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Gone are the days when hot dogs, burgers, popcorn and other standard concession fore were good enough at entertainment venues - if guests were offered food at all. Today, these concepts continue to truly up their game when it comes to food and beverage by offering a wider variety of chef-crafted fare and well-thought-out cocktails that staff can execute in a high-volume format. There's even a new phrase for this growing segment: "eatertainment."
Eatertainment concepts take shape in different ways.Technically, ballparks and other sporting venues with stepped-up menus and club/ suite offerings fit into this category. The term can also apply to live music venues with enhanced food options. The recent onslaught of concepts with arcades, virtual reality, indoor driving ranges and other gaming venues seem to offer something delicious to nosh on. The modern theater looks nothing like it did in the past. In some cases, full-service dining and bar service are available right at guests' seats.
The growth of these eatertainment concepts shows no signs of slowing down. In a recent report on U.S. restaurants, Los Angeles-based real estate firm CBRE Group predicted that such concepts will continue to open. At the same time, millions of new sporting venues feature preeminent foodservice and bar programs.
"As eatertainment operators downsize to smaller, tech-driven formats, they will infill urban locations and be a catalyst for revitaligation of urban main streets in select markets," the CBRE report states. "Consumer demand is rising for more experience-rich recreation and dining options in retail properties. Its incorporation in malls and non-mall settings has grown by 44.7 percent and 68.5 percent, respectively, since 2010."
In addition, the report found that 70 percent of consumers prefer to visit these eatertainment venues for group outings instead of casual-dining operations. Research firm Datassential shows similar results in its studies on the subject, reporting that 59 percent of consumers like the idea of eatertainment and would visit such concepts.
Rick Gresh, director of U.S. culinary operations for AceBounce, has seen this firsthand at both the AceBounce Ping-Pong concept in Chicago and the company's Flight Club concept for dart gaming, also in Chicago. The company plans to open locations in Boston and Las Vegas. "We highlight our food program, but in the past, this wasn't...