Meet & the Table
The dining experience where six women—who don’t know each other—come to a table for a delicious meal and meaningful conversation is now going worldwide!
We've all been there - the repetitive small talk and constant "what do you do for work" questions at social gatherings. Despite the crowded room and new faces, finding truly inspiring women and making meaningful connections in our city can often be a challenge, leaving us feeling unsatisfied and exhausted.
& the Table's mission is to change that and provide a space where women can build genuine connections and friendships, beyond the casual conversation and into a space where growth and new perspectives are at the forefront, all while enjoying a delicious homecooked meal!
As a fellow expat, adventurer, and solo traveler, I immediately connected with the concept of & the Table. I love that they are determined to reframe what’s possible for a woman to choose to do in order to meet other equally magnificent women.
So what makes it special?
At & the Table, all women come solo and there are never more than 6 women in an evening!
What is even more exciting is that each night has a theme chosen by the hosts in order to help curate the right 6 women for the dining experience! For example: Quarter Life Crisis & the Table for women working through their 20s and what they want to do or The Balancing Act & the Table for women balancing an ambitious career and motherhood!
Finally, all evenings start with a question allowing to help further curate the conversation for the table.
“She doesn't need to consult with friends or family, she can singularly choose by herself to go to an evening because all five other women are doing exactly the same thing.”
So, how did it all start?
& The Table started as a passion project dinner series in Amsterdam in March 2022, quickly gaining popularity with a waiting list of over 500 women for just 5 spots.
In August 2023, Sam expanded the concept by bringing on more hosts, each hosting 6 women for a night of delicious food and meaningful conversation.
Today, & The Table has over 35 hosts in multiple countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, UK, Curaçao, France, and the USA.
Today (February 1st, 2023), & the Table officially launched its full dining experience platform, enabling hosts to create and manage tables, and invite new and exciting women to join them for a night of connection and friendship.
“Sometimes the evenings are full of passionate tears, sometime we fall off our chair laughing. I can never plan out what a night is going to be like but what I do know is it’s something new for all of us that are a part of it”
—Samantha Wolfson, Founder at & the Table
Curious to try it out? Let’s dive into the details of how the new platform works…
For the Hosts
All hosts must go through an application process and be accepted to the platform.
Once accepted, hosts can log on & put up their tables choosing their theme, question, menu & pricing.
Once their table is live, on the platform hosts can review the attendees that have requested a chair, read their answers, check the socials they have connected and curate the 5 attendees she wants at her table.
Hosts can send “approvals” on the platform to the attendees she wants to welcome, those attendees can pay on the platform and the hosts can see that they have secured their chair through payment.
Additionally, there is an Insider Resource for all hosts on how to host an & the Table dinner and connect with other hosts.
For the Attendees
Attendees can log on to the new platform at any time.
Attendees can review all of the live tables learning about the different table themes, the menu, the price, and the host.
They can request a chair at any table that they believe fit by answering questions for the table.
They can track on the “attendee portal” if they have been approved for a table or if the host's table is full.
Who is behind & the Table?
Meet Sam!
Samantha Wolfson, originally from Philadelphia, moved to Amsterdam five years ago.
But, even as a self-proclaimed extrovert, going solo to networking events was never her thing. She felt like the relationships she was making were transactional and wanted a way to connect with the women that were making waves in her city.
At the same time she wholeheartedly enjoys meeting new and ambitious women, cooking is her love language and in-depth conversation in smaller groups flows quite naturally for her.
“ Making friends as we get older can be super hard, I quickly realised the beauty of these evening and how it allowed women to come together in a way they were not used to. We all come as strangers but leave with a deeper understanding of each other and ourselves. “
She wanted to create an experience that would blend both of those emotions. One that doesn’t cater to the masses but deep dives with the few. Through that, & the Table was born.
She named it & the Table because the table is what the evening is always centered around and there is always a “blank” before it which can always be altered no matter where or what you’re talking about.
If you're interested in joining this community of ambitious and inspiring women, be sure to follow & the Table on Instagram and TikTok, and join their mailing list for the latest news and events.
If you loved learning about & the Table and want to stay updated on more amazing experiences like this, don't hesitate to hit the subscribe button below!
