How do you feel about bringing along a friend that the rest of the group doesn't know?

A natural way to answer

I think it's fine, as long as you tell the group beforehand. I would introduce the new person to everyone and try to include them in the conversation. A welcoming group should make them feel at home quite quickly.

Key phrases to use

• fold someone in — to include a new person smoothly into an existing group“The team quickly folded the new hire in.”
• make someone feel at home — to help someone feel comfortable and welcome“They went out of their way to make us feel at home.”