Sometimes there's a bit of confusion about how the meetup works. We get a lot of visitors from around the country, and across the globe. So, we thought it might help to write a bit of a FAQ. The cultural tidbits, are for the benefit of our international guests.

How does this meetup work?
It's about sitting down at some tables, hanging out, having a drink and talking with awesome people.

What do I do when I get there?
Grab a name tag, write your name on it, pick a spot to sit down and start a conversation with someone.

People move around throughout the evening to talk with different groups of people at other tables.

How long does it last?
We hang out at California Billiards from 6pm, until around 11pm. California Billiards closes at 1:30 am.

What is the etiquette surrounding food and drink?

Sharing food and drink is a great way to build friendships as well as community. We really try to encourage that at Hackers and Founders.

• Pitchers of ( beer|soda|water ) are for sharing help yourself
  
• Thank whoever bought the pitcher of ( beer|soda|water )
  
• Raising your glass to people sitting around you and saying "Cheers" is always fun.
  
• If the pitcher is empty, it's considered good form to offer to buy another pitcher. (This slows down around 9 or 10pm as people get ready to drive home)
  
• Buying food to share is considered good form. ( appetizers, pizza, onion rings, fries, etc...)
  
• Ordering food or a beverage for just yourself is okay
  
• Getting piss drunk == awkward.
  

I'm broke, and I can't afford to buy something. What do I do?

You're in good company. And, please don't let that stop you from attending or meetup. A large number of our attendees are college students, bootstrapers, visiting from another country touring Silicon Valley on $10 a day. Namely they're subsisting on Ramen noodles, baked beans and hot dogs. That's totally cool, and it's a normal part of being a Hacker/Founder.

If you're in any of these positions, please feel free to enjoy our hospitality, have a beer or beverage on us, and help yourself to the food and drink others have purchased.

Also, please don't feel like you have to donate to the meetup.

I'm ( starving|thirsty ). How do I order ( food|drink )?

We have a waitress (usually Darcy) that's assigned to us. She'll come around pretty often to see if people are interested in something to eat or drink. There are green menu's lying around on each table that you can order from.

I don't drink, I'm fasting or I'm a vegetarian. What do I do?
No problems. Feel free to abstain. People are quite tolerant of differences like that in Silicon Valley.

Do you guys pay for the space?
Nope. So, the only money that California Billiards makes is off of people eating and playing pool. We try to tip really well, so they are really accommodating to us. They let us move tables around, let us monopolize the platform, they turn down the volume on the music for us.

What's good to eat?

The burgers are pretty good. I'm a big fan of the delicious and tasty bacon on the club sandwich. I've also heard good things about the grilled chicken sandwich.

I'm not sure about vegetarian food, however. Suggestions form previous attendees are welcome. And, it's perfectly acceptable to ask the waitress, "I'm vegetarian, is there anything you'd recommend to eat?"

What's a good beer to order?
I'm generally fond Fat Tire, lagers and hefeweizens. It's generally hard to go wrong with anything on tap. It's always okay to ask the waitress, "What would you recommend?"

Ummm. I hate beer.
No worries. I've heard the Pinot Noir (Red wine) is rather tasty. There are times that I enjoy sipping a scotch and other times, I'll just have a pepsi or a glass of water.

How do I help newcomers?

Okay, that's not a frequently asked question, but we could really use your help with this. A lot of people coming to our meetups don't know anyone else. A surprising number of people show up from overseas or other parts of the country.

So, if you've been at one of our events before, and you see someone step up to the table looking bewildered or lost, we'd really appreciate it if you would help get them settled in:

• Help them get a name tag
  
• Offer them a (beverage|appetizer|water)
  
• Start a conversation with them, like "So what kind of stuff are you doing?" or "What's your background"
  
• Let them know how to order food if they are hungry (show them the menus and tell them the waitress will be around shortly
  

OMG! There's this really cute girl at the meetup. Should I hit on her?

No. Seriously, Dude. Be cool.

There's a really good chance that hot lady girl is the organizer's wife. He's 6'6" tall and weighs 270 lbs. :) So, yeah... be cool. Polite and gentlemanly conversation with everybody is encouraged. Trying to pick up a date at Hackers and Founders is considered quite lame.