| November 1, 2007
 The Office
Christmas Party
If you haven't started planning your office Christmas party,
then you're probably in trouble. It's amazing how far in advance
people reserve a location. I've been stuck with helping plan my
office Christmas party for the past several years. There are lots
of great options in Raleigh, but I wanted to share a couple options
that I have used and then some ideas that I think are great.
1. Rocky Top Hospitality
The best part about using Rocky Top Hospitality is that they have
a lot of options available since they operate seven restaurants
in the area. These restaurants include Bogarts, HI-5, Red Room,
Twisted Fork, Michael Deans, 1705 Prime, and The Mash House. Usually
between one of their restaurants they can work your event in on
the date you need. They have a wide variety of menu options from
sit down dinners to heavy hors'dourves. And, compared to most
restaurants in Raleigh, they have options that won't break the
bank on a cost per head basis. I have used them for our last three
office Christmas parties and each one has been a success. Depending
on the number in your party, they provide one to two servers specifically
assigned to your party and a bartender operating a wet bar. Rocky
Top is on my recommend list for a nice and affordable Christmas
Party.
2. Prime Only Steakhouse
and Sashimi Bar
Are you having a hard time finding a semi-private space in a restaurant
for a large party and don't want to rent out the whole place?
Try Prime Only Steakhouse in the power district downtown. Prime
Only has several sections of their restaurant that can be excluded
from the rest of their patrons. In addition, to their main dining
room and the sashimi dining area, there is a separate space upstairs
and another downstairs in the back of the restaurant. They even
have a section that has it's own entrance and exit. Another great
aspect is that there is a parking deck directly behind the restaurant,
so there should be plenty of parking available. This might be
a little pricier option, but it's a great facility.
3. Cardinal Club
Ok, so it's been a pretty good year at Spacely Sprockets and
you really want to have a impressive Christmas Party. The Cardinal
Club located in Downtown Raleigh is a perfect choice for having
a more formal style Christmas Party. They can accommodate parties
upward of about 300-400 people and since they are located on the
28th and 29th floors of the Wachovia building, there is a beautiful
view. The Cardinal Club can work with you on setting up an evening
with heavy hors'dourves, carving stations, buffets or a sit down
meal. I have no doubt that the food will be great and the service
superior. They also can provide a podium with microphone, projectors,
screens, etc.... We have had an office Christmas party at the
Cardinal Club and I'd say that it was the most popular one yet.
But, it was the most expensive one as well.
4. RBC Center
So, you're in the oil business and you have been raking it in
this year and need a tax write off... Why not take your entire
staff to a hockey game in a private suite? The RBC Center have
a group of private suites that are available to rent for each
basketball and hockey game. They can accommodate from 12 people
to 60 people. However, you will have to purchase everyone a ticket
to the game. Last year, it was $100 for the ticket and then you
have to order at least $25 worth of food per person. You also
get VIP parking passes, that allow you to park right in front
of the entrance. It's going to be expensive, but I'm positive
it will go down as one of everyone's favorite Christmas parties.
If you're worried that the only food available will be hot dogs
and pretzels, don't be. The food that the catering company, Hot
Tomato Creations, provides is a great selection and it actually
tastes good. Make sure to invite me if this ends up being your
choice.
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