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5 Creative Ways to Keep Restaurant and Bar Guests Entertained

Revel Systems | July 13, 2022 |

restaurant promotions Featured
5 Creative Ways to Keep Restaurant and Bar Guests Entertained

Restaurant entertainment encourages clients to leave their comfort zones and visit your establishment for a unique experience they can't obtain at home. That's why these businesses need to emphasize a quality customer experience that goes beyond just the food.

Let's take a closer look at what you need to do to set up a restaurant with entertainment that keeps people coming back for more.

5 Best Restaurant Attraction Ideas That Keep Your Regulars Entertained

Providing entertainment is a reliable way to engage new customers and encourage returning guests to dine with you. They love food, but more than that, they want a great atmosphere to go with an impeccable menu. If you can deliver on both fronts, there's no reason why your restaurant won't be a favorite with foodies.

If you have good entertainment during the week, it can interest customers in dining out during the slower days and build your restaurant a lasting reputation in the local community.

If you are ready to add a little extra something to your restaurant, check out these innovative restaurant promotion ideas that appeal to customers.

Bring On Guest Bartenders

Bartending is an entire industry, and expert flair bartenders can help you maximize your clout. Hire one for a week to see how the crowd pulls in to see them do their thing.

Your guests will love the showmanship of it all – the juggling, flipping, and magic of flair bartending.

Female bartender making a tropical fruit cocktail holding an elegant long glass of beverage in her hand as she adds the sliced orange garnish to the rim

You can even have the guest bartender create exclusive new cocktails to add to your menu for a limited time only to attract new customers. Mix it even better by having them teach consumers how to make their favorite drinks.

Learn more about the top trends in bar tech

Host A Wine Tasting

Your customers love good wine and good food, especially when served together. So why not make an event of it?

Hire a sommelier to create an exclusive wine tasting menu. Offer consumers a variety of wines from across the world and have your wine specialist explain the origins of the wines and amuse visitors by sharing stories about them.

Wine tastings are also a terrific way to offer specialty cuisines that go well with the wine.

Try Game Night For Restaurants

Game evenings are usually popular with adults, especially ones who appreciate the social component and bring their friends along.

The easiest way to get started is with restaurant trivia, board game bars, darts, video game bars, and bingo brunches on the weekends. The trick is to select a super fun host who knows the rules of the games and how to make the evening enjoyable.

Try themed evenings for sports fans, movie buffs, and more if you want to increase interest in trivia nights. Better yet, if you can clean up some floor space for giant Jenga, cornhole, or other life-sized games, it'd be great to keep patrons drinking, eating, and having fun for a little bit longer.

The Battle Of The Bands

People love bars with live music. So set up a stage for music nights and let local bands serenade your patrons as they enjoy their favorite menu items.

Local musicians would jump at the chance to perform at popular local eateries. Invite 5–10 bands to perform for free, and consider offering the winner a paid spot on a monthly or weekly basis.

controls of audio mixing console

In fact, depending on the bands' popularity among the locals, they could pull in a large crowd. And that's the whole point of hosting this live music event.

Chances are that their friends and family will also show up to support them, and you don't want them to leave without buying something. So, why not charge a cover for anyone who wants to check out your bar with live bands? This way, you won't lose money even if you offer a free drink promotion.

Themed Menu Nights

Your customers won't have to wait until Halloween to dress up if you host a theme night at your pub.

However, don't deviate too dramatically from your original menu, or you might change how people view your restaurant.

Just remember to keep the food consistent with your brand image while catering to the theme, and this can be an exciting way to entertain your existing clientele and bring in some new customers.

If you need a more sophisticated idea than Halloween nights, we suggest Test Kitchen Nights, where you try out some new dishes, speed dating nights, and maybe even Netflix specials to try out some TV-show-inspired menu items.

Conclusion

You can't operate a business exclusively on the weekends only. Your eatery is open seven days a week, and it should be filled with patrons on every single one of those days. That's the only way to ensure profitability.

Hosting events at your bar and entertaining your customers is an excellent way to stand out in a crowded industry and drive traffic on less popular days.