Hanukkah is here, Christmas is less than two weeks from today, and New Years is a just a few sleeps away. Which is all good...unless you're a procrastinator. And not just any old procrastinator, but the procrastinator in charge of planning the company holiday party. Did that sentence just send a cold, sweaty shiver down your spine as you realized you've neglected that particular duty?
Don't panic -- well, maybe just a bit -- but get cracking. This is SoFlo, after all, so being late to (or in planning) the party is sort of par for the course. Some restaurants and bars will still have dates to accomodate holiday parties this month. Another option to consider? Booking in January, when the holiday craziness has passed and folks need something fun to derail their already shaky New Years resolutions.
Lest you and your loyal staff get stuck fighting over a tray of cold shrimp near the copy machine, start making some phone calls today with help from Clean Plate Charlie.
See Also:
- Thirty Things You Should Never Say to Your Boss at the Company Party
- Gift Guide for Foodies: 10 Unique Stocking Stuffers Under $20
What fun would a holiday office party be without the possibility of drinking too many rum runners and stripping down to your skivvies with the guys from accounting? The waterside restaurant and patio bar at the Bahia Cabana Beach Resort not only allows your guests the option to arrive by boat -- how many office parties can boast that one? -- but to take possibly ill-advised dips in the pool or Jacuzzi. Banquet pricing is available for holiday parties and some spots are still available. You can go with an array of hot and cold apps, a full lunch or dinner buffet, or get fancy with a clam bake. Call 954-524-1555, ext. 325.
Sick of everyone complaining about the lame-o company parties? YOLO provides not only a few menu and space options for private and semi-private parties, but the people watching always makes for an entertaining point. And the booze! Don't forget the booze. The Las Olas mainstay can host a small gathering or as many as 500 people. Call 954-523-1000.
A hotel on the beach
Give your co-workers/employees a temporary vacation by booking the bash at a beachside hotel. (If they want to really booze it up during the Secret Santa gift exchange, they can foot the bill for their own overnight accommodations conveniently located on premises.) Two that come to mind as having reasonable prices, considering the killer views; Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and Pelican Grand Beach Resort.
Pelican Grand gives the option of several rental spaces, plus a plated meal or the easier-on-the-party-budget buffet. Though a large portion of the resort's beach fell victim to the eroding effects of Hurricane Sandy and recent high tides, party guests can still enjoy the building's right-on-the-beach slice of prime real estate. Call 954-556-7620. Harbor Beach also has a variety of spaces available, not to mention a ton of private beachfront property for festive employees to roam. Call 954-525-4000.
Got a small, tight-knit (and well behaved) office crew and a generous budget with which to work? Sette Bello Ristorante in Fort Lauderdale is offering a limited time promo when you host a holiday party at the Italian restaurant. Book a party of 20 or more people for dinner and get a $50 gift certificate, which you could raffle off in an additional show of employee appreciation, or keep for yourself as a reward for having to put up with these people all year. Call 954-351-0505.
Sick of every company party ending with the office doofus dancing on (and subsequently breaking) his computer desk? Move the party to Mai-Kai, where the underlings will be too busy sipping fruity cocktails out of coconuts and watching swaying hips to even bother trying to find a lampside to use as a hat. Book a lunch or dinner -- with or without a show -- or a private cocktail party. There are lots of mood-setting locales, like lagoons and gardens, available. Call 954-563-3272.
Got an office full of farmers'-market-loving foodies? If your crew wrinkles their nose at the thought of a corporately-catered affair, or, gasp, an uninspired spread of Sysco dinner rolls and out-of-the-freezer chicken dinners, the menu at Market 17 might quell their hard-to-please palates. The Fort Lauderdale spot has a super private dining room that can hold 16 people, or other areas that can host anywhere from 40 to 60 guests. The entire space is also available if you've got the funds to do a restaurant buyout for the affair. Call 954-835-5507.
Duffy's Sports Grill
If yours is an informal crew, the low-frills but lively atmosphere of South Florida's favorite sports bar chain could be the solution. And with more than 15 locations in Broward and Palm Beach counties, there's bound to be one in close proximity to the office. While hot wings and cold brews could survive on their own merits, there's also a little bonus for you. Book your company's holiday party at Duffy's and you'll get to keep MVP points for yourself. It's no filet mignon, but the bars do offer party platters and custom menus. Contact Duffy's for more details.
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