How to plan a group dinner

Group dinners are fun once everyone is at the table. Getting there is the hard part. Here is a simple plan that works for friends, family, a team or a club.

1. Settle the day and time first

Agree on when before you talk about where. The right place depends on whether it's a quick weeknight bite or a long Saturday dinner. Once the time is fixed, the list of sensible places gets much shorter.

2. Ask about must-avoids, not favorites

Asking for everyone's favorite gives you a list nobody agrees on. Asking "anything you can't eat or can't do?" is quicker and catches what matters: allergies, a diet, a tight budget or a long drive.

3. Offer a few different places

Put up three to five options that suit the group and differ from each other. Include at least one easy, wallet-friendly choice so nobody feels priced out.

4. Let everyone vote, with a veto

A vote gives the quiet people the same say as the loud ones. One veto each means nobody gets stuck with the one place they really can't do. Set a clear end time so the decision doesn't drift.

5. Share the result and book

Once there's a winner, post it where everyone can see it, add it to your calendars and, for a bigger group, call ahead to book a table.

Running the vote with wawe

wawe handles steps 3 to 5 with one link. Start a vote, choose the places (or let it suggest some nearby, anywhere in the US) and add your own if you like. If you say how many people are coming, it reveals the winner as soon as everyone has voted; otherwise it ends at the time you set. Everyone sees the same result, with buttons to open it in Maps or add it to a calendar.

Nobody has to install anything or sign up, which matters when the group includes a grandparent, a new colleague or a friend of a friend. They just tap the link, type a first name and vote. Next time the same group meets, Vote again with the same places sets it all up again.