Is this someone who likes to hang out w/ his friends a lot? Do they usually do this type of thing on the weekends? I assume you're going to a bar, restaurant or party...Maybe if this is just the typical thing that they do and he wants you to come along because he's a social guy. It's probably better for you to meet his friends early on because if he really likes socializing w/ this group and for some reason you don't fit in, neither one of you will have wasted a lot of time on the relationship only to find out later that you can't stand his friends or they don't like you. Just go & have fun.
This is great!