Entertainment in your restaurant: eleven ideas and what they really cost

Entertainment in hospitality almost never fails because of the idea. It fails in the execution: something that takes too much work, needs too much space, or only works once. Below are eleven formats, with an honest look at what you get out of each one and what it costs you.

Ongoing, every day

1. Tabletop games via a QR code

Works every day, takes up no space and no staff time. Fills exactly the gap between ordering and the food arriving. Downside: it's not a reason to come specially; it makes a visit better rather than attracting guests. See the overview.

2. An open kitchen

The strongest form of entertainment there is, and the most expensive. Only really an option if you're renovating.

3. Board games in a cupboard

Nice and cheap to get started with. In practice, pieces go missing and someone has to keep on top of it. Works best in cafés where people stay a long time, less so in restaurants where the table needs to turn over.

Weekly or monthly

4. A pub quiz

The best way to fill a quiet weeknight. Takes two to four hours of preparation each time if you write the questions yourself. Covered in detail in the playbook.

5. Live music

Draws a crowd and completely changes the atmosphere. Costs money per night, takes up space, and you need to factor in noise regulations and neighbours. Only works if it suits your venue: acoustic in a small restaurant, louder in a café.

6. A themed night

A country, a season, a dish. Works well if you repeat it consistently and your regulars start to expect it. Doesn't work as a one-off.

7. A tasting or workshop

Wine, beer, coffee, cooking. High spend per guest and a strong reason to come, but it takes a staff member who's occupied with it all evening.

Seasonal

8. An outdoor area activity

Boules, a dartboard, a table tennis table. Works brilliantly from April to September and gets in the way the rest of the year.

9. A match on the big screen

Fills the venue at times you know in advance. Downside: guests who didn't want to watch a match won't come that night.

For families

10. A play corner

Attracts families, takes up square metres you need on busy nights, and needs to be kept clean. See also what parents are really looking for.

11. Colouring sheets and puzzle books

Cheap and easy to introduce straight away. Keeps a child occupied for five to ten minutes and needs to be kept stocked.

What suits which moment of the week

Entertainment solves two very different problems, and it helps to know which of the two you have.

Filling a quiet night

Tuesday and Wednesday, when the venue's half empty. Here you need a reason for people to come, and that's something you announce: a quiz, live music, a theme. Something that's always there won't solve this — no one comes specially for that.

Making a busy night better

Friday and Saturday, when the venue's full and the kitchen's falling behind. Here you need exactly the opposite: something that's always there, doesn't take up your staff's attention, and bridges the wait. A quiz night on your busiest evening only makes things harder.

Most venues have both problems, and choose one solution. That's why it so often only half works.

What each format costs, side by side

Money is rarely the deciding factor; time is. This breakdown helps you see what you're really spending:

• One-off money, no ongoing time: a dartboard, a table tennis table, a cupboard of board games. Cheap to maintain, but seasonal or space-hungry.
• Ongoing money, no time: tabletop games. A fixed amount per month and nothing else, even on a busy night.
• Money and time each time: live music, a tasting, a workshop. The strongest crowd-pullers and the most expensive format in both respects.
• No money, lots of time: a homemade pub quiz. Works brilliantly as long as whoever writes it keeps it up, and falls apart the moment that person leaves.

That last category is the trap most venues fall into. Something that seems free because it doesn't come with an invoice can end up being the most expensive option.

The three mistakes made most often

Introducing something on the busiest night

The temptation is to start when it's packed, because that's when most people will see it. But that's exactly when your staff have no time for it, and things go wrong. Start on a quiet night, where a mistake goes unnoticed.

Stopping too soon

The first time almost never works. A quiz night needs three to four editions before there's a regular crowd. If you conclude after one go with eight participants that it's not working, you're stopping way too early.

Three things at once

If you introduce a quiz, a play corner and live music in the same month, you won't know afterwards what helped and what got in the way. One thing at a time, with two weeks in between.

How to choose

Run through these three questions before introducing anything:

1. Does it work every day, or only on the days I organise it?
2. Does it cost my staff time when it's busy?
3. Can I tell within two weeks whether it's working?

The formats that score well on all three are the ones that stick around. The rest get quietly dropped after a month.

The difference between entertainment that stays and entertainment that disappears is almost always how much work it creates on a busy night.