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

Entertainment in hospitality almost never fails because of the idea. It fails on execution: something that takes too much work, needs too much space, or only works once. Below are eleven forms, with an honest breakdown of what you get back and what it costs you.

Ongoing, every day

1. Games on the table via a QR code

Works every day, takes up no space, and requires no staff. Fills exactly the gap between ordering and being served. Downside: it's not a reason to come specifically; 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 relevant if you're renovating anyway.

3. Board games in a cabinet

Charming and cheap to start with. In practice, pieces go missing and someone has to keep track of it. Works best in cafés where people linger, less so in restaurants where tables need to turn over.

Weekly or monthly

4. A pub quiz

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

5. Live music

Draws a crowd and completely changes the atmosphere. Costs money per evening, takes up space, and you have to consider sound regulations and neighbours. Only works if it fits your venue: acoustic in a small restaurant, louder in a café.

6. A theme night

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 come, but it requires a staff member dedicated to it all evening.

Seasonal

8. A patio activity

Bocce ball, a dartboard, a ping-pong table. Works great 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 moments you know in advance. Downside: guests who didn't want to watch a game won't come that evening.

For families

10. A play corner

Attracts families, takes up square footage you need on busy evenings, and needs to be kept clean. Also see what parents are really looking for.

11. Colouring pages and puzzle booklets

Cheap and can be introduced right away. Keeps a child busy for five to ten minutes and needs to be restocked.

What fits which moment of the week

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

Filling a slow 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 won't solve this — no one shows up specifically for that.

Making a busy evening better

Friday and Saturday, when the venue is packed and the kitchen is falling behind. Here you need exactly the opposite: something that's always there, doesn't require attention from your staff, and bridges the wait time. A quiz night on your busiest evening only makes things 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 show what you're really spending:

• One-time money, no ongoing time: a dartboard, a ping-pong table, a cabinet of board games. Cheap to maintain, but seasonal or space-consuming.
• Ongoing money, no time: games on the table. A fixed amount per month and nothing more, even on a busy evening.
• Money and time each time: live music, a tasting, a workshop. The strongest crowd-drawers 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 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 generate an invoice can be the most expensive option.

The three mistakes made most often

Introducing something on the busiest evening

The temptation is to start when it's full, because that's when most people see it. That's exactly when your staff has no time for it, and things go wrong. Start on a quiet evening, where a mistake won't catch anyone's eye.

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 attempt with eight participants that it's not working, stops 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 to choose

Go through these three questions before introducing anything:

1. Does it work every day, or only on the days that I organize it?
2. Does it cost my staff time at the moment 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 discontinued after a month.

The difference between entertainment that lasts and entertainment that disappears is almost always how much work it takes on a busy evening.