Getting there is easy. Getting back is the booking.
The ride to the restaurant always works out — there is time, and people are in a good mood. The ride home at midnight is the part that gets planned badly.
Book the return while you are sober
An agreed hour and address for the way back is the single most useful thing you can arrange at the start of an evening. If the night runs long, the conversation moves; if it does not, the car is there.
Events with an end time
Weddings, dinners and shows end at an hour that is usually known in advance. Send the venue, the end time and the pickup point — venues often have several exits, and the right one matters.
Shabbat evenings
Friday night and Saturday nightfall are when public transport stops and everything else keeps going. A car booked for those hours is the difference between a plan and a queue.
Questions
Can we book only the return leg?
Yes. Send the venue, the hour and the address to go to, and it is confirmed on its own.
What if the event ends early?
Message the thread. If the driver can move, it moves; if not, you are told rather than left guessing.