Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, get-together, or other event, it’s often better to celebrate it at a restaurant than at your home. While hosting at home has its advantages, it has its fair share of downsides as well, whereas throwing a party at restaurants in Wyckoff, New Jersey comes out on top, with few disadvantages. Let’s go over the pros and cons of celebrating at a restaurant vs home, so you can decide which is best for you.
Celebrating at a restaurant: The good
Celebrating at a restaurant is fantastic. You don’t have to worry about any of the preparation, you don’t have to cook and clean, and the photos will probably look a lot better!
- No preparation required
You don’t need to rush around decorating the place and cleaning it in preparation for guests. Sure, shoving everything into the hall closet doesn’t take much time, but it does add one more item to an already overflowing to-do list. Plus, since it’s a restaurant, you don’t have to cook, which is a huge relief, because preparing a good meal takes a lot of time and energy. Take a nice, deep bath and dress yourself with care, instead.
- No need to clean afterwards
The mess after a big party is almost impressive. Smears of food on cushions, cups everywhere, tables and chairs disarranged, mountains of dishes to do, a carpet to clean…oh god, the list can go on. Depending on the people you’re calling over, the clean-up could be easier or worse, but it’s definitely rather a chore.
- No need to get supplies
Before you start getting things ready, you need to plan the event, and then run around getting all the supplies ready. This takes time and money, and waiting in your car in a long line of traffic is exasperating. And if you forget or misplace something (which is just bound to happen), you have to rush to the store in a hurry before it’s too late. It’s nerve-racking.
- Beautiful setting
Most restaurants have a lovely ambience, which will contribute its fair share to the fun. Celebrating in an over-decorated living room where people have to crowd together may not be as fun as you’d hoped. Having a party at a restaurant doesn’t present that disadvantage. And if you ask for decoration, the restaurant people will do up the place professionally for a small fee.
- Easy seating arrangement
At your home, there may not be enough space at the dining table for everyone. Or there may not be enough seats in the living room – which is usually okay, but having enough place for everyone at a large table is certainly a lot better. Everyone can enjoy their meal together, and you’ll be able to be present with everyone all the time!
So these were some of the pros of celebrating at restaurants near Ridgewood. New Jersey has a lot of great restaurants, but for unbeatable food, friendly staff and an all-round fantastic experience, head to Aldo’s!
Celebrating at a restaurant: The not-so-good
There are some downsides to celebrating an event at a restaurant – chief among which is the cost. You might have to spend a little more if you decide to have your party at a restaurant. But that’s not all.
- Time limit
At home, it’s okay if your party goes into the early hours of next day, but at a restaurant that won’t be possible. Businesses have staff to consider, and staff members can’t stay over late for a party. So, there will be a time limit that you’ll have to follow, which may put a damper on the occasion for some people.
- Noise restrictions
Since a restaurant is a business, it will have some restrictions in place that your home won’t. Noise restrictions are on the list. Okay, at home you can’t be too loud, because there are still neighbors. However, at a restaurant there may be nearby businesses, residents, and even customers to consider. If you enjoy boisterous parties with a lot of noise, or have young kids, this might not work very well for you.
- Cost factor
If you’re throwing a party for a relative, planning to surprise them, this is something you’ll really need to consider. It’ll cost you to book the restaurant, to arrange for food, drinks and cake, and to get the place decorated. There may be other costs as well, depending on the restaurant.
- Makes a surprise difficult
If you ask the birthday boy or girl to come to a restaurant, or even take them there blindfolded (or through a rouse), they’ll immediately know what’s going on. It’s not quite like the surprise of an at-home party where the lights go on, and everyone pops into view shouting ‘Happy Birthday!’
Most restaurants near Wyckoff, New Jersey are accommodating, and will try to meet your requirements, but bear the cost factor is one that just can’t be avoided. Luckily for you, some restaurants charge considerably less, with Aldo’s being one.
Celebrating at home: The advantages
There’s no place like home. Much as we love our restaurant, we’ll admit this is true. There are many upsides to celebrating in your own home. Let’s take a look at some of them:
- It’s a nice old familiar place
You’re familiar with every wall and corner of your house, which can have its advantages when you’re throwing a party. You know where’s the best place for keeping gifts, you know which room has the maximum seating capacity, you have games for the little kiddos, and you know whether your neighbors will mind noise, or if they’re cool with music blasting till 1 AM.
- No booking cost!
You don’t have to check for availability and book days in advance, and obviously, there’s no booking cost involved. You might decide to order food, in which case you’d still be paying a bit, but you’d avoid restaurant booking costs, which are really the main issue with celebrating your birthday at a restaurant.
- Have fun cooking
If you’re throwing a surprise birthday party with the help of other family members, cooking and prepping for the party can actually be rather fun. Try out different recipes, make a cute little cake, prepare fantastic dishes for your guests – it’s very fun, and makes for an exciting day indoors. There’s a line between exciting and overwhelming. As long as you don’t cross it and head towards the latter, you should be good.
- Have Aldo’s Cater your party!
Even if you love to cook, you might prefer to spend this time with your guests, not in the kitchen. Aldo’s can deliver a complete meal right to you – from appetizers to dessert – or just part of it. Give us a call to discuss options.
The familiarity and comfort of home are wonderful. If you’re having a cozy little get-together or an intimate party with just a few select guests, your home’s definitely the best place for it. For everything else, there’s Aldo’s!
Celebrating at home: The disadvantages
Throwing a party at home means you need to do all the work. It’s almost worth it to book a restaurant for that reason alone. For busy individuals, taking the time out of their work to attend a party is challenging enough – having to arrange one all on their own is pure hell.
- The panic!
Most people, when given too much to do all at once, start to panic. You have all these things to do before tomorrow noon, and you’ve barely gotten started yet! Cue the screaming. The panic alone is a good enough reason to celebrate at a restaurant. Let us handle the stressful stuff for you. Just put your hair down (and your feet up – hypothetically) and relax. Have some cake.
- The time investment
Balancing work, kids and home life is hard enough. Now throw a big birthday party into the mix – especially one you have to organize, and you’ll wish you had 40-hour days, and a cellar overflowing with wine. Don’t overbook your time. You need some rest, and you need to get enough sleep. Usually, when people are over-busy, they compromise their rest time, which is not only unhealthy – it makes them grumpy and tired.
- Can’t accommodate many people
If you want to throw a big birthday bash for a Sweet 16 party, you’ll probably do better at a restaurant, because your home’s holding capacity is limited. For those with a large family or lots of friends, this applies as well. At a restaurant, you get to book the entire space, which is enough for loads of people – you certainly won’t run out of room for seating, dancing, or games.
Aldo’s is one of the best restaurants near Ridgewood, New Jersey. Join us for your birthday celebration and make it the perfect occasion. You deserve it, after all this year’s put you through!
Celebrate your birthday with us!
Aldo’s is one of the best restaurants in Wyckoff, New Jersey for birthday parties, anniversaries, get-togethers, and other events. Call us and let us know when you’d like to book the restaurant for, and we’ll take care of everything for you.
Our staff is experienced at decorating, and our food, as you’re already aware, is second to none in its fabulousness. Bring your family to Aldo’s for a nice little party where we’ll spoil you with delicious Italian food.