Best Chicago Restaurants and Bars for an Office Holiday Party (2026)
Private dinners, festive restaurants, cocktail parties and games for the 2026 holiday season, with room sizes and published prices.
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A good office holiday party gives people a reason to stay after the first drink. Sometimes that's a table covered in tapas, sometimes it's a private bar where people from different teams finally talk to each other, and sometimes it's a game that gets the quiet ones out of their chairs.
Chicago does all three well. The hard part is matching the place to how your office actually celebrates. A restaurant that's perfect for 12 can feel awkward for 60, and a lively reserved section is a very different night from a room with a door that closes. This guide is built mostly around Loop, River North and West Loop offices, with a few neighborhood picks worth the trip.
If you want a shortcut: Quartino or Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! for a dinner that works for almost any team, Club Lucky if you want the room to look like Christmas, River Roast for a big crowd with a river view, and Flight Club if you'd rather people have something to do than something to sit through.
Room details and published menus were checked October 2026; use the room sizes to build a shortlist, then ask each venue about your date, menu and minimum spend.
All 30 Chicago office holiday party venues at a glance
| Venue | Neighborhood | Capacity | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartino | River North | Up to 104 seated | Shareable Italian with a room for almost any headcount |
| il Porcellino | River North | Private rooms; ask for layout | Family-style packages from $43.95; clear budget starting point |
| Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! | Lincoln Park | Up to 45 seated per room | Tapas keep the table social; published menus from $42 |
| The Gage | Loop | Up to 85 seated | Downtown dinner with a private bar, no cab ride |
| Ēma | River North | Semi-private or buyout | Mediterranean spreads and a published zero-proof package |
| The Publican | Fulton Market | Up to 65 seated | Long-table dinner for a team that cares about food; $35 lunch option |
| Maxwells Trading | West Loop | Up to 72 seated | Separate event spaces with real character |
| Club Lucky | Bucktown | Up to 35 (private room) | Supper club dressed for Christmas from November 14 |
| Hawksmoor | River North | 16 or 22 seated (small rooms) | Dressed-up steakhouse in the LaSalle Powerhouse |
| Alla Vita | West Loop | 24 seated (semi-private) | Stylish Italian dinner for about two dozen |
| Aba | Fulton Market | 9 to 12 (Chef's Table) | Special table for a small team without a full event room |
| HaiSous | Pilsen | 45 seated (private room) | Memorable Vietnamese dinner; menus from $80 |
| The Duck Inn | Bridgeport | 50 seated | Neighborhood tavern feel for a department buyout |
| Virtue | Hyde Park | 80 seated | Southern dinner for a South Side or university office |
| BiXi Beer | Logan Square | 40 seated (Green Room) | Private dinner with house beer; lounge for a casual night |
| Sunda Fulton Market | Fulton Market | 13 to 30 (happy hour) | Weekday 5 to 7 p.m. package at $85 food and drink |
| River Roast / RR Events | River North | Up to 240 seated | Riverfront rooms from a small dinner to a big reception |
| The Dawson | River West | 28 seated (the Den) | Fireplace room that flows from dinner into cocktails |
| Untitled Supper Club | River North | Up to 200 standing | Dressed-up cocktail party with built-in atmosphere |
| Three Dots and a Dash | River North | Up to 60 (reception) | Tropical cocktail reception in December |
| The Aviary and The Office | Fulton Market | 9 to 35 (Aviary); 21 seated (The Office) | Cocktail splurge with classes and tastings |
| Game Room at Chicago Athletic Association | Loop | 10 to 150 (semi-private) | Classic Michigan Avenue room with billiards, bocce and shuffleboard |
| Kaiser Tiger | West Loop | Up to 100 seated | Beer, big bar food and a private upstairs lounge |
| Dovetail Brewery | North Center | 120 seated | Beer-hall loft with your own food plan; bar minimum only |
| Flight Club | Loop | 13 to 500 | Darts that rotate easily with eating and talking; $82 package |
| AceBounce | Loop | 75 (private Parlor) | Private games room with its own bar and AV |
| WhirlyBall Chicago | Bucktown | Quoted with proposal | Bumper cars and a team game for a night of friendly chaos |
| Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club | Bucktown | From 10 (cabanas) | Shuffleboard and cabanas; catering billed separately |
| Punch Bowl Social | Fulton Market | 9 to 19 (package) | Bowling, karaoke and arcade for a team that splits up; from $45 |
| RPM Events | River North | 270 seated / 600 reception | Dedicated event venue for the whole company |
Chicago restaurants for a team holiday dinner
These are the places to start when the office wants a proper sit-down dinner that most people will be happy with. Shareable menus, published packages where they exist, and rooms that fit a department as easily as a whole floor.
Quartino
626 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
If you just need a lively Italian dinner that nobody will complain about, this is the one. Pizza, pasta and salumi suit a group that would rather settle in and pass plates than follow a tightly scheduled evening, and Quartino has an unusually useful range of rooms, so a small department and a much larger office can both find a setup that makes sense. The private Wine Room seats 12, the Naples Room takes 60 seated, and the combined La Grande Sala takes 104 seated or 120 for a reception. The Rome Room is semi-private, with restaurant noise and passing guests, so pick one of the enclosed rooms if toasts matter.
il Porcellino
59 W Hubbard St #2, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Red-sauce Italian is a safe landing spot for a group with mixed tastes, and il Porcellino makes the planning easy. The family-style menu lets the organizer pick a spread for the table, with options like pasta, chicken and eggplant Parmesan, and the Negroni Room has its own bar, which makes the night feel like a real event rather than a big dinner reservation. The published family-style dinner starts at $43.95 per person, with shared dessert for another $6.95. Two hours of beer and wine adds $40 in a private space, so you're looking at a $90.90 food-and-drink starting point before tax and other event charges. Ask the events team to match the room to your headcount.
Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!
2024 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
Tapas make a work dinner feel social from the first plate. There's always another dish to pass and an easy reason to talk across the table, which is why Ba-Ba-Reeba! keeps coming up for teams that want a proper meal and a festive room without the evening tipping into formal. Room options include Toledo for 25 seated, Castilla for 36 and Granada for 45, with larger combinations available. The in-house menu starts at $42 per person for tapas or $55 for tapas and paella, including soft drinks, drip coffee and tea. Two hours of beer, wine and sangria adds $30. Tax and gratuity are extra, and the events team can walk you through the minimum for your room.
The Gage
24 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA
When everyone's leaving an office downtown, The Gage lets the night feel like an occasion without adding a cab ride. The Michigan Avenue setting works for a departmental dinner, and the lower-level event space gives a larger team room for drinks and conversation. For a smaller gathering, the Louis Sullivan Room seats 28 or takes 35 for cocktails. The private Theodore Ascher Room & Bar handles 85 seated or 150 for a reception, and its bar alone can host 60 standing. The Edson Keith Room is semi-private, so choose it when some restaurant atmosphere is welcome.
Ēma
74 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
A table of spreads, vegetables, fish and kebabs is easy to build around a team's dietary needs, and Ēma's bright dining room is just as appealing for a daytime celebration as a dinner. The current mezze dinner menu is $69.95 per person. Drinks can be planned as beer and wine at $16 per person per hour, a fuller bar package, or a separate zero-proof cocktail package at $12 per person per hour, which is more thought than most restaurants give the people who aren't drinking. Smaller events use a custom semi-private arrangement; a full dining-room buyout is another option.
The Publican
837 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
This is the pick when the meal is the point. The Publican's shared dinner format gives everyone something to talk about, and the long King's Table is a natural fit for a department that likes eating together. Larger groups can take a section of the dining room or arrange a buyout. The King's Table seats 22 and the semi-private section seats 65. The August 2026 event menu lists family-style dinner at $95 or $120 per person and lunch at $35, and the lunch is worth a look if your office would rather do a good meal during the workday than a long night out. Contracted events add a 20% service charge, 3.5% administrative fee and tax.
Maxwells Trading
1516 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Sometimes the restaurant is the thank-you. Maxwells Trading's separate event spaces let you build a more personal dinner around the food, with options for a handful of people as well as a full department. Maxwells Upstairs seats 72 or holds 100 for a reception and has its own entrance, a record player and a vintage book collection. Smaller groups can use the Third Season Store for 12 seated or the Design Studio for 12 to 24. The studio uses counter-height tables and stools, which is worth knowing before you plan a three-hour dinner there. Event minimums are quoted individually.
Festive dinners and neighborhood restaurants in Chicago
Dinners with a stronger point of view: a supper club dressed for Christmas, a steakhouse in a historic powerhouse, and neighborhood rooms in Bucktown, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Hyde Park and Logan Square that make the night feel like it belongs to the team rather than to a banquet calendar.
Club Lucky
1824 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, USA
If you want the restaurant to supply the Christmas atmosphere, this is the standout. The old-school supper club setting, Italian food and martinis already feel like a celebration, and the holiday decorations take the room a step further. Decorating season starts November 14, 2026. The private Club Room holds up to 35 guests, with a standard 30-adult minimum, which makes it an especially good fit for a team of 30 to 35 that wants a classic dinner in its own room. Family-style packages in the April 2026 menu begin at $43.95 per person, and three hours of beer and wine adds $45. Bar packages also require at least 30 guests, and the premium bar package doesn't include the signature martinis unless you add them.
Hawksmoor
500 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Hawksmoor puts an impressive room, steak to share and serious cocktails in one place, and the historic LaSalle Powerhouse gives it real Chicago character. The smaller private rooms keep a departmental dinner from feeling lost in a big restaurant. Lady Bird seats 16 or holds 23 standing; Big Mike seats 22 or holds 32 standing. Those are great sizes for leadership teams and small offices, and larger rooms are available for company celebrations. It's a dinner-led night, so leave time for the meal and make sure the menu covers colleagues who don't eat steak.
Alla Vita
564 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661, USA
A beautiful restaurant with the energy of a night out, Alla Vita suits a small office that wants dinner to feel more special than a team lunch. The Italian menu keeps the table on familiar ground. The semi-private dining room seats 24 or holds 30 for a reception, which lines up neatly with a group of about two dozen, as long as everyone's happy sharing the restaurant's atmosphere. A full buyout takes 100 seated or 150 for a reception. If the night needs a long presentation or a confidential conversation, pick a fully enclosed room elsewhere.
Aba
302 N Green St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Aba is the move for a small team that wants a celebratory dinner without booking a full event room. Mediterranean spreads, vegetables and grilled dishes are easy to share, and all the greenery gives the setting a clear sense of occasion. The semi-private Chef's Table takes 9 to 12 guests. The published mezze dinner is $76.95 per person, with drinks separate and a 4% event-planner fee plus sales tax added. Larger private events go through The Dalcy, a separate event hall on the same floor.
HaiSous
1800 S Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
HaiSous gives coworkers a menu worth exploring together. The Vietnamese food and warm dining room give the party a distinct identity, and the private room lets a department settle in for the night without losing the restaurant's character. The private room seats 45. Three-course event menus start at $80 per person, with beverage packages from $45 and room rental on top. Build the evening around the dinner, with time for shared courses. For a smaller group, the restaurant also offers large-party and semi-private arrangements.
The Duck Inn
2701 S Eleanor St, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
The Duck Inn feels like a night at a favorite neighborhood restaurant, which is exactly what some offices want. The old tavern setting, contemporary American food and cocktails give the evening plenty of character without a big production. The indoor main dining room seats 50 or hosts 70 for a reception, so you can choose between a full dinner and a party with more room to circulate. It's a good scale for a department that wants to take over one space and plan the menu and drinks around the group.
Virtue
1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
Virtue's Southern cooking and hospitality can carry a whole evening, and it's the obvious choice for an office on the South Side or around the university. The event offering accommodates 80 seated, or 150 standing across the dining room and bar. The bar alone takes 80 standing, which works well when the whole office wants to mingle over drinks. For teams coming from elsewhere in the city, put the travel plan in the invitation.
BiXi Beer
2515 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, USA
Stylish neighborhood dinner, Asian-inspired food and house beer in one place. The private Green Room gives the party its own home, and the restaurant feels celebratory without asking anyone to dress up. The Green Room seats 40. For something smaller and more casual, the Lounge is set up for cocktail gatherings of 20 or fewer with drinks and light buffet food. Choose between the two based on whether everyone expects dinner or the night is mainly a chance to catch up over drinks.
Sunda Fulton Market
333 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Sunda has the clearest after-work option on this list. The holiday happy hour is built around passed bites, sushi and drinks in the Lounge, which suits a team that wants to gather, eat and still have the rest of the evening open. The current offer is for 13 to 30 people, Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in November and December. Food is $50 per person, with an optional $35 beverage package, so $85 for both before tax and any added event charges. It's a lounge party rather than a seated banquet; for a sit-down dinner, Sunda also lists a private dining room for up to 40 and communal tables for up to 30 through its separate event options.
Chicago cocktail bars and private rooms for a holiday reception
For an office that would rather mingle than sit through three courses. Private bars, cocktail lounges, a riverfront event space, a brewery loft and a few places that can handle a seated dinner and a reception in the same night.
River Roast / RR Events
315 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Once the guest list outgrows a typical restaurant room, River Roast is one of the strongest places to start. The riverfront location gives the night a sense of occasion, and the range of event spaces runs from a small dinner to a much larger party. RR Events, River Roast's event space, offers the Commerce Room for 16 seated guests and Moray for 24. For bigger parties, Monarch takes 130 seated or 180 for a reception and Murdoch takes 240 seated or 400 for a reception. Leave room in your count for a bar, mingling and any short remarks.
The Dawson
730 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
The Dawson works for a party with a little movement to it: drinks on arrival, dinner, then more time to catch up. For a smaller office, the Den is the best winter room here, with a fireplace and layouts that can read as either a dining room or a lounge. The Den seats 28 or holds 32 standing. For larger groups, the main dining room takes 100 seated or 150 standing, and the upstairs Foundry has its own bar. Decide early whether every guest needs a dinner seat or a mix of tables and lounge seating will do.
Untitled Supper Club
111 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Untitled is for the office party that should feel like a night out. The bars, dramatic rooms and performance setting come with their own atmosphere, and the range of spaces helps when people should be circulating rather than parked at one table all night. The Whiskey Library seats 48 or hosts 120 standing; the Drawing Room takes 75 seated or 100 standing; Cabaret goes up to 100 seated or 200 standing. Rooms can be combined, so be specific about the privacy and entertainment you want. Pick this for energy; if speeches matter, ask for a quieter room as part of the booking.
Three Dots and a Dash
435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Three Dots makes a December office party feel like an escape. Tropical drinks and lounge seating give people a change of scene, and it works especially well for a department that wants cocktails and party food with plenty of time to talk. The private Bamboo Room holds up to 25 guests. Larger groups can use semi-private sections like the Cove for 30 or the Oasis for 60. Seating is limited in some sections, so treat it as a cocktail reception where people move around, and put the alley entrance in the invitation.
The Aviary and The Office
955 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
For a small team with a generous budget, The Aviary gives the celebration a clear focus: inventive cocktails and the craft behind them. Private experiences can include a cocktail class, a tasting or a look at the kitchen and ice room, which is a memorable thank-you for colleagues who care about the details. The Aviary offers semi-private events for 9 to 35 guests and a buyout for up to 80 standing. The Office, downstairs in the same building, is the more intimate private option at 21 seated or 25 standing; classes can take up to 19. Plan the food alongside the experience, especially if some guests will be drinking little or nothing.
Game Room at Chicago Athletic Association
12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA
The former club billiards room gives this party real character, and the Michigan Avenue address makes it easy to compare with other downtown options. It suits an office that wants drinks and shareable food with games woven into the evening rather than running it. The hotel offers semi-private events for 10 to 150 guests; groups of 150 to 250 use a full buyout. Billiards, bocce and shuffleboard give people something to do between conversations. If a tournament is the centerpiece, confirm which games are included in your booking; this works best when playing is optional.
Kaiser Tiger
1415 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Beer, big bar food and a relaxed room. Kaiser Tiger can seat a small team along a banquette or give a larger group a room and bar of its own, and winter curling is a fun add-on when conditions allow, though the indoor party stands on its own. The main-floor West Room takes 50 seated or 60 to 70 mingling. The private Skyline Lounge upstairs takes 100 seated or 120 to 140 mingling and has its own bar. A semi-private banquette works for 15 to 20 seated.
Dovetail Brewery
1800 W Belle Plaine Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, USA
The barrel-lined loft has the feel of a beer hall, with tables that make it easy to gather in small groups, and bringing in your own food gives the organizer real flexibility, from a casual spread to a catered dinner. The indoor Barrel Loft holds 120 seated or 135 standing and includes a microphone, PA and projection screen. Bookings carry a quoted bar minimum with no separate room fee. Food is planned separately, and any wine or spirits must be served by a licensed caterer or mobile bar service. The loft is upstairs and mostly reached by stairs, so raise any access needs early.
Chicago holiday party venues with an activity
Darts, ping-pong, bumper cars, shuffleboard and bowling, all with food and drinks on site. These work best when playing is optional and there's somewhere comfortable to talk while others take their turn.
Flight Club
111 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
Flight Club is the easiest way to give the night an activity without building the whole evening around a tournament. Short darts games and automatic scoring make it simple to rotate between playing, eating and talking, which keeps both the competitive people and the ones who just want a night out happy. The 2026 holiday brochure's two-hour Stirling package is $46 per person for replenished food and gameplay. Adding beer, wine and seltzers is another $36, so $82 before sales tax and administration fees. Events for 13 or more go through the events team, and the full venue can host 500. Reserve the playing areas and social space your group actually needs.
AceBounce
230 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
The private Parlor is the draw here: its own cocktail bar and bartender, two ping-pong tables and presentation equipment, so the party can feel contained while keeping the activity-bar energy. It's a good setup for a short welcome or awards. The Parlor takes 75 guests. Smaller semi-private options include the Garage for 30 and the Gallery for 40. There's seating near the games for people who want a break, and the menu includes vegetarian and vegan dishes alongside alcohol-free drinks. Ask for a package that covers food, drinks and table time.
WhirlyBall Chicago
1825 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
WhirlyBall is for a team that will enjoy a little friendly chaos. Bumper cars plus a team ball game gives everyone a shared story from the night, and the Chicago venue also has bowling and laser tag, with food, drinks and event space all in one place. Build the booking around the activities your group actually wants, with time for food and for colleagues who'd rather watch. The venue handles small teams and larger private events through custom packages. Agree on activity times as well as the party space so everyone gets a turn and the meal fits comfortably.
Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club
1750 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, USA
Tropical décor, cabanas, drinks and shuffleboard give a December party a very different backdrop. It suits a team that wants to move around and socialize, with shuffleboard pulling people together between conversations. Indoor cabana parties start at 10 guests and scale up to larger groups; full private buyouts are also available. The main planning detail is food: catering is arranged through a separate provider and billed separately, so this works best when the group is happy with a reception format and the organizer doesn't mind coordinating the meal alongside the booking.
Punch Bowl Social
310 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Some teams naturally split into smaller groups, and Punch Bowl Social is built for that. Bowling, karaoke, arcade games and shuffleboard give people several ways to spend the night while food and drinks keep everyone under one roof. The current small-group bowling package covers 9 to 19 guests and starts at $45 per person Sunday through Thursday or $55 Friday and Saturday. It includes bowling and a choice of food or drink tokens; it isn't unlimited food and an open bar. Larger or more elaborate parties use custom event arrangements.
Chicago venues for a full company holiday party
When the whole company has outgrown a restaurant room, you need an event team and a big space. RPM Events is the clearest option on this list; River Roast's Murdoch room and Flight Club's full buyout also reach into the hundreds.
RPM Events
317 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
For a large company party, RPM Events belongs on the list alongside the restaurant options. It's a dedicated event venue from RPM Restaurants, with river views, its own entrance, coat check and a dedicated kitchen, designed for an organized reception or seated party with room for a real program. The full event space seats 270 or holds 600 for a reception, and the East Ballroom, Center Stage and West Ballroom can be used for smaller formats. It's a separate venue from RPM Steak, RPM Italian and RPM Seafood. Choose it when you need an event team and a big room, then shape the food, bar and schedule around the company.
Also worth asking about: Frontier in West Town stopped daily restaurant service in August 2026 and now operates as a private events and buyout venue for up to 350 guests. Its holiday packages weren't published when we checked, so get a current proposal before planning around it.
What an office holiday party in Chicago costs
The examples below give you a starting point using each venue's published packages. These are food-and-drink subtotals before the additional charges shown. Ask for a complete quote for your group and date, including any room minimum.
| Venue | Published components | Starting subtotal | What to include in the quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! | Tapas + two hours of beer, wine and sangria | $72/person | Tax and gratuity extra; room minimum quoted separately |
| Flight Club | Two-hour 2026 Stirling food/gameplay package + beer, wine and seltzers | $82/person | Sales tax and administration fee extra |
| Sunda Fulton Market | Two-hour holiday Lounge food and beverage package | $85/person | 13 to 30 people; Mon to Thu, 5 to 7 p.m., Nov to Dec; tax and event additions extra |
| Club Lucky | Classic family-style menu + three hours of beer and wine | $88.95/person | 30+ guests; tax and gratuity extra; 2.89% credit-card surcharge |
| il Porcellino | Family-style dinner, shared dessert + two hours of beer and wine | $90.90/person | Private spaces; tax and other event charges extra; some dishes carry supplements |
| Ēma | Mezze dinner + two hours of beer and wine | $101.95/person | Tax and any event fees extra; alternate drink packages available |
| HaiSous | Three-course event menu + starting beverage package | From $125/person | Room rental, tax and other charges extra; beverage duration quoted |
| The Publican | Classic dinner + two hours of beer and wine | $145/person | 20% service charge, 3.5% administrative fee and sales tax extra |
For a daytime celebration, The Publican's August 2026 packet lists a $35-per-person lunch before drinks, fees and tax, and Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!'s daytime packages start at $38 before alcohol, tax and gratuity. Lunch is worth asking about if you'd rather spend the budget on the meal than a long evening bar package.
A minimum spend is a commitment to spend a certain amount on qualifying food and drinks, not a fee on top of the bill. A hypothetical $4,000 minimum for 40 guests works out to $100 per person before extras. Ask what counts toward the minimum, then compare the complete totals across venues.
How to plan a party people enjoy
Pick the shape of the evening first. A seated dinner is best when the team wants to share a meal and actually talk. A reception gives a larger office room to circulate and makes it easier to include partners. Games work when people would appreciate a shared activity. Decide that before comparing venues, because the right room size changes with the format.
Make it easy to be comfortable. Leave room for coats and bags and somewhere to sit, even at a standing party. Plan food the whole group can eat and drinks people can enjoy without alcohol. For games, make sure there's a comfortable place to talk while others play. Ask about step-free access to the actual party room, especially at an upstairs loft or a venue with several floors.
Compare complete proposals. Give two or three venues the same headcount, dates, start and finish times, food format and total budget. Ask each for the room or area included, the minimum spend, food and bar costs, taxes, service or administrative charges, gratuity, game charges and equipment costs. Check whether an included service charge covers gratuity so the budget is clear.
Keep the program light. A short welcome, enough food and a clear finish time beat an overstuffed schedule. If there will be awards or remarks, pick a room where people can hear them and settle the microphone or screen in advance. At a games venue, reserve the activity time as well as the party area.
Let the neighborhood do some of the work. Start with the area that makes sense for the people attending. A Loop office may want a downtown venue, while a team around Hyde Park may prefer Virtue. If guests are coming from several offices or the suburbs, include the arrival plan and finish time in the invitation.
Give yourself more than one date. Ask about a few weekdays, an early-evening party or a lunch. January can also work if December calendars are packed. Availability and pricing vary by date, so compare real proposals. A restaurant's online reservation calendar often doesn't show what its private-events team can arrange.
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