How It works

We made Common Hours because we want more people to gather. Dinner gives people a reason to slow down, sit at the same table, and spend a few hours together. It does not have to be formal or perfect. A few open seats and something homemade is enough. We want to make it easier to be the person who sends the invite and actually makes the dinner happen.

Hosting starts with a simple page. Pick a date, say what you want to cook, decide how many seats you have, and add anything people should know before they come. You can ask guests a few questions, collect dietary needs, and keep the exact address private. When it feels ready, publish it and send the link around. If you are thinking about hosting, the Hosting Agreement explains what you are responsible for.

If someone sends you a dinner link, you can read the plan and see a preview of who is already confirmed. Tell the host a little about yourself, answer their questions, and mention any dietary needs. An RSVP means you want to go, but it does not mean you have a seat yet. The host still gets to say yes or no. These are small dinners, often in someone’s home, so we think the host should always know who is coming. Once they approve you, your seat is confirmed and you can see the full guest list. The Guest Agreement has the rest of what guests should know.

After that, Common Hours handles the stuff that usually gets lost in a group chat. We send the confirmation, keep everyone updated, and share the exact address and arrival instructions with confirmed guests the day before. Paid dinners show a ticket price and cancellation deadline. Approved guests are charged the day before dinner; guests approved after the deadline are charged immediately. Cancel before the date and time shown on your RSVP at no cost for a full refund. Later cancellations don’t automatically refund the ticket. If the host cancels, paid tickets are refunded. Common Hours takes 2% of ticket sales, and the host manages their payments through Stripe. If plans change, guests can give up their seat and hosts can update or cancel the dinner. We keep private information private, which you can read more about in the Privacy Policy. The point is to make the planning easier, then get out of the way so people can have dinner together.