Friday or Saturday? Picking the night for your group dinner

Saturday leads, Friday follows

Weekends fill up first. Reservations made through Toast's booking platform in the third quarter of 2024 were most often for Saturday, at 27% of the total. Friday came next with 21%, then Sunday with 15%.

On that platform, Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights out, so they're also the nights where a big table is hardest to find.

Plenty of plans come together on the day

Going out is often spontaneous. On the same platform, 45% of reservations were made on the day itself. For two people, deciding that afternoon often works. For a bigger group, settling the night a little earlier gives you a better choice of tables.

Eating out is a regular part of life

For many people, dinner out is a weekly thing. In a TouchBistro survey with The Harris Poll of 1,500 US diners, conducted in October 2024, 42% said they dine out weekly or more often, up from 39% in TouchBistro's previous survey.

With that much going out, a regular group night is easy to fit in, as long as you pick it together.

How to pick the night

• Offer a few options. Put two or three possible days on the table, not just one.
• Let everyone answer on their own. It's easier to say which nights you can't do when you're not saying it to the whole group.
• Consider the quieter nights. Sunday or a weeknight can mean an easier table and a more relaxed evening.
• Go with the most people. Pick the day the most guests can make, rather than waiting for a perfect one.
• Book once the night is set. Then share the place, date and time in one message.

How MiBA helps

In MiBA, the host picks a few possible days and an hour, and each guest marks the days they can't make, and those stay private. Everyone also shares, on their own, what they feel like eating, the vibe, the budget and what they don't eat.

MiBA weighs every answer and ranks the restaurants that suit the whole group, the host puts up to five on a short list, and the group votes. Then you get a link to book, and everyone hears where and when.

Friday, Saturday, or a Tuesday that works for everyone: the best night is the one your whole group can make.