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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/598044
www.cheersonline.com 39 November/December 2015 • Luxury hotel Mr. C in Beverly Hills offers several party spaces available for rent, including the pool deck, private dining room, the lobby lounge, and the Starlight Lounge, which lets guests out onto a wraparound balcony 12 stories up. To rent the lounge requires a $10,000 food-and-beverage minimum during the week, $15,000 on Friday and $20,000 on Saturday. By mid-October, Mr. C had already scheduled 30 holiday parties, says Jennifer Cohen, director of events. To book an event, prospective customers fi rst must call in and describe their needs and past parties. Cohen replies with a proposal. If that is acceptable, a site visit is scheduled. Cohen begins visits by offering customers a complimentary glass of the hotel's signature drink, the Bellini. (Mr. C is owned by Cipriani.) After that initial taste, she takes would-be renters around the four different spaces. "They usually ask about what we already have at the hotel," Cohen says. "They want to know what we have in terms of chairs, tables, glassware, fl atware, etcetera." At the end of the tour, if the customer has not tried Cipriani cuisine, Cohen will arrange for complimentary samples. Party fare usually does not stray too far from the regular menus, she says. But Mr. C will work with customers that have held parties there for a number of consecutive years on a custom menu to change things up a bit. —KS ! HOW MR. C SHOWS ITS EVENT SPACE PHOTO CREDIT: BRIAN LEAHY PHOTOGRAPHY "A lot of reds go on our winter wine menu," says Valentine, including the Garde Manger syrah from Washington State's Fausse Piste ($64 a bottle). "Make sure you have some whites too," she adds. "In general, always plan for more than you think you'll need." At Luce Ristorante E Enoteca, drinks are left to customers' discretion. Attendees can pay for their own their orders, or the event will prepurchase a number of bottles. The operator also allows parties to run up a tab and then pay at the end. Planter's House will offer punch bowls crafted around seasonal fl avors. One recent punch recipe was comprised of whiskey, vodka, rum, maple syrup, lemon, honey, apple brandy, and a pimento dram ($60 for 25 servings). Planter's House will work with the client to identify custom cocktails to serve for guests. This plays into Kilgore's general strategy for hosting holiday parties. "Just be as prepared as possible," he says, "and get as much work done beforehand that you can. Because once the big stuff is taken care of, it becomes a lot easier." Planter's House will charge $20 to $40 per person, with parties typically around 35 to 40 people. For bigger events, it will request a minimum spending of $500 per hour. Corporate parties usually hit that number, Kilgore says, as they tend to drink high-end beverages like whiskeys. ENSURE A SAFE PASSAGE Sometimes guests party a little too hearty. The host and venue should be on the lookout for folks who may have overimbibed. "The last thing you want at a holiday party is for someone to drive home intoxicated," says Delp of Tom Bergin's. Delp recommends that hosts arrange for rental cars as designated drivers. Uber is another option. The taxi service may give discounts, he says, if they know a large number of cars will be in service that night. Indeed, festivities should not be enjoyed at the expense of safety. Luxury hotel Mr. C in Beverly Hills will ask private- event customers if they would like to rent out blocks of rooms for the night of the event, says Jennifer Cohen, director of events. And the hotel has ongoing relationships with Uber and a taxi service should someone need to get home safely. REMEMBER YOUR REGULARS You have to try to balance holiday and private events with the need of your regular guests, the folks that support your business throughout the year. If possible, Tom Bergin's generally tries to accommodate regulars as well when there's a holiday party going on. "You don't want your restaurant to be closed to these people for most of the holiday season," Delp says. "We try to make as much room as possible for the other people," he adds. "We try to keep the fl ow of the restaurant as comfortable as possible." The wraparound balcony at the Mr. C hotel in Beverly Hills, right, offers a 360-degree view of Los Angeles.