Proper etiquette may go a long way during a business lunch

Which fork to use with which entree and foods to avoid during a business lunch are good to know, but not an education staple on most college campuses.
Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio, decided to change that recently when more than a dozen students learned those dining etiquette tips.
"Learning this whole process is one of those things you don't learn in college, but you really need to know," said Helena Boyer, 22, a public relations intern at Owens and a student at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla.
She comes from a more casual family where it's not unusual to have dinner on the couch, so it was good to learn professional dining tips, she said.
Allison Deckelman, 22, also an intern at Owens in the marketing department, grew up in a house where they ate family meals together and she knew the basics, but not how a business meeting was different.
"I think etiquette is essential," she said. "And I think I have a good handle on it now."
The lesson started with the basics -- which fork to use when. The rule is work from the outside in, said Cathy Pratt, an instructor of communications, humanities, and languages at Owens.
An expert on the subject, Pratt has been giving group etiquette lessons for more than 10 years.
Everyone knows the obvious rules of dining etiquette -- don't put your elbows on the table and don't blow your nose at the table. But there are a good number of other rules too.
Napkins, for instance.
When it's in a water glass, the waiter will take your napkin out for you. However, if the napkin is next to your plate, go ahead and put it folded in your lap, she said.
"Etiquette is not that hard to grasp," Pratt told the group. "It's the equivalent of dining politeness."
Some important tips for young adults going to their first lunch for an interview or business meeting:
Do not order a soft drink (because it says you're just out of college, Pratt said); iced tea or lemonade are better choices.
Pace yourself with the boss so you don't finish too soon or too late.
Once a piece of cutlery has touched food, it does not touch the table again, so keep it on the edge of your plate or balance it on another piece of cutlery if you need it for a future course.
Students learn how to create a resume and interviewing tips from career services all the time, but skills to successfully navigate a business meal are just as important, Pratt said.
"What they don't ever get is someone bringing them a three-course meal and saying this is what you do," she said.
The biggest surprise among the college-age crowd is, "I can't order a hamburger?" Pratt said with a laugh.
And no, you can't, she said, because you want something that's not messy.
If you really, absolutely, just have to have a hamburger, order it plain and cut it in half before eating so as to cut down on the mess.
Good choices are always a simple baked or grilled chicken dish, a pasta with thick noodles and light colored sauce, or mixed salads that you can eat without needing to cut them up too much, Pratt said.
The idea is simple food that won't make a mess so you can focus on the meeting.

(Meghan Gilbert can be reached at mgilbert(at)theblade.com)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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