Photo by Katie Turpen.
Hot dish club
Pat Richburg (right) started the Hot Dish Club 10 years ago in an effort to network and make new friends.
Ten years ago, longtime Vestavia Hills resident Pat Richburg was looking for a way to network and meet other women. She began gathering for meals with acquaintances from her church, neighborhood and work. The word started to spread and Richburg was suddenly inundated with phone calls from Birmingham women wanting to join her monthly supper club.
The Hot Dish Club was born.
“As time went by, I realized there was a need for this in Birmingham,” Richburg said. “The club has grown to about 35 women.”
The all women’s supper club meets once a month at different restaurants across the city. Richburg said the group has never been to the same place twice. The club is unique in that there are no membership dues or fees and she said it is simply about networking and forming lasting friendships.
“It’s amazing how women need and enjoy these friendships,” Richburg said. “Coming from a divorce or depression, it can be hard to make friends.”
In March, the club celebrated its 10 year anniversary at Bistro V complete with cake, sparkle and decorations.
The group is not just about dinner. Richburg said they often go to plays and have enjoyed weekends at the lake. They also take part in civic activities such as volunteering at a local women’s shelter.
“We try to select things that are new and different,” she said.
For Richburg, it is evident there is one reason the club is still going strong after 10 years.
“Everyone has a story to tell,” she said. “We want to celebrate each other.”
