Where to have a 100-person Fundraiser Party in Seattle?

February 12, 2008 12:29 PM

Where in Seattle can I reserve a private room or a whole restaurant for a 100 person fundraiser party without breaking the bank?

I want to have a pretty open space, as I will be displaying and selling photography as part of the fundraiser. I don't need it to be super fancy or have a great view. I just want a nice place for friends to get dinner and drinks and be able to hang out and talk. Ideally I don't want a set menu, but rather just have people buy their own drinks at the bar and order and pay for their own dinners per table. I don't want to force my friends to have to pay $20+ for entrees either.

posted by dcruzin to food & drink (4 comments total)

You could try the Capitol Hill Arts Center. Or perhaps Youngstown. I don't think either of those serve food, tho.
My girlfriend does marketing and PR. I'll ask her if she knows of anything...
posted by black8 at 1:23 PM on February 12, 2008

Generally restaurants won't allow a buyout of this nature. Restaurants can offer varied menus because not everyone is ordering at the same time; there's an ebb and flow in the kitchen. If you're wanting to buy out an entire space, they'll require a fairly set menu (and charge you for extra staffing) to ensure that everyone gets fed at the same time. Unless you go with buffet-style/food stations, which is actually your better bet if you want people to be circulating & viewing the photography.

I can't offer any Seattle-specific venue advice, but here are a few things to look for:

- does the venue provide in-house catering, and if so, what are the F&B (food & beverage) minimums required in order to waive the rental fee? Also, if you prefer to go with an outside caterer, will they charge a landmark fee (typically 10% of the food bill)?

- if the venue does not provide in-house catering, do they have a list of preferred suppliers, and are you contractually obligated to use someone off the list? (Note: depending on the relationships the venue has, you may get a better deal from the list even if you're not required to use them. Also note that venues often have preferred suppliers for everything from catering to decor to AV).

- Do not be afraid to customize menus from a caterer. Also, don't let them gouge you for substitutions, especially if it's similar subs (e.g., fettucine Alfredo is nice, but we'd prefer a primavera)

- What are the deposit and attrition schedules? (attrition in this sense means that you'll be required to guarantee X number of people, so what happens if you dip below that number?)

- Following from that: is this an invite-with-RSVP event? If so, make sure your RSVP deadlines are in line with your venue/catering attrition schedules

- Is the venue licenced for alcohol? If not, will the caterer handle that?

- If the venue is ticketed, you're absolutely set for food, and then have a cash bar. This is probably your best option.


I'm not at work right now, but when I get to work tomorrow I may be able to find you an event planner in Seattle who can help. I can't think of any offhand, but I'm sure I've got some sort of contacts there.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:34 PM on February 12, 2008

Try the DAR hall, across from the Harvard Exit on Capitol Hill.
DAR House
800 East Roy
Seattle, WA
206-323-0600

Pretty classy:
Arctic Building - Dome Room
700 3rd Avenue
Seattle, WA
206-768-3575

I don't know about food arrangements at all, and I have no idea what these cost. I've just been to both of these locations, and thought they were nice. I attended a wedding at the DAR and a company dinner at the Dome Room.
posted by Araucaria at 4:07 PM on February 12, 2008

Some other interesting locations here.
posted by Araucaria at 4:09 PM on February 12, 2008