There’s a trend that’s taking off around the world in pubs and restaurants which has been paying huge dividends and giving pandemic-hit establishments a much-needed revenue boost. If you’re looking for ideas on how to attract new customers to a restaurant or pub, a quiz night or trivia tournament might just be the answer. Here’s why:

Benefits of hosting a quiz night

Every establishment has slow nights, and this usually happens during the week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be especially flat, which makes them ideal for a weekly quiz-night slot. Once the option is available, people will have a reason to come. 

Getting people in the door is the biggest challenge and once that has been accomplished, the social factor gains momentum. Customers will arrive with the quiz as a secondary motivation simply because they didn’t like the idea of sitting conspicuously in an empty pub or restaurant. 

Of course it also presents a perfect opportunity to build loyalty. A regular fixture will make your establishment a part of peoples’ routines. They’ll think of your venue as a part of their lives, even if they don’t come every week, and that loyalty will grow as they rack up fun memories. 

Word-of-mouth is likely to become an important factor. Customers will tell their friends and colleagues and do your marketing for you. You will have to promote your quiz night in the early stages, but once word-of-mouth gains momentum, it’s unlikely that any further marketing efforts will be required.

How to run a quiz night

For a quiz night to be successful, you’ll have to get a few things right from the start. This will require some rules to be laid down to keep the game fun and interesting for everyone. It’s very easy to cheat in the age of smartphones and Wikipedia, but it will ruin the game for everyone else. Make sure participants understand that cheating will get them disqualified.

Try to encourage team rivalry by creating a leaderboard and putting it in a prominent place – and be sure to give out some decent prizes. Most people will participate more for the fun than for the actual prize. But a decent grand prize at the end of a tournament, even if it’s only given out annually, will certainly keep participants coming back. See if you can get a local business to sponsor one.

Choose a format that’s practical. The old pen and paper is tried and trusted, but many establishments are now opting for tablet or phone-based quizzes through an app or platform. If you choose to use smart technology, do ensure that your clientele is comfortable using it.

Ask questions that aren’t too difficult or too easy, and try to cover as wide a range of topics and interests as possible. And lastly, find a charismatic MC to host the evening, someone who’s entertaining and will still be able to keep the evening’s events moving along smoothly.

Bear in mind that when the quiz concludes it’ll be the end of the evening for most people – you don’t want Point of Sale software that will let you down with a crash as everyone tries to settle their bills. This is where a quality PoS system will have your back.    

Author : Rudi Badenhorst

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Quiz Night Restaurant pos solutions Smart technology