Throwing a Brunch

by: Samantha Kay

Throwing a brunch is a great way to celebrate a promotion or a fun way to get together with friends on a Saturday afternoon. As long as you know what you’re doing, throwing a brunch can be just as easy as throwing any other type of party.

First, you need to decide on a theme. Obviously, it’s going to be breakfast food, but try to be more specific. Are you going to make it easy and just have donuts and bagels? Or is it going to be eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast with servers. The formality of your brunch will have a big impact on how much it will cost and the amount of work it will require. This needs to be decided ahead of time.

Next, you need to decide on the menu. If you are doing a quick do-it-yourself brunch, you need to decide what exactly you are going to serve. If you are going to bagels, where will you get them? Will you need to pick other foods up at the supermarket to supplement it? If it’s more formal, you will need to decide exactly what you are going to have: eggs (what types), bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast, etc. Are you going to make it a pancake brunch? If you do, you need to know if you are just serving basic pancakes with a variety of toppings, or be fancier with crepes.

Decide how much food you will need. Make sure you get a good count of who is going to be there. Try to get people to R.S.V.P. so that you can get the most accurate count. Be accurate with your food, as well, so that you don’t waste food and money. If you are going to have eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, potatoes, and donuts, don’t expect that everyone is going to have a standard portion of each. Still, make sure you have enough. Getting too much and having left-overs is better than running out and leaving half of your guests hungry.

Finally, fill in the holes. Are you going to decorate the place? You might just want pretty tablecloths. Set the date early, and ask people for help if it’s for a large crowd. If you are asking others to bring food, make sure they are actually going to bring in what they offered and that they are bringing enough. Remember to have fun and not to worry too much.