Tuesday night: entertaining at Javier’s. Wednesday night: dinner at a Dallas steakhouse. Thursday night … We’ve all been there. After regularly entertaining, the usual options get a little stale. I’ve found that you will stand out, have fun, and create memorable experiences by dining outside the norm.
Plus, people naturally adapt to their environment. If you are going for a formal evening with a purposeful conversation, stick to the steakhouses. If you have an existing relationship with a customer and you want to have a good time and build a stronger relationship, pick a more casual venue.
For those who are willing to venture out, read below for a few unique, tried-and-true recommendations.
• Louie’s Pizza. This hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor on Henderson Avenue is guaranteed to produce rave results. Pulling up, you’ll likely see an eclectic mix of cars—an old sedan nestled between two Escalades, with the crowd to match inside. Get ready to bite into a mouth-watering bite of thin-crust pizza, drink good beer, and watch whatever game is on TV that night. Sometimes the service doesn’t exactly match the pizza, but that’s half the charm.
• Bishop Arts District. Customers love seeing this eclectic side to Dallas, and who knew that Dallas had hills? Take your pick between Bolsa, Hattie’s or Tillman’s Road House.
• Bowling. Who doesn’t love good, healthy competition?! Get your bowling shoes on and get ready for some smack talking. Clients love cutting loose and having fun. Add a few beers, pizza, and hot dogs to the night and it’s a guaranteed good time.
• Cooking Class. Everyone seems to be a foodie these days, and with more restaurants per capita than New York City, Dallas likes to eat! If any of your customers are self-proclaimed foodies, watch a quick cooking demonstration and then enjoy the demonstrated meal. Duo and Mi Piaci offer this service, and are both highly recommended.
• Dining In. What better way to turn customers into friends than by inviting them into your own home? If you feel comfortable whipping up your personal, culinary specialty, go for it. Or, pick up fajitas and make your own margaritas.
I encourage you to try at least one of these! You’ll see that not only are we sick of the expected steak dinner, so are our customers. Plus, both your waistline and pocketbook will thank you!
Sarah (Payne) Erickson is senior vice president and co-manager at Stream Realty Partners. Contact her at [email protected].
