Dining Etiquette Training
ONSITE, VIRTUAL & KEYNOTE FORMATS
The table is still where business gets done. Dining etiquette training gives your team the confidence to navigate any business meal, so the meal fades into the background and the relationship takes center stage.
Trusted by professionals at Toyota, Pfizer, Siemens, Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Cerity Partners, and organizations across financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, legal, and automotive industries.
Questions This Page Answers
- Where can I find workplace etiquette training for my team?
- Who offers etiquette training for employees at every level, from new hires to managers?
- What does workplace etiquette training actually cover?
Years Delivering
Business
Etiquette Training
Of Professionals Trained
Across the U.S.
Generations Served
Boomers to Gen Z
Participants Per Session
Every Group Size, Across All Industries
Years Delivering
Business
Etiquette Training
Of Professionals Trained
Across the U.S.
Generations Served
Boomers to Gen Z
Participants Per Session
Every Group Size, Across All Industries
A GREAT MEETING CAN STILL GO WRONG AT THE TABLE.
Your team can close a deal in the boardroom and lose ground at lunch. A fork used the wrong way is forgettable. A guest who does not know how to order, who monopolizes the bread basket, or who cannot recover gracefully when the wrong course arrives is not. These moments happen fast, and they happen in front of the people your team is trying to win over.
You cannot coach dining skills in a five-minute conversation before a client dinner. The habits have to already be there, practiced enough that no one at the table is thinking about which glass is theirs.
Dining etiquette training gives your team that muscle memory. Once it is second nature, the meal stops being a test and becomes what it was always meant to be, a setting for building the relationship.
What Is Dining Etiquette Training?
Dining etiquette training is professional development that prepares employees to host and attend business meals with confidence. It covers table settings, the correct use of flatware and glassware, ordering and paying protocols, napkin and posture basics, and how to keep conversation professional and engaging from the first course to the last.
At The American Academy of Etiquette, dining etiquette training goes beyond memorizing which fork comes first. Lisa Richey has spent 23 years teaching professionals at organizations like Toyota, Pfizer, Siemens, and Deloitte how to host clients, represent their companies at industry dinners, and turn a shared meal into a business advantage.
Guarantee everyone on your team understands formal dining so they can focus on the goals of the business lunch or dinner.
- American and European dining skills
- Navigating a place setting
- Host and guest responsibilities
- Reading the room globally
- Preparing with intention
- Cultural considerations at the table
- Buffet, conference room, and trade show dining
- How to entertain a client
- Handling tricky foods with ease
- Conversation skills
- Follow-up after the meal
Client Testimonial
Her presentation provided valuable insights into professional etiquette, communication, and relationship-building that are directly applicable to our day-to-day interactions with clients, partners, and colleagues. The content was relevant, interactive, and tailored to a business environment, making it easy for our team to connect with and apply the concepts.
Since the luncheon, we've noticed increased awareness around professional interactions and communication, as well as greater confidence in navigating business situations. Lisa's expertise, professionalism, and approachable style made the event both enjoyable and impactful.
We highly recommend Lisa Richey and The American Academy of Etiquette, Inc. to any organization looking to invest in the professional development of their team."
Also serving:
Higher Education & Universities
Construction & Real Estate
Automotive & Luxury Retail
Law Enforcement & Government
Hospitality & Tourism
Non-Profit Organizations
Sales Teams & Business Development
Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
Technology & Professional Services
Association & Conference Programs
Don’t see your industry listed? Every program is
customized. Connect with us and we will build the
right training for your team.
Training Built for the Way Your Industry Actually Works
Every organization has its own client relationships, its own entertaining budget, and its own definition of a business meal that matters. This training meets you there.
Sales & Business Development
Client dinners and entertaining budgets exist for a reason, they build the relationships that close and renew business. Dining etiquette training ensures the investment in that dinner reservation translates into genuine rapport instead of an evening your prospect wants to forget.
Financial Services & Wealth Management
Client meals are where advisors build the trust that a pitch deck cannot. Training ensures every advisor, from new associate to managing director, can host a client meal with the same composure they bring to a portfolio review.
Legal & Professional Services
Partners entertain clients and recruit talent over meals as much as in the office. Associates and partners alike benefit from a shared standard for hosting, ordering, and steering conversation, so every meal reflects well on the firm.
Built for the Teams Who Show Up at the Table
Dining etiquette training works for any team that represents your organization over a meal. Common groups include:
Sales professionals who regularly entertain clients
Executives and managers hosting business dinners
New hires attending their first client meal or company dinner
Teams preparing for a conference, gala, or industry dinner
Client-facing professionals across every industry
Every session is built around your team’s actual industry and the meals they are most likely to attend, not a generic etiquette script.
Why Organizations Choose The American Academy of Etiquette
Lisa Richey founded The American Academy of Etiquette on a simple conviction, that professional presence is teachable, and that when people learn to show up well, everything around them improves. For 23 years, she has delivered that conviction inside organizations like Toyota, Pfizer, Siemens, and Deloitte, building every session from real corporate experience rather than a textbook.
- 23 years of business etiquette and professional presence training
- Clients include Toyota, Pfizer, Siemens, Cerity Partners, Rallye Motors, and Deloitte & Touche
- Thousands of professionals trained, groups from 8 to 400 participants
- All five workplace generations served, Boomers through Gen Z
Training Formats Available
Every program is available in the format that works best for your organization, whether your team is in one building or spread across the country.
Onsite Corporate Training
Lisa travels to your location and delivers dining etiquette training in person, often built around an actual meal so participants practice in real time. Half-day programs are available for teams of any size, from an intimate executive lunch to a full company dinner.
Virtual Classroom Training
Live, instructor-led virtual sessions covering table settings, ordering protocol, and dining conversation skills. Designed for remote and hybrid teams who need the fundamentals before their next in-person client meal.
Keynote & Conference Format
Lisa Richey is available as a keynote speaker for conferences and leadership summits where dining and entertaining are part of the program. Sessions can be tailored to fit a 45-minute keynote or a full conference breakout.
Request Training Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is dining etiquette training?
A: Dining etiquette training is professional development that teaches employees how to host and attend business meals with confidence, from table settings and flatware to conversation skills and handling the unexpected.
Q: Who needs dining etiquette training?
A: Any team that represents your organization over a meal benefits, including sales professionals, executives, new hires, and anyone preparing for a client dinner, conference, or industry event.
Q: What topics does dining etiquette training cover?
A: Sessions cover navigating a multi-course meal, hosting responsibilities, cutlery and glassware, cocktail party etiquette, common dining mistakes, handling unfamiliar foods, and wine etiquette.
Q: How is dining etiquette training delivered?
A: Programs are available onsite, often built around an actual meal so participants practice in real time, as a live virtual classroom session, or as a keynote for conferences and leadership summits.
Q: Why choose The American Academy of Etiquette over other providers?
A: Lisa Richey has spent 23 years training professionals inside organizations like Toyota, Pfizer, Siemens, and Deloitte, and builds every session around real business dining situations rather than a generic script.
Q: How much does dining etiquette training cost?
A: Pricing depends on group size, format, and location. Connect with Lisa for a custom training proposal.
Featured In Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping
Ready to Give Your Team the Confidence to Own the Table?
If your team is capable in the boardroom but untested at a business meal, this training is built for exactly that.
Lisa Richey works with organizations that want their team’s polish to extend past the office and into every client dinner, conference meal, and industry event. Connect with Lisa to discuss your team, your goals, and the right format for your organization. Most clients book 4 to 8 weeks in advance for onsite programs.
Or contact Lisa directly: info@americanetiquette.com · (610) 212-1862