More orders while playing: why TablePlay creates extra ordering moments

A restaurant doesn't only earn from what a guest orders when they walk in. It's precisely the second coffee, the extra beer, another glass of wine or that last cocktail that can make a significant difference to the final spend per table.

But for such an extra order, several things need to happen at once: the guest must still be present, be in the mood for something extra, and be able to order easily. TablePlay brings those moments together.

By having guests play during their restaurant visit, entertainment is created at the table. A short game can last a few minutes, while quizzes and tournaments easily take 10 to 25 minutes. Anyone in the middle of a match or quiz therefore has a natural reason to stay seated a little longer. And every extra minute at the table creates new consumption moments.

Longer time at the table and consumption are linked

Hospitality research has shown a link between the time guests spend somewhere and their total consumption for years.

A well-known field experiment in restaurants, for example, examined what happened when changes to the environment caused guests to stay seated longer. In the condition with the longer duration, significantly more was spent on drinks at the same time. Observational research in bars has also shown that duration is an important predictor of total drink consumption.

That doesn't mean someone automatically drinks faster because of a game. The commercial mechanism is much more logical: staying longer provides more opportunity to order something. And that's exactly where TablePlay adds a second advantage.

Ordering without first having to get the attention of staff

With traditional ordering, a guest often has to spot a member of staff first. The glass is empty. The guest looks around. The staff are at another table. The conversation continues. And sometimes that extra round never gets ordered at all.

With TablePlay, the order or call function is located directly within the same environment the guest is already active in. This means TablePlay shortens the distance between "I could actually do with something else" and "let's order another round".

That may sound like a small difference, but in a restaurant with dozens or hundreds of guests a day, increasing the number of extra ordering moments can become financially significant.

The game naturally creates new ordering rounds

Think, for example, of a group starting a music quiz.

1. The first drinks are on the table.
2. The quiz lasts twenty minutes.
3. Then the interim standings appear.
4. They decide to play another round.
5. During the second round, the glasses are empty.
6. Instead of leaving, staff are called over and another order is placed.

TablePlay hasn't just provided entertainment. It has created a new commercial moment.

With tournaments, that mechanism becomes even stronger. A group might be waiting for the next round or wants to see whether they qualify for the final. That waiting time no longer feels like wasted time, but like part of an activity. See all the games available.

Why we work with a strong scenario of 35% more ordering rounds

TablePlay combines three mechanisms: more engagement at the table, a longer potential duration of stay, and less friction when reordering.

Hospitality research separately shows that duration is linked to consumption and that changes to the restaurant experience can genuinely influence final spend. That's why, within our strong scenario, we work with up to 35% more ordering rounds.

That doesn't mean every table orders exactly 35% more often. It's a target for the average effect across large numbers of TablePlay users, not a measured result.

From extra ordering rounds to up to 40% higher drink spend

An extra ordering round also rarely consists of just one drink. When one person at a table indicates they want something else, other table companions regularly order along. One extra ordering moment can therefore directly result in multiple drinks.

With a social TablePlay tournament, that effect is potentially even more relevant: the group is engaged together, stays at the table together and experiences the same activity.

That's why our strong scenario for total drink spend is slightly higher than the scenario for the number of ordering rounds: up to 40% higher drink spend. Not because a game literally makes someone 40% thirstier, but because TablePlay can create more time, more moments and an easier route to the next order.

That's exactly where entertainment and hospitality can reinforce each other commercially. What it costs for your number of tables can be found on the pricing page.