Advertising & Marketing

12 Live Event Ideas for Restaurants

Last updated on Sep 10, 2018
Buzztime

As a restaurateur, you’re in the business of food. To see more repeat customers, get into the business of fun by hosting weekly live events. As time goes on, Americans are increasingly interested in spending their money on entertaining experiences, and this is the perfect opportunity for your business to provide that entertainment. From running live trivia games to teaching a bartending class, these 12 easy live event ideas will bring guests back on repeat – without breaking the bank for your restaurant.

Shop All Event Planning Supplies

Host Live Trivia Games

Bring everyone together over a little friendly competition. Trivia games are popular everywhere from neighborhood restaurants to sports bars. Here’s how to get into the action:

restaurant trivia night

1. Live Trivia Tournament

You have several options when it comes to hosting live trivia games. Some restaurants hire an outside trivia host. Others do it all themselves, from creating the questions to the hosting. No matter which format you choose, there is one “secret” to success when running trivia: make it an ongoing tournament to ensure repeat business. Invite guests to form teams and compete for 6-7 weeks. Select a great prize, like a sizeable gift card or bar tab for the winning team.

2. Corporate Trivia Faceoff

Companies are always looking for team-building events and exciting off-site venues for meetings. Invite them to your restaurant and offer to run a game of trivia. You could also create a tournament where teams made up of employees from different companies compete against each other. The winning company can select a charity – and your restaurant makes a donation.

3. Trivia with a Tasting Twist

If you want to spotlight some of your beverages or new menu items, you can host trivia games that double as tasting events. To make the event even more engaging, create a special menu and incorporate trivia questions based on the dishes’ ingredients.

Educational Entertainment Ideas

If your customers are eager for interactive fun, you can engage them with these educational events and workshops.

4. Craft Workshop

No, we’re not talking about craft beer. The latest trend in restaurant entertainment is craft night: from painting a masterpiece to planting a fairy garden. (Although, if you have a killer craft brew list, why not call your event “Arts and Crafts?”). Like trivia, these workshops spark socializing among patrons – creating a lively atmosphere that everyone wants to be a part of:

  • Build a Terrarium: Provide guests who have signed up ahead of time with supplies like stones, plants, and soil in order to create their own terrariums. This interactive activity not only keeps your customers interested, but it gives them something to take home that they can associate with your event.
  • Paint and Sip: Hire an artist to walk your guests through a painting step-by-step as they sip your beverages and eat appetizers. Just like the terrarium event, your guests leave with something and have made memories at your business.
  • Pint Glass Painting: This event could be hosted by your own staff members. Provide pint glasses and painting supplies (look at your local craft store for paint that is specifically for painting glass). Then, let guests get creative!

5. Chef and Bartender Demos

Show off the talents of your team with live bartender and chef classes. You give patrons a chance to bond with your staff, which helps to foster loyalty. Once a week, try running these live events:

  • Mini Mixology Class: Ask your bartender to run a short, 15-minute class once a week. The class can be a short tutorial on how to make classic cocktails: from mojitos to whiskey sours. These classes can double as marketing moves. Use Facebook Live to live stream your class: you’ll show everyone what they’re missing!
  • Secrets of the Chefs: Similar to the mixology course, your chef steps outside the kitchen for a quick demo. She can reveal “secrets” like how to achieve perfect grill marks on steak and how to really know when pasta is al dente.

Musical Entertainment

restaurant open mic night

We’ve covered trivia and classes, but no list of live event ideas is complete without music. There’s nothing wrong with bringing in a band or musician, but it can get expensive. You also run the risk of your live music becoming just background music. Instead, try these live music events to add excitement and an interactive element.

6. Open Mic Night

Invite local musicians or other creatives to take the stage with a weekly open mic night:

  • Make Music Competitive: Just like trivia games, open mic nights are best when prizes are on the line. You can run your open mic night like the hit TV show American Idol. Invite a professional musician or two to judge the performers. The winning musician becomes the next week’s judge.
  • Stand Up Comedy: Already run an open mic night for musicians? Now, let aspiring comedians take the stage with a comedy open mic night. Create themes like “Best Dad Joke” and let the crowd vote on their favorite contestant.

7. Radio Station Remote Broadcast

Contact a local radio station that plays music which appeals to your target audience. Cater to millennials? Aim for Top 40. See more seniors at your restaurant? Contact the oldies radio station. Invite the DJ from the radio station to broadcast live from your restaurant. On top of the entertainment appeal, it’s great exposure for the radio station and your establishment.

8. Dance Party

Dim the lights. Move the tables. There, you’ve got a dance floor. Just add music and these live event ideas:

  • Offer a Dance Class: Hire a dance instructor to teach guests at your restaurant. Vary the theme each week from salsa to the foxtrot, hip hop to line dancing.
  • Let Your Staff be DJs: DJs can be pricey to hire. Why not let a staff member create a playlist and emcee a dance party?
  • Have Decade Theme Nights: Each week, play tunes from a different decade. Invite patrons to dress up for that decade. What about a throwback prom night? Guests can rock that 1990s tux or dress (or find one at the thrift store).

Create a Club

wine tasting club

There’s a reason bars and restaurants create “mug clubs.” Clubs give patrons VIP status and a built-in community. You can even invite members of existing clubs to hold their weekly meetings and gatherings at your restaurant and then use these ideas for launching your own clubs.

9. Game Night Club

Invite patrons to get their game on at your place:

  • Trivia Club: Trivia lovers may not be satisfied with just one night of live trivia games! Invite the diehards back on a separate night for extra-challenging trivia. Or, they could be tasked with creating questions for your next night of trivia.
  • Classic Bar Games: Have a dart board, pool table, or shuffleboard? Ask the best players if they’d like to teach newbies how to play in a weekly bar games club. Offer them a small bar tab as a thank you.

10. Book Club

Book clubs are big with everyone from seniors to young adults. While book club members typically meet at a different member’s home each week or month, you can bring them into your restaurant instead. You could even ask your bartender to create a cocktail based on the club’s featured book.

11. Booze Club

Create a spirited club around a love of spirits, wine, or beer:

  • For Craft Beer Fans: Let craft beer fans be first to taste your new brews. On occasion, invite a local brewmaster in to share tasting notes.
  • Wine Wednesday or Whiskey Wednesday: Run specials on wine or whiskey on Wednesdays and offer exclusive tastings for club members.

12. Charity Meetups

Charities and non-profits need places to hold weekly and monthly meetings. Could you provide the space for free?

  • Charity Night: Take your charitable efforts a step further with a weekly “charity night.” Donate 10% of the proceeds to the featured charity. Your heartfelt ways will pay off, because customers may remember your generosity and come back to support more charitable events.

Supplies for Your Live Event

Don't forget to stock up on helpful supplies for your live event! Check out some of the products that can help you say organized:

  • Wristbands - Identify the over-21 crowd or VIP customers with disposable wristbands.
  • Name Badges - Name badges come in handy for speed dating events or group meetups.
  • Coat Check Tags - If you're hosting a charity night or auction, you can make the event more special by doing a coat check.

After guests exit your restaurant, they should still be hungry…for their next visit. Entertaining events – like live trivia games and interactive workshops – send them home with great memories, and a reason to return for more.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.
External Link

You are about to leave the security of WebstaurantStore.com.

We are not responsible for the privacy policy or any content, links or software, or any consequences from your access to or use of the technologies, websites, information and programs made available on this new site.

Do you want to proceed?

Related Resources

  • How to Host a Speed Dating Event at Your Restaurant

    Hosting a speed dating night is an excellent opportunity for your restaurant or bar to facilitate romance while also attracting new patrons. Many businesses charge participants a registration or cover fee, which, along with food drink sales, will increase your revenue. In addition to creating a pleasant and playful environment, a successful speed dating event will strengthen your restaurant's reputation and improve the likelihood of drawing first time or repeat customers. What is Speed Dating? The first speed dating event took place in California in late 1998 and was inspired by a rabbi who sought to help Jewish singles meet new people and get married. Speed dating is designed to give participants the opportunity to go on mini dates with anywhere from 10 to 25 (or more) people in a single evening. Each date lasts between 3 and 10 minutes, giving the pair time to get to know each other while also keeping them from being stuck with a bad match for too long. During the dating portion of the evening, a predetermined group of individuals will stay seated at the same tables throughout the night, while the rest of the participants will move from table to table. When the allotted time is up, the host will ring a buzzer or bell signifying that it is time to move to the next date. At the end of the event, participants write down the names of anyone they are interested in; if there is a match, the host will forward contact information to both people within a day or so. How Should You Prepare? With the proper tools, planning and executing a successful speed dating night can be both exciting and fulfilling. Once you have decided to host an event, you should begin advertising at least a month in advance to give potential participants plenty of time to sign up. Depending on the size and popularity of your restaurant, consider advertising online, through signage outside your restaurant, in your town's newspaper or magazine, or even on the local radio or TV station. You could also look into partnering with an online dating site like Match.com or eHarmony, both of which frequently hold regional speed dating events for members. On the special night, it can also be helpful to have a small card with helpful "getting to know you" questions at each table to facilitate conversation between potentially bashful participants. Additionally, provide each individual with a card and writing utensil for them to note the dates they felt the most connection with and are interested in getting to know further. Why Should You Host a Speed Dating Event? Much like a trivia or karaoke night, hosting a speed dating event is sure to bring more customers through your doors, boost sales, and allow you to show off your restaurant as fun, welcoming, and the place to be. Whether you have 10 participants or 50, you'll also leave with a few extra dollars in your pocket through registration or cover fees. Most hosts charge between $20 and $80 per person. Be sure to also have your bar open and stocked, as a drink or two can go a long way towards helping participants relax and open up. You can also offer appetizers and small plates for customers to munch on after the dates have finished up and everyone is mingling. All of these elements create more revenue and visibility for your establishment, which will attract new customers and increase the likelihood of your throwing another lucrative speed dating night. When it comes to hosting the perfect speed dating night, a little preparation goes a long way. The most important thing to remember is that, ultimately, you are providing a comfortable and welcoming environment for vulnerable singles looking to meet a mate. After all, two of your participants may fall in love, live happily ever after, and, even more importantly, tell everyone they know about how wonderful your restaurant is.

  • How to Host a Food Challenge

    Have you ever watched an episode of Man vs. Food and thought, “My restaurant could totally offer a food challenge like that”? That’s because your restaurant totally should do something like that. Not only is it alluring to guests to see a mighty challenge listed on your menu, but it’s also a great way to attract some new business. Check out our suggestions below and you can learn how to host a food challenge in your restaurant. Benefits of Hosting a Food Challenge One of the biggest benefits of hosting a food challenge is the attention that it can bring your restaurant. Think about how many places you know that have the title “Home of the (insert ridiculous amount of food) Challenge”. While not everyone will be coming to try your food challenge, you'll definitely attract guests who are curious to see others attempt it. When watching “Man vs. Food” you’ve probably noticed that during the challenge, the crowd seems to be having a blast (even if the person taking part in the challenge isn’t). That’s because watching a food challenge is similar to watching a sporting event. It brings about a fun atmosphere that everyone wants to take part in. Guests are sure to remember the fun time they had and come back again to check out what else your restaurant or bar has to offer. Finally, in the age of social media, it’s important that your food challenge is “instagramworthy” or “tweetable”. Even if your restaurant doesn’t utilize these mediums to promote your business, encouraging patrons to use hashtags and share pictures is another great way to garner free publicity. Deciding What Food to Offer While you may be thinking that you want to offer the biggest and heaviest burgers around, you may want to reconsider. One of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of running a food challenge is that you want your food to still taste good, which can be hard to accomplish if your focus is on monster-sized portions. Take it from the master of food challenges himself, Adam Richman: "...Unless you are doing a spicy challenge, it should still be incredibly appetizing. Something you want to eat a lot of. Something you always thought you could or would want to eat a lot of. The best ones have a degree of ingenuity, do not let quality suffer in the pursuit of quantity." The Challenge Needs to be Attainable Not only is offering a challenge that can't be won a waste of your guests' time, but it’s also a waste of your money. Since offering unattainable challenges can result in wasted food, this could be especially hurtful for businesses that offer daily challenges. Not to mention, seeing a food challenge that’s never been won can be discouraging. However, if you offer a challenge that’s been won by few (versus none), this will tempt your guests. Seeing that a food challenge is, well challenging, but also accomplishable, will make diners more likely to give it a shot. The Challenge Should Offer a Reward Whether it’s a photo on the wall (for both winners and failures), a free t-shirt, or a discounted meal, your food challenge should offer your guests some kind of reward. Many restaurants will offer their food challenges for free if the guests can meet all the requirements and finish the meal. Not only does this give the competitors something to look forward to after (possibly) pushing the boundaries of their bodies, but this will also help to entice new guests to attempt your challenge. Things to Consider How Often Should You Host Your Food Challenge? As with any change in your restaurant, there are things to consider. The most important is how regularly you plan to offer your food challenge: will it be an annual event where participants must sign up, or a daily listing that any diner can try? While the open availability of a daily food challenge may bring in a more regular stream of guests, this means that your inventory will need to accommodate for those extra ingredients. On the other hand, hosting an annual food challenge may require more advertising and you may be disappointed with low turnout until your challenge catches on. What is the Difference Between a Food Challenge and an Eating Contest? Since the phrases "food challenge" and "eating contest" are often used interchangeably, it’s important to recognize which one your restaurant will offer. An eating contest is generally a timed event to see who can eat the most amount of food in a set time frame, whereas a food challenge can be anything from drinking five milkshakes in 30 minutes to downing 10 of the spiciest wings. Will You Need to Upgrade Your Equipment? If you’re looking to offer pizzas, cookies, or burgers in excess of 50 inches in diameter, then you may need to invest in a larger deck oven. But if you’re not looking to break size records with the food you offer in your challenge, you should be fine with the equipment you already use to produce your regular menu items. However, you may want to consider purchasing new serving dishes and displayware to accommodate the size of your food challenge and to enhance its presentation.

  • How to Add a Game Room to Your Restaurant

    Game rooms in bars can be a fun and efficient way to boost your bar sales and profits. But the addition of bar games such as arcade games or billiards can come with some financial, space, and crowd-interest concerns. Fortunately, adding games to your bar or restaurant can be easy, cheap, and space-efficient. Read on to learn about some game room options that bring in the most profits and help you effectively market your business. Shop All Game Room Equipment What Are the Best Bar Games to Offer? It can be tough to think of bar game ideas that will bring in customers to your restaurant. The game options can seem limitless, but some options are better than others when trying to boost your profit margins. Here is a short list of popular bar games and game room equipment that can help your bottom line and bring in more customers: Pool Tables or Billiards Air Hockey Tables Basketball Arcade Games Foosball Tables Darts Pinball Machines Vintage Arcade Games Interactive Board Games Lawn games Hook and Ring Cornhole Ladderball Washer Toss Giant Jenga® Which Bar Games Are Most Profitable? As a business owner, your main goal is to increase your profit margin as much as possible. You can cast sports events on televisions in your bar to keep customers in their seats, but this will only cater to the interest of a portion of your clientele. Adding fun bar games to your business can capture the interests of a wider audience and increase your sales, but different games will affect your bottom line in different ways. For example, some games like arcade games and basketball arcade machines will directly affect your profits because they cost money to play. Other games, like board games and billiards don't cost money but they can encourage your customers to stay in your bar or restaurant longer, increasing the chance that they'll order more food and drinks and boosting your profits indirectly. As a result, there isn't one specific game that will make your business more money than others. Why Should You Offer Restaurant Games? Having dart boards, arcade games, pinball machines, and other games can bring in new business to your establishment. When customers have games to play at a bar, it can keep them in your location longer. Additionally, you don't necessarily need a separate game room to add games to your establishment, which makes offering pay-to-play or free pub games more accessible to customers looking for something unique to do with their friends and co-workers. When customers enjoy their experience at your bar or restaurant, they are likely to share about your establishment on social media, providing you with free marketing. What to Consider Before Adding Games to Your Business: While there are a large variety of bar games for adults available, not every type of game will fit your specific business. Here are three things to consider before choosing what types of games you want to offer at your foodservice establishment: Your space: Before you decide what type of games to use in your business, you should consider what your restaurant layout has space for. Billiards, arcade games, and pinball machines can bring in a lot of business, but they take up a lot of space, so use them in large establishments like sports bars and large restaurants. Interactive board games are fun and take up less space, but they don't have the same earning potential as arcade games and machines. Your customer base: While offering games at your restaurant or bar can seem like a good idea, you need to consider who your customer base is, and what types of games, if any, they would want to play. Billiards and arcade games will be popular with an older crowd. Interactive games, air hockey tables, and basketball arcade games are better for a younger audience. Your restaurant or bar's atmosphere: In addition to your customer base, consider the atmosphere in your establishment. Loud pinball machines can ruin a quiet and calm atmosphere. It may be hard for guests to play board games, card games, or other bar table games in establishments that play music. How to Make the Most of Your Game Room Once you've decided to add games to your business or to create a bar game room, there are some additional things you can do to boost your profits and market your bar. Here are a few tips: Game Nights: Have regular game nights on your typically slow days, especially in the winter time to attract more customers. For example, you can make every Tuesday Jenga night or invite a pool league to use your billiards tables on Sundays. Competitions: Offer competitions and promote them on social media. Having competitions like basketball championships, card game tournaments, or Beat the Bartender games are an excellent way to bring in more business. Having arcade games, billiards, board games, and other attractions can seem like a large expense, but they can help bring in more customers and boost sales over time. Your establishment can rise in popularity for customers looking for game night ideas, which in turn can lead to free social media exposure for your business and a wider customer base.