4 food and consumer trends to watch
August 26, 2019
Customers are not just content to go out to a sit-down dinner or order drinks at a standard bar anymore: they expect to experience other social activities when they’re out for the evening too, from bowling to board games and organized social events.
Eatertainment is nothing new, but the activity-centric dining segment has gone beyond the “arcade and pizza” format à la Chuck E. Cheese to appeal to adults looking for a more interactive experience.
According to a nightlife study from hospitality platform SevenRooms commissioned through third-party research firm, YouGov, “eatertainment” is on the rise: nearly one in three Americans prefers to go out to a bar that offers food, drinks, and activities all in one place, and 24% of Americans surveyed wished that there were more “eatertainment” venues nearby them.
Three expanding “eatertainment” concepts:
- Punch Bowl Social — An 18-unit (and growing) entertainment complex with food, multiple bars, ping pong, bowling, arcade games, shuffleboard and more, depending on the location.
- Tom’s Urban — A sports bar/restaurant from Smashburger co-founder Tom Ryan where each restaurant has more screens playing sports than wall space.
- Pinstripes Inc. — A 10-unit restaurant known for its outdoor fire pit, bowling and bocce