Looking for a way to make your food and drinks venue stand out? Well, ‘eatertainment’ is a concept you should definitely consider!
As you can probably guess, this event trend combines entertainment with food to help you create more memorable, exciting experiences. As an events venue, this can do a lot for growing your business.
Let’s explore eatertainment ideas and examples to help you apply this to your venue.
What is Eatertainment?
"Eatertainment" is a term that combines "eating" and "entertainment" to describe a dining experience that goes beyond just providing food.
It refers to a concept where the ambiance, atmosphere, and overall entertainment factor are as important as the quality food your venue provides. Eatertainment venues often focus on creating a unique and immersive environment to enhance the overall dining experience for customers.
These venues may incorporate various forms of entertainment, such as live music, themed decor, interactive elements, or special performances, to engage diners and make the meal more memorable.
The goal is to offer not only delicious food but also an enjoyable and entertaining atmosphere that sets the dining experience apart from traditional restaurants. Eatertainment can be found in a range of settings, from casual dining to more upscale and themed establishments.
If you run an events venue, then focusing on the idea of eatertainment can be a great way to do more with your event space. Unlike the regular restaurant industry, eatertainment concepts are great ways to attract more guests, make your venue stand out, and improve the guest experience.
Benefits of Running an Eatertainment Venue
There are many benefits to running an eatertainment venue. Doing more with your dining room by offering various entertainment options can be a fantastic way to add an edge to your event venue.
Here are a few of the main benefits eatertainment venues offer.
Unique Experience
Eatertainment venues provide a unique and memorable experience for customers. The combination of food and entertainment creates a distinctive atmosphere that sets the venue apart from traditional restaurants.
The right concept attracts guests, makes your venue stand out, and helps your venue become a more popular choice for hosting events.
Attracts Diverse Customer Base
The entertainment aspect of eatertainment venues often appeals to a diverse range of customers, including families, groups of friends, and individuals looking for a lively and engaging dining experience.
Using your eatertainment space wisely by tapping into the diversity of the experience economy can help you attract more guests that spend money.
Increased Revenue Potential
By offering more than just food, eatertainment venues have the potential to increase revenue through ticket sales for events, themed nights, or special performances. This diversification can help your venue become a lot more profitable.
Extended Customer Dwell Time
The entertainment factor encourages customers to stay longer, leading to increased dwell time.
Longer stays can translate to higher spending on food, beverages, and other offerings within the venue.
Social Media Buzz
The unique and visually appealing nature of eatertainment venues often leads to customers sharing their experiences on social media platforms. Adding an extra element to your food options can quickly interrupt any social media food newsfeed and generate more buzz.
This can result in free marketing and increased visibility for your venue.
Brand Differentiation
In a competitive market, an eatertainment concept helps differentiate your venue from others. This distinctiveness can attract a dedicated customer base seeking a more interactive and entertaining dining experience.
Repeat Business
When you combine food and entertainment, you create a more positive and memorable impression on your guests. When you create memories, it encourages customers to return for future visits.
Repeat business is crucial for the long-term success of any hospitality establishment.
Flexibility in Themes and Events
Eatertainment is a big topic, and venues that tap into it have the flexibility to host various themed events, parties, or special nights. This allows for creativity and adaptability in catering to different customer preferences.
Appeals to Various Age Groups
The entertainment aspect can cater to different age groups, making eatertainment venues suitable for families with children, young adults, and even older individuals looking for a vibrant social setting.
Whether your venue focuses on corporate events, weddings, family functions, or more, you can find a suitable eatertainment concept for your target audience.
Community Engagement
Hosting events and entertainment programs can help the venue become a focal point for community engagement. This can foster a sense of community and loyalty among customers.
11 Eatertainment Examples For Event Businesses
Any kind of food and beverage business can add an extra element of fun to help them stand out. Creating fun activities and shareable experiences around great food is an excellent way to make your venue more appealing and attractive to a wider audience.
To help you tap into the concept of eatertainment, here are some of the best food and entertainment ideas that any restaurant or event space could try.
Culinary Workshops and Tastings
Consider hosting interactive cooking or mixology classes where participants can learn from skilled chefs or bartenders.
These workshops can provide a hands-on experience, allowing attendees to actively engage in the culinary process. Tastings can also be integrated to create a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment.
Food and Wine Pairing Events
Plan events that showcase the art of pairing different foods with complementary wines. A sommelier or wine expert can guide participants through the tasting experience, offering insights into the nuances of flavor combinations.
This creates an elevated and sophisticated event for attendees, so it's a great idea for more upmarket venues.
Themed Dinner Parties
Create memorable experiences with themed dinner parties that include related decorations, entertainment, and menu items.
Whether centered around historical eras or popular TV shows, these themed events provide a unique and immersive atmosphere, making the dining experience more enjoyable. This is also a fun concept because you can always change the theme and event, keeping things exciting for your guests.
Pop-Up Dining Experiences
Collaborate with chefs to organize pop-up restaurants in unexpected locations. This is always one of the most special event ideas for bars and restaurants.
The temporary and exclusive nature of pop-ups adds an element of excitement and exclusivity, attracting attendees who seek novel and adventurous dining experiences.
Food Festivals and Tasting Events
Host food festivals that bring together a variety of local restaurants, food trucks, and vendors.
Incorporate live entertainment, music, and activities to enhance the overall festival atmosphere. This creates a vibrant and diverse culinary experience for attendees.
Interactive Food Stations
Set up interactive food stations where attendees can customize their meals. This is a relatively easy way to make your food service more existing.
Whether it's a build-your-own pizza, taco, or dessert station, this concept adds an element of personalization and engagement, allowing guests to tailor their dining experience.
Mystery Dinners
Add an element of intrigue by organizing mystery dinner events where participants solve a fictional crime while enjoying a meal. Actors can be hired to play characters and interact with guests, creating an immersive and entertaining dining experience.
Gourmet Picnics and Outdoor Dining
Does your venue have outdoor seating? This is one of the easiest ideas for creating memories and adding something special to your existing operations.
Arrange upscale picnics or outdoor dining experiences with gourmet food and beautiful settings. Incorporate live music, games, or other activities to enhance the outdoor experience.
This creates a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for attendees to savor both the food and the surroundings.
Food and Art Collaborations
Create a fusion of food and art by partnering with local artists. This collaboration can manifest in various ways, such as edible art, food-inspired art exhibitions, or interactive art installations.
The combination of culinary and artistic elements creates a multisensory experience for attendees. You could also sell the art you display, which is a great way to boost your company’s revenue.
Celebrity Chef Experiences
Elevate events by bringing in renowned chefs for exclusive dining experiences or cooking demonstrations.
The presence of a celebrity chef can attract food enthusiasts and add a level of prestige to the event, making it a memorable occasion for attendees.
Include Games
One of the best ways to tap into the idea of eatertainment is to include special game stations in your venue. This could be any type of game, which can be chosen based on your venue space and target audience’s interests.
For example, Ace Eat Serve is a bar and restaurant that includes ping pong tables in their space - a concept that has proven to be wildly popular amongst their customers. Some venues offer a bowling alley, arcade games, or even something more thrilling like ax throwing.
However, if arcade games and ping pong aren’t suitable for your space, you could simply throw in a few board games, or even coloring books. This is a simple way to tap into the eatertainment trend.
Conclusion
There are many different ways you can excite consumers through eatertainment. Whether you run a bar, a restaurant, or a dedicated events space, this is an idea that’s always worth trying out.
Looking for an event management solution to help streamline your venue operations and generate more profit? Then check out Perfect Venue - an all-in-one solution to take your venue to the next level.
