Eatertainment: Designing for the Convergence of Dining and Entertainment

As the concept of eatertainment continues to gain steam across the country with its playful, user-focused blend of hospitality and entertainment, a number of highly creative key players have emerged at the forefront of the trend, including OZ client Angevin & Co., a New Orleans-based hospitality group taking the country by storm with concepts like Camp Pickle and Jaguar Bolero.

OZ has been delivering innovative eatertainment design solutions for over a decade, dating back to the first Punch Bowl Social, a concept that has since spread across the nation to markets like Austin, Texas, Portland, Oregon, and Atlanta, Georgia. The combination of dining and activity-based socializing, driven initially by Millennials seeking out new and exciting experiences and environments over more traditional “same in every place” F&B products, now attracts guests of all ages and demographics in urban markets.

Today, Gen Z has taken the trend further, seeking out highly specialized eatertainment options, driving demand for evermore personalized experiences that can (importantly) be shared with their online networks. This demographic’s spending has revealed a thirst for high-quality food offerings and engaging, photo-worthy experiences.

In addition to generational drivers, people across demographics are craving social engagement more than ever after years of pandemic-related socialization barriers, and as a result, activity-based dining experiences are stronger than ever. Successful eatertainment venues combine active social games and group activities such as bowling, ping pong, golf, axe throwing, live music etc. – all paired with elevated food and beverage offerings. At the end of the day, eatertainment is about placemaking, layering of unique spaces to ‘hang out’ and creating a destination group gathering place where people can connect with co-workers, family and friends.

As we think about what makes for a great eatertainment experience on the design side, here are some of the key drivers:

Spaces must be social media-friendly
Social media has played a crucial role in the emergence of eatertainment. Consumers are seeking out visually appealing and shareable experiences. The combination of exciting design and experiential elements at venues like the OZ-designed Improper City can create a wealth of opportunities for photos and videos that are worthy of the ‘gram, offering a powerful marketing tool for owners.

Consumers are also getting more and more comfortable using technology to get what they need. They can use phones to order and prefer not to flag down a person for service. This has helped reduce operating costs while creating both efficiencies and opportunities to connect with consumers in new ways (following the brand on social or participating in digital loyalty programs, for example).

There is no substitute for great food
Providing an elevated variety of food and beverage programming is another key attribute of today’s eatertainment venues, giving guests an adventure-like experience as they eat and drink their way through a space.

Avanti F&B, a collective food and drink eatery with locations in Denver and Boulder Colorado, is actually several restaurants bundled into one activated dining space. That diversity of choice offered by having independent chefs under one roof and the creative exploration it enables is a major differentiator. This venue allows start-up culinary concepts and established chefs to ‘think-tank’ new dishes and potential bricks-and-sticks restaurant concepts for a fraction of the cost of building a new restaurant. Consumers benefit as the incubator spaces rotate on short term leases, so there is always something new to try.

Work meetings take on social vibes
The mix of programming offered in the eatertainment model has also created a demand for drop-in coworking space. To enhance the offering at Improper City, for example, the spaces were carefully curated for daytime co-working, small group meetings, lectures and events by day, later transforming to host late night bar crowds. The space also flexes its culinary offerings, with food trucks pulling in to service at various hours, and a coffee counter that converts to a cocktail bar for the after-work crowd. Both the indoor space and large outdoor ‘yard’ draw people (and their dogs) from surrounding buildings out for meet-ups with co-workers and mingling with friends.

OZ is proud to be a partner for owners, developers and placemakers looking to create a competitive edge through imaginative experiential design.

With a rich history designing hospitality projects that showcase a convergence of uses, the OZ Resort & Hospitality Practice Area is excited to share that we’ve been working on the new prototype for Camp Pickle concepts in partnership with Angevin Co., FAM Design and Confluence. The first outpost of this eatertainment-meets-wellness venue, located in Centennial, Colorado, will feature 25,000 square feet of interior space dedicated to food & beverage, as well as indoor/outdoor pickleball courts, and a spacious yard for games and socialization.

We can’t wait to share more as this project gets underway. In the meantime, you can read more about the Camp Pickle in Mile High CRE, Colorado Real Estate Journal and Westword. Have more questions about how eatertainment can fit into your next project? Get in touch!