Boosted by a Covid-era tax break-window that closes at the end of the year — and under pressure to cement ties and reassure clients — companies are now spending big on wining and dining current and potential customers. The company, which has operations globally, needed something that would make clients “want to get on a plane from Singapore, from Japan” to attend. “It’s just like when kids go back to school and don’t want to, but then they get excited,” he said. And in the restaurant, guests typically opt for the $298 chef’s tasting menu — $468 with wine pairings. The deduction, which was meant to help support restaurants during the pandemic, only applies to restaurant meals, and only if a member of the client company is present.

---