With fewer than three weeks until Christmas Day, the holiday party season is kicking into high gear this week at Mike Anderson’s Seafood and many other Baton Rouge restaurants and banquet halls. And this year, Mike Anderson Jr. says business at his restaurant is better than it has been in recent memory. “It’s awesome. Right now we’re doing about eight or nine [holiday parties] a day,” he says. “It’s about doubled this year.” A number of national surveys conducted each year on company holiday parties all show them to be rebounding to some degree after several years of belt-tightening due to the recession. In Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.’s annual unscientific survey of U.S. human resources executives, the global consulting firm found 83% of companies plan to throw a party this year, up from 68% last year. About 17% of respondents also say they plan to spend more money this year on the party. Jay Bruno, co-owner of Bonanno’s Fine Catering, says that surge reflects what he’s seeing this year. “Overall, I’d say demand for holiday parties is about 10% better than last year. We’re seeing about the same number of bookings, but the average they’re spending has gone up,” he says. Anderson says businesses are also spending more on their holiday parties at his restaurant this year. “Last year they were really cutting back on their budgets: ordering less food and going for a cash bar instead of an open bar,” he says. “But this year … people are just like, ‘Let’s do it,’ and they’re going for the open bar again and a bigger party.” —Steve Sanoski Read the full story here.
Today’s poll question: Is your company hosting a larger holiday party this year than last year?
