensed venues restrict outside food. A dessert table with a cake cutting fee can be a workable compromise.
