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

Entertainment in hospitality almost never goes wrong on the idea. It goes wrong in the execution: something that costs too much work, takes up too much space, or only works once. Below are eleven formats, each with an honest look at what you get out of it 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 no staff. Fills exactly the gap between ordering and being served. Downside: it's not a reason to come specially; 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 really an option during a renovation.

3. Board games in a cupboard

Charming and cheap to start 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. Described in full detail in the playbook.

5. Live music

Draws a crowd and completely changes the atmosphere. Costs money per evening, takes up space, and you'll need to think about sound regulations and neighbours. Only works if it suits 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 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 occupied with it the whole evening.

Seasonal

8. A terrace activity

Petanque, 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 a big screen

Fills the venue at moments 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 books

Cheap and easy to introduce right away. Keeps a child occupied for five to ten minutes and needs to be restocked.

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 comes especially for that.

Making a busy evening better

Friday and Saturday, when the venue is full and the kitchen is running behind. Here you need exactly the opposite: something that's always there, doesn't demand your staff's attention, and bridges the wait. 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 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: games on 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 format in both respects.
• No money, lots of time: a self-written pub quiz. Works brilliantly as long as the person writing 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 produce an invoice can be the most expensive option.

The three mistakes that get made most often

Introducing something on the busiest night

The temptation is to start when it's full, because that's when most people see it. That's exactly when your staff have no time for it and it goes wrong. Start on a quiet night, where a mistake doesn'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 go with eight participants that it's no good 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 afterwards know 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:

1. Does it work every day, or only on the days I organise it?
2. Does it cost my staff time at the moment things get 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 costs on a busy night.