Planning a Private Party in Canton: Dining Room, Bar Area or Courtyard

Planning a party is mostly a string of small decisions that all seem to depend on each other. Where will people sit? What will they eat? What if the weather turns? At Claddagh Pub in Canton, the first decision is which kind of space fits the night. The pub offers three: private dining areas, private bar areas and a courtyard, all available for on-premise catering parties.

The three kinds of space

Here's how to think about each one. None of this replaces a conversation with the pub, but it helps you walk into that conversation with an opinion.

• Private dining area: the choice for a sit-down meal. Photos of the dining room show white linens and blue napkins, which suits a rehearsal dinner, a milestone birthday or a retirement lunch where people want to talk across a table.
• Private bar area: the choice for a party built around drinks and moving around. If your guests will mingle more than they sit, a bar setting keeps the energy up.
• Courtyard: the choice for a warm evening. The courtyard is string-lit, and it works for a party that wants to spill outdoors.

The pub's own wording is that it can customize your party based on party needs, both with the area and with the menu. In other words, the room and the food are meant to be decided together.

Match the space to the occasion

Start with what people will be doing for most of the night. If they're eating and listening to toasts, a dining area makes sense. If they're catching up with old friends and holding a drink, think bar area. If it's a long summer evening and you want fresh air, ask about the courtyard.

Then think about the mix of guests. A room with grandparents and small children calls for a different layout than a group of coworkers on a Friday. There's no wrong answer, but it helps to say so on the phone.

What to have ready when you call

The pub handles private rooms personally, which means booking starts with a phone call, not a form. Call (410) 522-4220 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, any day of the week. The pub's own party form asks for the same handful of details, so have these ready before you dial:

• The date of the event, plus a backup date if you have one.
• The time you want guests to arrive and roughly how long you expect to stay.
• The type of event: a birthday, a rehearsal dinner, a work gathering, a memorial lunch, a team celebration.
• The number of people. Give your best honest estimate, and say if it might swing up or down.
• Your name and a phone number where you can be reached.

Questions worth asking

A phone call goes better when you bring questions. Here are a few that apply to almost any party, and the pub is the one to answer them.

• Which space suits my group and my kind of event?
• How would you set up the room, and can the layout change?
• What would the menu look like for my group, and can it be customized?
• If I'm leaning toward the courtyard, what is the plan if the weather changes?
• What does the booking process look like from here?

Think about the food early

The menu is a good place to start the conversation. The full lunch and dinner list is on the lunch and dinner menu, and brunch is on the brunch menu for Saturday or Sunday gatherings. The crab dip, the wings, the sandwiches and the entrees are all there with prices, and the pub says menu pricing is subject to change, so confirm when you call.

If you're planning a weekend daytime party, the brunch menu, served Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM, is worth a look. If wine will be part of the night, the list is on the wine list page, with glasses and bottles priced.

A few planning habits that help

Book earlier than you think you need to, especially for weekends. Tell the pub about anyone in your group who has a dietary need before the menu is settled, not after. Pick one person to be the contact, so the pub isn't fielding five calls about one party. And have a rough plan for toasts or speeches, since that affects how a room is arranged.

Ready to ask

Read about the rooms and the form fields on the private party page, then pick up the phone. The pub is a family business that has been on Canton Square since 1995, and the private rooms are handled personally. You can find the address and general contact details on the contact page, and the family's story on the Our Story page.