Friends Who Dine
Make new friends while supporting local food businesses.
About
Friends Who Dine was created to enjoy great food, music, art, and unique experiences while supporting locally-owned food businesses. Become an FWD member by subscribing to a monthly newsletter.
In each newsletter, you'll find that month's “social outing” and three categories:
Food: places to try
Activities: free or ticketed events
Do Good: nonprofits or charities to support
If you don’t want to get the FWD newsletter, you can join the social outings waitlist for free. FWD members get first dibs at reserving seats for social outings. After that, a general email is sent, and reservations are open.
Social Outings
These are dinners or activities where everything is already curated and planned to help you make new friends, try new things, support the local economy, and expand your mindset. They are generally held in groups of 10 to 12 people.
How is this different from a "dinner club," a Google search for events, or an Open Table newsletter?
Thanks to my restaurant background, I'm blessed to know many wonderful people in the industry, which helps when making reservations. My community involvement keeps me in tune with great events to attend, not just in Boston but around the state. The idea of dinner groups is commendable, but our local economy has not fully recovered from the pandemic. Our local food establishments need your business.
Independently owned restaurants, bars, cafes, etc., need the money going into at-home dinner events, where health permits are not required for the food being served, and third parties benefit from one-off experiences that local spots work hard to offer patrons daily.
Your Host
Think of me, Bessie King, as your social life concierge. I’m a Mexican-American Massachusetts adoptee, having lived in this state for over 20 years. I belong to the hospitality industry through working at my family’s restaurant and helping create Massachusetts Restaurants United. I advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association and am active member of various leadership groups and art organizations. From food to concerts and charity work, I’m eager to share it with you. So come eat, drink, be merry... let’s move it forward with FWD.
*Friends Who Dine is open to everyone. Dietary and beverage restrictions are accommodated as best possible; just share your needs.
Members Only
The monthly FWD newsletter is $5, charged automatically like your Netflix account. Newsletters are delivered directly to your inbox, you can also log on to the Members Only area to read all newsletters and reserve your spot for Social Outings.
If you’re already going out, having dinner at restaurants, or going to the movies, FWD Social Outings are within your budget. They occur as a group, with a prix fixe menu or activity priced by a local business.
Each guest reserves their spot and pays the business’ set price. There are no extra third-party charges or fees involved. Whatever the business charges we all pay.
Like a concierge service, FWD gives you options to enjoy without charging extras or doing any searching or reservation work to have a social life.
Within Members Only, you will also find Chats With Bess. This is a virtual interview show featuring “ordinary” people creating extraordinary change to inspire others, and Hustler Hours, an in-the-works speaker event series.