How long would you block off for a workday lunch with a friend?

[Anonymous]

I'd spend an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes you screwed up. You had a hard stop for 1:00. There may have been a wait at the restaurant, it takes a bit to get your food. As another said, you need to get your check by 12:35!

And yes I also take longer lunches when I am in the office vs. WFH. Nobody would blink twice at a long lunch on a singular Friday when someone is pretty much deskbound the rest of the time.

+1. Agree. If you were both at the restaurant at 11:45, that would give you an hour but you weren’t leaving the house until 11:45. Next time, set a time to be at the restaurant and give yourselves one hour plus travel time.

+1

[Anonymous]

2 hour block.

Leave at noon, arrive by 12:15. An hour for lunch catch up. Home by 1:15. But builds in a buffer for not having to rush out the door if you are mid conversation, if the check takes a while to come, etc. And gives you 15 minutes to be back at your desk, pee, etc before having a call at 1pm.

So yes, OP is the weird one. I wouldn't say "screwed up". But if i was meeting a friend for lunch whom I hadn't seen in a few months, and we were looking to catch up, then I would like more than 35 minutes of catch up time, and would think it offensive if my friend showed up with that limited time.

[Anonymous]

Your friend probably thought your lunch would be rushed since you had a meeting at one.

Say you both arrive at the restaurant by Noon, you both chat a bit over drinks then order.
Depending on how busy the restaurant is your food could take 10-25 min. to arrive.
Then you will eat it & have the check delivered to your table.

She probably wanted a leisurely, unrushed lunch w/you and didn’t want to feel rushed.

I would have scheduled about 1.5 hrs., preferably two for a lunch meetup w/a good friend.
Because I would like to eat and chat w/o knowing that my friend is on a timeline.

I may be weird but that is how I am!

[Anonymous]

"Free in a few moments" meant, a few minutes. So, noon. And you're busy again at 1:00pm. Yes, I'd say you short-changed her. Allow 90 minutes minimum next time and I'm sure, even then, it won't be a full 90 minutes but it will be much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An hour is standard!

An hour is barely worth it. You have to order as soon as you sit down, scarf your meal, and have barely any chit chat. I’d have canceled, too.

[Anonymous]

If you don't care about her at all and just want to eat, an hour is enough.

[Anonymous]

2.5 hour

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes you screwed up. You had a hard stop for 1:00. There may have been a wait at the restaurant, it takes a bit to get your food. As another said, you need to get your check by 12:35!

And yes I also take longer lunches when I am in the office vs. WFH. Nobody would blink twice at a long lunch on a singular Friday when someone is pretty much deskbound the rest of the time.

*1 OP the screw up. Should’ve made the phone call 2 pm.

[Anonymous]

Bet Op's friend has picked-up on OP's attitude that keeping the relationship is not very important to Op and that OP doesn't think her friend's time is as important as Op's time.

[Anonymous]

You should block two hours off of your calendar just in case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We both work from home within blocks of each other and made loose plans to meet up today for lunch. She texted at 11:40, still on for lunch?
I said yes, free in a few moments, just have a call at 1. In my mind I figured a little more than an hour for a weekday catchup.
She said let's postpone so you're not rushed.
I now feel badly like I double booked or something? I said, are you sure, I'm free right now -- and she said yes, she isn't feeling great today anyway.
Did I screw up?? Am I overthinking this?

If you arrive somewhere at 12:00 and have to be back home by 1:00, then you really only have about 45 minutes. That's not very much time.

[Anonymous]

I just had lunch with a friend. Left at 11:50, home at 2. We did have dessert and linger, so could have been done at 1:30 if we'd skipped dessert. But an hour when you subtract the commute time isn't enough unless you are going to a grab and go place like Pret. Even Tatte takes a while to get the food to the table.

[Anonymous]

I'd probably plan 1.5-2 hrs, depending on travel time. And plan to start early/work later so I'm still working a full day

[Anonymous]

90 minutes if I was close is reasonable. TO be back home and logged on in an hour is not reasonable at all.