Oct
17

How to Give The Best Present This Holiday Season

by Buca di Beppo

When it comes to holiday gifts, what do you remember most over time, socks or celebrations? Perfume or people? New clothes or old friends? The most precious things in life are good times spent with those we love and enjoy. So what could be more thoughtful than the gift of an outing to a hospitable place where you can relax with friends and family, share food and fun, and make a memory or two?

Restaurant gift cards are the best of the best.

In my opinion, gift cards to restaurants are the best gift card ideas of all. And Buca di Beppo gift certificates are my secret to easy, meaningful holiday gift giving. In fact, it’s become a holiday tradition for me to buy a gift card for everyone on my gift list on Buca’s web site, and these online gift cards are always a huge success. I can’t wait to get started this year, because now -- through the magic of digital technology -- I can personalize gift cards for each person.

Talk about thoughtful, unique gift ideas!

Online gift cards have all kinds of exciting new options. And the best gift cards this year (including those from Buca, of course) are thoroughly customizable. You can design delightfully creative gifts by including your own photo or message. Just imagine sending your aunt her very own gift card with a funny photo of her as a teenager gobbling a slice of Italian pizza. Or you can create the look of a holiday card with a seasonal photo of your family posed in front of a Christmas tree or snowman.

Oct
13

Are Gift Cards and Gift Certificates Acceptable Holiday Gifts?

by Buca di Beppo

I’m sure you’ve heard it before: “Gift cards aren’t personal …They can lose value if not used right away … your giftee won’t appreciate a gift card.”

Well, I don’t buy it! Times have changed and so have gift cards – at least the ones I get my friends from Buca di Beppo. A lunch or an evening out IS a personal gift. It can even be intimate. Buca’s gift cards never expire or lose value, and my friends and family absolutely adore them. Are restaurant gift cards easier to give than holiday gifts you need to spend hours shopping for? Yes. But what’s wrong with that?

I used to literally spend days at the mall looking for great holiday gifts. It involved strategy and tactics, careful coordination between my gift list and holiday sales and specials. For years I went out at midnight after Thanksgiving to score Black Friday doorbusters. It can be fun if you’re up for it, but if you HAVE to work that hard to find the best presents every year, it can definitely get old. Plus, after all that work on my part, there was generally only a 50-50 chance that the person I gifted would like what I gave them, that it would fit, or that they wouldn’t already have it.

Oct
10

Tips to Planning Your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

by Buca di Beppo

The rehearsal dinner (or groom’s dinner) is really the beginning of your wedding celebration. It’s a great time to get together with your nearest and dearest, relax and prepare for the big day. As an intimate gathering, you’ll want it to be especially warm, open and happy.

Your rehearsal dinner should be a different group dining experience than your wedding.

For instance, if you’re planning a formal sit-down dinner for the wedding, it’s a good idea to have a more casual rehearsal dinner. And, if you are serving traditional dishes at your reception, why not try family style Italian food for the rehearsal dinner?

Buca di Beppo has everything you need for a pre-wedding feast: private rooms; delicious food for a party, group menus and fabulous desserts, all served family style to encourage sharing and fellowship. And every Buca restaurant offers award-winning banquet service that includes catering, party planners, chefs and friendly servers who will make sure everyone at your rehearsal dinner has a great time.

Oct
10

The Easiest Way to Host a Fun Bridal Shower!

by Buca di Beppo

Today's hostesses with the mostesses are pressed for time, so a restaurant or banquet hall makes giving a wedding shower easy. Let the pros handle the clean up, food prep and service, minimizing work and maximizing fun. The key to throwing a successful restaurant shower (or any party) is making guests feel welcome.

Buca di Beppo is a great place for your bridal shower party.

It’s always conveniently located, and every restaurant is designed around a series of private dining rooms. Ask a Buca party planner for wedding shower ideas -- our award-winning staff has thrown a lot of successful bridal showers and will be able to make suggestions on everything from wedding shower games and decorations to bridal shower presents and themes. Buca offers group pricing too, so you can plan a delicious lunch or dinner without breaking the budget.

You’ll want to plan the wedding shower far enough in advance to get the reservation you want. If you’re booking it with a popular destination like Buca, it’s easier to set a date during the week when the schedule isn’t as full.