When did food become entertainment? Entire television networks are now devoted to the topic and there’s an endless supply of YouTube and TikTok videos, blogs, and podcasts. A steady stream of movies is devoted to food and eating, enough to justify an annual film festival in Toronto. To drive the point home, our latest Future of Foodservice consumer sentiment study revealed a quarter of Canadians identify as foodies.
This subject of food as entertainment came up when I read an article about restaurants that collect payment for meals in advance. Not just a fee to hold a reservation — charging in advance for the entire meal occasion. The first thing that came to mind was how much this makes sense. A night out at a restaurant, especially a fine-dining restaurant, is about so much more than the meal itself. It’s a complete entertainment experience. That’s why more than one-third of restaurant visitors say atmosphere and ambiance factor into their restaurant selection.
Consider also that when we make reservations for other forms of entertainment, such as movies, concerts and sporting events, we expect to pay in advance. Compared with some of these entertainment options, a night out at a restaurant can be relatively affordable. Consider too that there is the entertainment factor of socializing, which is key to about half of all dining-out decisions. The NPD Group’s CREST® Dining Demands segmentation model shows social occasions grew 17 per cent (versus 12 per cent for total occasions) over the past year. So once again, this policy of charging in advance makes good sense for certain restaurants.
There are plenty of ways to inject more entertainment value into restaurant meal occasions, and it’s not just reserved for high-end restaurants. It can include design elements such as communal “harvest tables” that allow guests to interact with strangers, or window seats that let customers watch the world go by. Open kitchens can turn the art of meal preparation into a three-act play. Themed events, such as meet-the-chef night, wine tastings, local art shows, and dress-up nights, can create a new experience for guests each time they visit.
Traditional entertainment elements also apply. These may include TVs, pool tables, dart boards, video trivia, and, of course, music. Consider how technology can be used to enhance any of these — and how it can make traditional entertainment offerings feel more modern. Restaurant apps can incorporate gamification; interactive tabletops or tablets can provide a multitude of entertainment options such as games and kitchen-camera feeds; and, taking technology a step further, consider the entertainment value of robot servers.
But of course, the star of the show must always be the food. In this era of social media, where our phones consume our meals before we do, the food itself should be front and centre. This thinking applies equally to quick-service restaurants and white-tablecloth establishments. Find opportunities to offer new and exciting menu items — there’s nothing more entertaining to a foodie than discovering something new. In fact, one-third of restaurant visitors in Canada say eating something special is their key consideration when choosing a restaurant.
Tableside food preparation can add yet another element of theater to the food. Consider flaming desserts, sizzling fajitas, or my wife’s favourite tipple, the smoked Old Fashioned. Not long ago, I enjoyed a pasta dish that was finished tableside, inside a hollowed-out wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. Now that was as entertaining as it was delicious.
Charging in advance for a meal won’t be the right fit for many restaurants, but every guest deserves a restaurant experience that delivers value for their entertainment and food dollars. Delivering something new and different — while always delivering something delicious — is an attainable goal for everyone in foodservice.
Vince Sgabellone is the director of Client Development and Foodservice Industry analyst at The NPD Group. He can be reached at [email protected]
