Entertainment in your restaurant: eleven ideas and what they really cost
Entertainment in hospitality almost never fails on the idea. It fails on the execution: something that takes too much work, requires too much space, or only works once. Below are eleven forms, with an honest look at what you get back and what it costs you.
Continuous, every day
1. Games at the table via a QR code
Works every day, takes no space and no staff. Fills exactly the gap between ordering and being served. Downside: it's not a reason to make a special trip; it makes a visit better rather than drawing guests in. See the overview.
2. An open kitchen
The strongest form of entertainment there is, and the most expensive. Only relevant when doing a renovation.
3. Board games in a cabinet
Appealing and cheap to start. In practice pieces go missing and someone has to keep track. Works best in cafes where people linger, 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 weekday evening. Takes two to four hours of prep each time if you write the questions yourself. Described in detail in the playbook.
5. Live music
Draws a crowd and completely changes the atmosphere. Costs money per evening, takes space, and you need to consider noise regulations and neighbours. Only works if it fits your venue: acoustic in a small restaurant, louder in a cafe.
6. A themed evening
A country, a season, a dish. Works well if you repeat it consistently and 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 visit, but it takes a staff member busy with it for the whole evening.
Seasonal
8. A patio activity
Petanque, a dartboard, a table tennis table. Works great from April to September and gets in the way the rest of the year.
9. A match on a 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 evening.
For families
10. A play corner
Draws families, takes up square footage you need on busy evenings, and needs to be kept clean. See also what parents are really looking for.
11. Colouring pages and puzzle booklets
Cheap and easy to introduce right away. Keeps a child busy for five to ten minutes and needs restocking.
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 evening
Tuesday and Wednesday, when the venue is 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 doesn't solve this — nobody makes a special trip for that.
Making a busy evening better
Friday and Saturday, when the venue is full and the kitchen is behind. Here you need exactly the opposite: something that's always there, requires no attention from your staff, and bridges the waiting time. A quiz night on your busiest evening only makes it heavier.
Most venues have both problems, and pick one solution. That's why it so often only half works.
What each form costs, side by side
Money is rarely the deciding factor; time is. This breakdown helps you see what you're really spending:
- One-time money, no ongoing time: a dartboard, a table tennis table, a cabinet of board games. Cheap to maintain, but seasonal or space-consuming.
- Ongoing money, no time: games at the table. A fixed amount per month and nothing else, not even on a busy evening.
- Money and time each time: live music, a tasting, a workshop. The strongest crowd-pullers and the most expensive form in both respects.
- No money, lots of time: a self-written pub quiz. Works great as long as the person who writes it keeps it up, and collapses as soon as that person leaves.
That last category is the trap most venues fall into. Something that seems free because it doesn't produce an invoice can be 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 see it. That's exactly when your staff has no time for it, and it goes 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. Anyone who concludes after one time with eight participants that it's not working is stopping exactly too early.
Three things at once
Anyone who introduces a quiz, a play corner, and live music in the same month won't know afterward what helped and what got in the way. One thing at a time, with two weeks in between.
How you choose
Go through these three questions before you introduce something:
- Does it work every day, or only on the days I organize it?
- Does it cost my staff time at the moment it's busy?
- Can I tell within two weeks whether it works?
The forms that score well on all three are the forms that stick around. The rest gets quietly discontinued after a month.
The difference between entertainment that stays and entertainment that disappears is almost always how much work it costs on a busy night.
What entertainment works best in a restaurant?
Forms that work every day without effort on a busy night. Table games and an open kitchen score highest there; live music and workshops draw a bigger crowd but cost money and manpower each time.
What does entertainment cost in hospitality?
That ranges from practically nothing for coloring pages to hundreds of dollars per night for live music. The real cost is usually not the money but the time of your staff.
How do I know if something works?
Look at spend per table, the share of desserts, and the number of reviews over two weeks, and compare the same days of the week with each other.
Is a play corner a good idea?
Only if you really have the space to spare. It costs square footage you need on busy nights and pulls kids away from the table right when the food arrives.
Want to try table games yourself?
Give your guests more experience from the very first day.