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If you've ever wanted to build and run your own restaurant in The Sims 4 then Dine Out is the pack for you. It introduces the restaurant system, which lets players own and run restaurants of different types.

Starting at the bottom you'll need to hire staff, satisfy customers, and deliver high-quality food quickly in order to build your star rating. Taking control allows you to customize and direct your sims restaurant owning experience.

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Players can also visit restaurants as customers, enjoying family meals out, date nights, and celebrations. The experience is very much themed, although unfortunately not without a few issues. Here's what you need to know about Dine Out before you buy it.

10 You Can Build A Unique Restaurant

Restaurants can be created in many different styles and themes. The objects are versatile enough to lend themselves to various styles without needing to go too far beyond this pack and the base game.

This is showcased by the half dozen different pre-built restaurants on the Maxis gallery page, all of which are remarkably well designed and decorated. You can download these to give yourself a head start if you aren't a builder.

9 There Are Different Menu Themes

The restaurant category in build mode allows players to choose from five different menu types. These are Diner, Brunch, Experimental, Italian, and Seafood. Each theme comes with its own set menu.

Alongside these themed menus there's also a completely customizable option. This allows players to choose the drinks, appetizers, main courses, and desserts that they wish to serve from anything on the themed menus.

8 Dress Codes Can be Set By Restaurant Owners

Your restaurant can also be defined by clothing choices. Customer attire can be set by selecting one of the main clothing categories, everyday, athletic, swimwear, formal, party, or sleep.

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Restaurant owners can also choose the clothing for their staff with chefs, waiters, and hosts all having their own options. These staff looks can be edited through create a sim, giving much more flexibility.

7 Staff Need To Be Trained And Managed

If you choose to run a restaurant as a career, there are many things to consider. Staff will need to be kept happy, directed, and trained in order to provide the best service possible for your customers.

Being hands-on will be essential, especially in the early days, if you are to build up your star rating. It will also save on staff wages as you can take on different roles in the business. For those who have Cats & Dogs, the restaurant star system is the same as that used for Vet Clinics.

6 Restaurants Can Self Run

After a while restaurants can more reliably self run. You'll need to keep an eye on them, especially when it comes to staff morale, but well-trained staff will work alone efficiently.

This means you can begin to open a chain of restaurants, in any Sims 4 world, visiting different locations in rotation to keep things ticking over nicely. Just make sure you go slowly or it could all come tumbling down.

5 Sims Can Go Out To Eat

Even if you don't want to own a restaurant you can still enjoy the experience by getting your sims to go out and eat. When entering a restaurant lot they'll change to fit the dress code and you can request a table, order food and enjoy a family meal or date night.

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Just be aware that sims can only order one drink and one food item at once, so you'll need to make separate orders in turn if you wish to enjoy a multi-course meal, otherwise, you just end up with cake.

4 Foodies Will Love The New Recipes And Interactions

Two couples having food in a restaurant in the sims 4.

There are several new dishes in this pack, including a range of experimental foods that look creative and intriguing. Sims can not only enjoy these delicious menu items but they can also take photos of them to post on Simstagram.

Sims who eat out often enough will also discover that the new recipes can be unlocked and then prepared at home, in the same way you can unlock items from street food carts in City Living.

3 The Pack Does Have Some Issues

Unfortunately, the pack does have a few glitches. Sometimes orders don't arrive and there can be issues with sims being seated as well as a few staff absences. However, thankfully most of these have been minimized or resolved over time.

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Dine Out has a reputation for being buggy and while it does still have frustrations, the seven-hour waits do appear to have been obliterated, and these days the pack is more stable and enjoyable to play with. It does still take quite a long time to eat though, so make sure you've got a few hours spare.

2 The Clothing Is Mostly Themed

A sim serving a family in a restaurant

Dine Out is a pack that's quite restrictive for clothing. There are a few smart items for sims of all ages but they are limited to just one or two choices per age group and gender. There are also half a dozen hairstyles and again these are versatile but limited in number.

The other items are restaurant themed and mostly comprise chefs hats, aprons, and other clothing you'd expect to see in a diner. The items are nice but most will likely not be used too often, making them a bonus rather than an attraction.

1 Signs, Booths, And Decor Are The Build And Buy Staples

As with clothing much of the build and buy items in this pack are restaurant themed. They comprise mainly restaurant-specific objects such as booths, menus, signs, and staff specific items you need for the lot requirements.

However, there are also a number of decor items that will be useful outside of restaurants. These include plants, pots and pans, lighting, carpets, kitchen clutter, and artwork.

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