For any venue that resembles a bar, a trivia night can bring in a lot of business. It can be especially valuable when it creates returning customers who play on regular teams, generating a regular flow of income aslidomino.
Trivia nights (also called pub quizzes) have long been popular in pub culture in the U.K. and Commonwealth countries and have gained steam in the U.S. lately. For the uninitiated, they work like this:
- The restaurant manager hires a trivia/quizmaster who creates a quiz, usually lasting 2-3 hours.
- Customers organize themselves into teams, often paying an entrance fee. They answer a few rounds of questions, with five rounds of ten questions being fairly common.
- The winning team receives a prize—like drinks, memorabilia, cash from the winnings (depending on local laws), or credit to spend in the establishment.
When done well, trivia night can become a regular draw and help cement your reputation as a fun place aslidomino.
But, like with live music, it’s all about the time and the place. Upscale restaurants or restaurants that don’t earn much from alcohol sales would likely not do well with a trivia night since customers will generally be there for a couple of hours playing the quiz. This means that table turnover will be low, and you’ll need to maximize revenue per table, which is best done with repeat orders like alcoholic beverages or snacks.
Very small venues aren’t great spots for trivia games, either. You want enough room for teams to sit in groups and for customers who are not playing the quiz to still enjoy a drink or meal, as well. As with any restaurant entertainment, the layout and design of your establishment matter aslidomino.
Generally, trivia works best on weekdays since it usually finishes around 10pm and can help lift mid-week spirits for both the establishment and its customers. Since weekends generally bring busier nights, trivia likely won’t be the best restaurant entertainment on Friday or Saturday. Consider your traffic patterns to find the best days and times for your trivia games.
