How to Organize a Supper Club
Looking for ways to enjoy food and fun with your friends or family? Set up a supper club! Learn how to organize a dinner group with these simple tips.
Have you ever been a part of a supper club before?
It is so fun and we’ve had the best of times with it!
When my kids were young, a small group of friends and myself organized a supper club that would meet monthly to enjoy a fun night of food and drink.
Our supper club members all knew each other from our children’s preschool and we all had kids who were in pre-k or younger.
As couples, we were all in the same boat with 2+ kids per family and wanted a night out with other adults.
For those of you with small children, you know how isolating that period of time is, so having an established monthly get-together was something our group really looked forward to.
Through the years, I’ve known a few people that participated in supper clubs – some lasted a year while others lasted twenty years.
It’s really a fun thing to do and I hope this post inspires you to start your own!
Here’s how to make your own supper club.
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What is a Supper Club?
Although it can be just about the food, supper clubs are more about the good time with great friends!
Dinner groups are pre-planned dinner parties where group members commit to meeting regularly with common goals in mind.
The commitment part is the glue that holds the group together while fostering and strengthening relationships on an ongoing basis.
The more into food and entertaining a couple is, the more creative and engaging the supper club will be.
How to Organize a Dinner Club
There are several ways to organize a supper club.
The following are a few suggestions based on things my group did. And it worked really well as we kept the group going for several years.
The only reason we stopped doing it over time was because our kids got so busy we were always in running in different directions so it was hard to plan.
The group eventually ran its course but we had a good 4 or 5 year run and some of our best memories are with that group!
Define the Group
Find 5-6 couples who are willing to commit to a monthly or even bi-monthly dinner group schedule.
You can do more or fewer couples but it seemed like 10-12 people for a dinner party was ideal.
There will always be someone who can’t make it but for the most part, 12 total people were our best number.
Before including members, be sure they are willing to commit to the group. Supper clubs work best when everyone is on the same page.
This does not mean everyone has to be in the same stage of life, but rather, means everyone is committed to participating and attending most, if not all gatherings.
We had six couples in our supper club and we rarely missed a night!
I think we would have a serious case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) if we couldn’t make it for some reason.
For a bunch of young parents with small kids, we knew how to have a good time and wanted to have that monthly outlet of just being with other adults.
Choose a Schedule
Pick one night, like, the first Saturday of every month to schedule so it’s on everyone’s calendars and they can schedule around it.
My virtual supper club meets every month the last Thursday and Saturday of the month to bring you table decor and entertaining ideas, as well as a menu of recipes for that month’s theme.
But my former dinner group with friends used to meet regularly the first Saturday night of the month like clockwork. We never changed the dates and if you couldn’t make it, it went on without you.
Because once you start moving dates around? You’ll never consistently get together.
So choose a date and stay firm with it.
Decide How to Organize Supper Club Nights
Consider who brings what and the format of each dinner party.
Our group decided we did not want to do a sit-down and opted to do mostly apps and 1-2 desserts.
But my virtual supper club does a mix of everything that includes a beverage, apps, main course, sides and desserts.
If you decide to do a sit-down, the host can do the main dish while others bring the sides and desserts. Ultimately, do what works for you and your group!
8 Simple Ideas for Organizing a Supper Club
The following are a few suggestions for organizing your supper club based on what we did.
You don’t have to do all of these but they worked for my dinner groups and kept us on track each month.
- Each couple takes a turn hosting.
- The couple hosting picks a theme and everyone brings a dish and a spirit to support the theme.
- Dinner themes can be as simple as “Italian night” or can be more creative, like a murder mystery.
- Our group included a specialty drink for the night. For our first dinner club, one of our friends hosted an Italian themed dinner. Chris and I brought a bottle of Galiano and the running joke was how many dinner clubs would it take to finish it off. For the record, I think it took 3.
- Hosts would send out some sort of an invitation for the event – this can be as simple or as complex as you want. Have fun with it!
- We made ours a kid-less event, but if you want to have your kids there, go for it!
- For a few years, we did a bi-monthly dinner themed supper club and in the off months, we sampled restaurants we never visited before.
- Consider pre-planning for Uber, Lyft, taxi or other car service.
Final Thoughts On Dinner Groups
I hope these suggestions give you a few ideas of how to organize your own supper club.
While this is how my group organized, there really are no rules. You can organize your group however you want based on your group’s needs!
That’s part of the fun.
Although our local supper club disbanded a years ago, we used to have the best time at every single gathering.
The laughter never stopped and some nights are unforgettable.
The only reason we slowly disbanded was that we all have several kids among us and as they grew, their schedules didn’t gel with monthly dinner groups anymore – we simply couldn’t find the time to get together.
On top of that, a few of us moved out of the area. And like I mentioned earlier, the group ran its course.
It was disappointing when we made the decision to disband but still managed to get together every now and again.
Aside from the fun, to me, the best part about dinner group is trying different foods and drinks you may not have given a though to before.
There are lots of different food ideas and drinks that I make now that I would never have tried if not for my supper clubs.
Enjoy!
Looking for More Supper Club Theme Ideas?
And speaking of supper club.
Our virtual supper club has been so much fun and we’ve covered so much over the last two years.
Whether you are in a supper club or just want some dinner party theme inspiration, check out the themes we’ve hosted before.
- Galentine’s Day Brunch
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Spring Brunch
- Cinco De Mayo
- 4th of July
- Picnic Date
- Tailgating Party
- Thanksgiving Dinner Party
- Christmas Dinner Party
- New Year’s Eve
- Cozy Winter Dinner
- Afternoon Tea Party
- Potluck Luncheon Ideas with a Soup Party
Thank you so much for following along! I hope this post inspires you to organize your own dinner group.
It is such a fun thing to do with good friends and the memories created are irreplaceable.
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Enjoy a beautiful day! xo
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