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7 restaurant entertainment and event ideas

Utilising your restaurant space to host events is a great way to maximise revenue potential and make quieter days more profitable for your business. But if you’re reading this, then you’re probably wondering what kind of event would work best in your venue.

When we work with our Access Hospitality customers to run events we find that many are worried about the success of their event and how they can appeal to different audiences. In this article, we’ll look at some event and entertainment ideas that have proven to be a great success with our restaurant and bar customers.

Posted 10/11/2022

How restaurant events boost business

Hosting an event in your restaurant or bar is a great way to attract new customers and increase footfall to your venue on quieter days. Successful restaurant event ideas might include your own in-house experiences such as themed dinners and wine tasting evenings, to bringing in external companies to help host their own events on your behalf. There really is so much you can do with these kinds of events, and it’s up to you how you decide to run them.

You can even choose to lease out your space to other companies so they can host their own events – there really are endless possibilities.

But what are the benefits to hosting a restaurant event? You might think it seems like a lot of work, but with enough planning, your guests are set to have a very enjoyable experience, which is very good news for you and your venue.

Here are a few ways restaurant events can help you boost business:

  • Attract new guests  

Event hosting is a great way to attract guests that may not have been to your venue before. It’s an exciting way to let people know what your venue is capable of. If you host an event and it’s a success, then this is a great indicator that more could be held in the future.  

  • Helps to build your network  

If you choose to host events at your venue, you can easily start expanding your network within the hospitality community and beyond. This not only means an increase in footfall, but it could also mean more social media coverage which would encourage a boost in your customer base and exposure.  

  • Makes your venue more appealing   

Is your restaurant event going to make you stand out amongst the rest? Restaurants and bars typically face a lot of competition in their local area, therefore, hosting events could make you appeal to your customers and encourage them to drink and dine with you rather than your competitors. 

Restaurant event ideas

Here are some restaurant event ideas your customers will love:  

1. Christmas and New Year’s events  

2. Themed nights

3. Charity events 

4. Wine tasting  

5. Cocktail making 

6. Singles night 

7. Networking events  

There’s plenty of scope when it comes to creating events and making your events a success largely depends on your regular customer base and the opportunity locally – so do some research to find out what kind of events are being run locally and think about how your venue could fit in.  

Check out the pros and cons of each of these restaurant event ideas so you can decide the kind of event that would be successful in your venue:  

1. Big holiday events – Christmas and New Year 

People are always looking for new and exciting events around Christmas and New Year, so it’s best to be ahead of the game and start planning early – aiming to start promoting your event from as early as September. You can make a Christmas or New Year event as small or as large as you want, whether that’s putting on a huge Christmas Jumper party or hosting an intimate fine dining experience.  

Pros   

  • Many smaller companies look for venues that host a larger Christmas party event so they can mix with other companies doing the same.  
  • People searching for Christmas or New Year parties within the area will see your venue pop up if you’ve been managing your hospitality SEO presence.  
  • If you make it a good experience for customers, then they’d be far more likely to recommend your venue to others and will continue to make bookings with you.

Cons  

  • Hosting a big Christmas event can be very expensive and requires extensive planning, ticketing and marketing to make it a success.   
  • It will require more staff than usual to cater for all guests, so ensure to keep track of the rota during this busy period.   
  • People are currently more reluctant to book Christmas parties due to the scare caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, however this will hopefully repair in the long term.  

2. Themed nights  

These can be as cheesy as you want them to be. Host a whole array of themed events that encourage dressing up, games and a whole load of fun. This also means that people don’t have to wait for certain days of the year (such as Halloween) to dress up and let their hair down.  

Pros 

  • By putting on a variety of themed nights every so often, you’ll draw in lots of different crowds that are likely to return. 
  • It’s an opportunity to create a limited-edition food and drinks menu that complements the theme which will give you some great content for your social media channels.  
  • There’s so much scope with an event like this – it’s a chance to let your creativity run wild.  

  Cons  

  • Buying certain decorations, food and drinks that are specifically for a themed night could be very expensive, so be sure you know the budget before planning. 
  • Some people may not resonate with the theme if planned poorly, therefore lowering your customer intake. 
  • If events like this aren’t ticketed or customers don’t have to put down a deposit, then you're more likely to lose money for no shows.

3. Charity events  

A charity event is a great way to promote your venue whilst supporting a good cause. There are so many ways you can do this, why not try hosting a raffle? Or donating the proceeds of your signature cocktail to your chosen charity? No matter what you choose, it’s a fabulous way to get exposure and give back to the community.  

Pros 

  • This is a great opportunity to utilise social media to promote the event and invite guests. 
  • It provides exposure for both your venue and chosen charity.  
  • Hosting a charity event will help strengthen your network within the industry. 

Cons 

  • This is overall a brilliant thing to do. But just be aware that all customers know the relevant information about the chosen charity and understand where their money is going to be used.   
  • Extensive research on the charity is needed beforehand to ensure people would be willing to donate.  
  • If this event isn’t covered on social media, then it may not get enough coverage to be a success.

4. Wine/drink tasting evenings  

Sometimes an event doesn’t have to involve a big party. Something as simple as a wine tasting evening can be incredibly popular. Of course, it doesn’t just have to be wine. Your restaurant may specialise in other drinks such as gins, cocktails or craft ales to name a few.  

Pros  

  • It gives your guests a chance to learn about the various different beverages you have on offer. 
  • There are opportunities to pair these with certain foods to create an entire experience for customers.  
  • It’s a great chance to talk personally to guests which helps to build relationships. 

Cons  

  • You may need to stock up on certain wines for the event, so ensure your budget allows this.  
  • These types of events appeal to a specific audience, so ensure you’re not alienating your customers by hosting an event like this.  
  • This type of function needs to be relaxing and enjoyable so ensure your restaurant has the right atmosphere for this type of event.  

5. Cocktail making night 

Customers are increasingly enjoying immersive experience venues that offer a unique experience they can share with their companions. And you can get in on the action by offering an experience event making something – cocktail making master classes are always a great start in this area.  

Pros  

  • Gives your guests a hands-on memorable experience. 
  • Gives you an opportunity to showcase your venue’s cocktail menu.  
  • Makes a great ticketed event so you can ensure you fill your places.  

Cons  

  • You’ll need to ensure your staff are good at teaching how to make cocktails to make this an enjoyable experience for guests. 
  • You’ll need to put effort into promotion to make sure it’s a success.  
  • Might be difficult to host while also conducting regular restaurant service.  

6. Singles night  

Dating apps such as Thursday and Bumble has never been more popular. So, why not host your very own dating event? These can be a great opportunity for people to mingle and meet each other in your venue.  

Pros  

  • This can be a great social media opportunity, especially if customers are tagging your venue in their posts on Instagram and Facebook.  
  • If these become a regular successful event, then your customers are more likely to tell people about it, meaning your venue will increase in popularity.  
  • It’s an opportunity to create and promote customs drinks specifically for the event, encouraging people to come back for more.  

Cons  

  • Ensure all guests feel comfortable and safe, otherwise it can create a hostile environment that wouldn’t encourage people to return.  
  • If it’s gets too large then it could be seen as impersonal, so try and keep it as a more intimate event.  
  • Make sure there is demand for this in your local area, otherwise it may not bring in the revenue you were hoping for.  

7. Networking events  

Companies are always on the hunt for venues to host networking events. This is a great opportunity for you to partner with companies that may wish to use your space as a hub for networking.  

Pros 

  • It’s a great opportunity for your restaurant to get exposure from these companies, which will help increase your popularity and revenue. 
  • It’s an opportunity to introduce set menus and buffet style dining, making it easier to manage.  
  • Other marketing companies may offer exposure of your venue for a deal on food and drink which could really help your marketing strategy.  

Cons  

  • It may be hard to get exact numbers for events like this, so ensure you can accommodate more people if necessary.  
  • Companies may expect certain treatment for promoting your venue, so ensure everything is agreed upon beforehand.  
  • If this takes place during regular service then other guests may be disturbed, so make sure that you have enough staff on hand to cater for both. 

Ready to host your first event?  

In this article we’ve looked at some entertainment ideas so that you can start hosting restaurant events in your venue, including looking at the pros and cons of different restaurant event ideas and how each of them could benefit your business and help you attract more customers.

If you’re ready to take the next step in planning events, consider talking to our team about the different software and how they could help you with your event planning.

Or read more about How to host successful restaurant events.