How to get a group to agree on where to eat
The MiBA team ·
Everyone wants to go out. Then someone asks where, and the group chat fills with maybes, links and thumbs-up that commit nobody. Deciding where to eat as a group is hard for reasons that have little to do with food: nobody wants to be the one who objects, the first suggestion takes the lead, and the date slips while the place is still open.
Here is what helps, and the guides below go deeper.
Ask everyone first, one at a time
Before anyone names a restaurant, find out what each person needs: what they can't eat, what they'd like to spend, and which days they can't make. People say more when they aren't answering in front of the whole group, and one firm need can rule out a place for everyone.
Settle the date before the place
A date turns a nice idea into a plan. Offer a few days and an hour, and take the one most people can make, rather than waiting for a day that suits everyone.
Give every voice the same weight
The friend who answers first isn't always the one who cares most. Weigh each person's taste the same, and look for the place that suits the whole table rather than one person's favourite.
Vote on a short list, then book
An open question invites endless suggestions. Narrow it to a handful of places that meet everyone's must-haves and let the group vote: a choice people had a say in is one they look forward to. Then book, and send the place, the day and the time in one message.
The guides
- Why getting together with friends matters
Shared meals bring people closer. What research says about eating together with friends, and how to make it a habit your group keeps.
- Planning dinner for a big group
Big tables make some of the best nights out. How to plan dinner for a large group so everyone gets a say, from the date and diets to booking.
- How groups choose where to eat
Recommendations, the occasion and everyone's must-haves all shape where a group eats. Here's how to bring them together into one pick.
- Why your group chat can't decide where to eat
One person talks, everyone else waits, and the first idea wins. Here's what research says about group chats, and a way around it.
How MiBA helps
The host picks the meal, the days, the hour and the area, and shares one link. Everyone answers a few questions on their own: the days they can't make, what they feel like eating, the vibe and the budget. Their no's, their diet and their budget stay private.
MiBA ranks the restaurants that suit the whole group, the host puts up to five on a shortlist, and everyone votes. Then you get a link or a phone number to book, and everyone hears where and when.