A company function has two audiences: the team who want a great night, and the finance office who want a clean, predictable bill. A well-planned bar keeps both happy.
Book early — the festive season fills fast
November and December are wall-to-wall with year-end functions in Harare, and the best dates, venues and suppliers go first. Once you have a date and a rough headcount, lock in your bar early — it takes a big, easy-to-confirm item off your checklist and protects you from the season-end scramble.
Set a clear per-head budget
Work backwards from your guest count. A reliable planning figure is about one drink per guest per hour, weighted towards beer, cider and plenty of soft drinks and water. For the full breakdown — and a calculator that does the maths — see our guide on how much drink to buy for your event, then we'll turn it into a fixed quote you can take to finance.
Open bar, limited bar, or drink tokens?
How you run the bar is your main lever on spend. Pick the model that fits your budget and crowd:
- Open bar — the company covers everything. Most generous; cap it with a budget limit or a closing time.
- Limited bar — beer, cider and soft drinks on the house; spirits and extras on a cash bar. A popular middle ground.
- Drink tokens — each guest gets a set number of drinks. Predictable spend and easy to brief finance on.
- Cash bar — guests buy their own; the company just covers setup and staff. Lowest cost to the business.
Make it easy for finance
Corporate sign-off runs on clean paperwork. We provide a single itemised quote up front and a proper invoice for company billing, so there are no surprises and nothing to chase after the event. Confirm early who the bill goes to and what your finance team needs on it — a clear quote is often what gets the whole function approved.
Professional, well-staffed service
In front of clients and colleagues, presentation matters. Expect smartly turned-out bartenders, a tidy bar setup, on-time arrival, and a crew that coordinates with your venue, caterer and AV team so service never holds up the speeches or the programme.
Look after the whole team
Cater for everyone on the staff list: generous soft drinks and water for non-drinkers and designated drivers, and responsible service throughout. It keeps the night inclusive, professional and safe — and reflects well on the company.
Sort the logistics early
Confirm the venue's rules on outside bar suppliers, where the bar will sit, and whether there's power, water and access for setup. A short briefing call before the day irons out the timeline — arrival, service start, last call — so everything runs to plan.
Plan your company function with Pirates Group
Tell us your date, venue, headcount and bar model and we'll put together a drinks line-up and a clear, itemised quote ready for finance. Try the drinks calculator first for a quick estimate.
A practical planning guide only. Please always cater for non-drinkers and plenty of water, serve responsibly, and never serve anyone under 18.