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 costs too much work, takes up too much space, or only works once. Below are eleven forms, with an honest breakdown of what each one gives you back and what it costs.

Continuous, every day

1. Games on the table via a QR code

Works every day, costs no space and no staff. Fills exactly the gap between ordering and serving. 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 during a renovation.

3. Board games in a cabinet

Appealing and cheap to start with. In practice, pieces go missing and someone has to keep track. Works best in cafés where people stay seated for 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 weekday evening. Takes two to four hours of preparation each time if you write the questions yourself. Described in detail in the playbook.

5. Live music

Draws in a crowd and completely changes the atmosphere. Costs money per evening, takes up space, and you need to factor in noise regulations and neighbors. 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 your regular guests 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 for the whole evening.

Seasonal

8. A terrace activity

Petanque, a dartboard, a table tennis table. Works excellently 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 can predict in advance. Downside: guests who didn't want to watch a match 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. See also what parents really look for.

11. Coloring pages and puzzle books

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

What fits 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 cóme, and that's something you announce: a quiz, live music, a theme. Something that's always there won't solve this — no one comes specifically for that.

Making a busy evening better

Friday and Saturday, when the venue is packed and the kitchen is 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 it heavier.

Most venues have both problems, and choose 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 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 form in both respects.
• No money, a lot of time: a self-written pub quiz. Works excellently as long as the person who writes it keeps it up, and collapses as soon as that person leaves.

That last category is the pitfall 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 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 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 group. Anyone who concludes after one time with eight participants that it's not working is stopping far 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 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 gets 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 night.