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Recent Posts
- Our April Leisure eNewsletter is now available April 19, 2022
- Our March Leisure eNewsletter is now available March 14, 2022
- The February edition of our Leisure eNewsletter is now available  February 15, 2022
- What they fail to explain about vaccines, Delta, and masks September 13, 2021
- No, the pandemic hasn’t ended. It’s still having a significant impact on indoor family and children’s venues July 8, 2021
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Category Archives: eatertainment
Update on the current surge and comfort going out
Is the current surge a temporary phenomenon? Are regulars more likely to return? Continue reading
The relationship of loving to cook, getting the Covid vaccine, and visiting restaurants
The implications of people who love/like to cook being almost twice as comfortable getting the Covid-19 vaccine compared to people who don’t like to cook. Continue reading
Will increased cooking at home, restaurant takeout, and meal delivery become the post-pandemic future normal? If so, what are its implications for location-based entertainment?
How the pandemic has changed our dining behaviors and its impact on our post-pandemic dining and visits to location-based entertainment venues. Continue reading
Covid-time restaurant preferences and concerns
While people’s food and drink preferences are continually changing, some things remain the same as pre-pandemic for dining out during the coronavirus, while others have changed. Continue reading
The great location-based entertainment decimation event
The pandemic and its continuation into 2021 are a genuine existential threat to location-based entertainment and FECs. Continue reading
Increase in work-at-home creates a shift in site selection strategies for location-based entertainment
More people working at home has shifted site selection strategies for location-based entertainment. Continue reading
Location-based entertainment venue food & drink during the Covid-era
LBEs that make the guest dining and drinking experience as safe and positive as possible and broadly communicate their health and safety measures to guests will be able to maximize their attendance and revenues during these trying times. They might even get a competitive leg up on restaurants, peoples’ top choice to return to. Continue reading
The post-Covid out-of-home entertainment competitive landscape
Pre-Covid LBE and FEC business models are all facing a true existential threat. Their existing business models will all suffer accelerated Darwinism if they don’t adapt and innovate for the new post-pandemic future with customers who are fundamentally different than the ones we knew before. Continue reading
Is Chuck E. Cheese’s bankruptcy a bellwether for the decimation of the LBE/FEC industry?
The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry. Why I predict that at least 30% of FECs will go out of business and be permanently closed by the end of 2021, perhaps sooner. Continue reading
Who will be the first to return to which out-of-home leisure/entertainment activities?
Here’s my latest research and thoughts on which customers will be the first to return, to which out-of-home entertainment/leisure activities, and at what frequency. Continue reading
When will people return to out-of-home entertainment and dining based on their income, education, generation & age?
Here’s some very recent data on when adults expect to return to restaurants and out-of-home (OOH) entertainment and cultural venues based on their incomes, education, generation and age. Continue reading
When, if ever, will location-based entertainment become profitable again?
There are a number of factors that will determine when LBEs will be profitable again including the share of the population at high risk of Covid-19. Here’s the latest data and predictions. Continue reading
The economics of operating location-based entertainment in corona-time
As stay-in-place orders are lifted, reopening LBEs will face financial challenges. Continue reading
Who’s ready to return to out-of-home entertainment and cultural experiences?
Now that states are starting to allow businesses to open and the lockdown is winding down, will people return to out-of-home (OOH) entertainment and cultural experiences? Our company has access to a large number of national U.S. polls with very current data. So, I dug into the data of some of them to see what people are saying. Continue reading
The inconvenient truth – almost all location-based entertainment business models are now obsolete
Our company prides itself in using research to identify trends and guide our clients to future-proof their location-based entertainment centers (LBEs), which includes the categories of family entertainment centers (FECs), social eatertainment venues and agritainment/agritourism farms. As they say in … Continue reading
Are you appealing to the Conscientious Consumer? Budweiser does.
Offering the coolest bowling or entertainment and/or the tastiest, trendiest burger or flatbread no longer cuts it. Continue reading
Dave & Buster’s continues its decline
Yesterday Dave & Buster’s reported record revenues in the third quarter, up 12.9%. Sounds all rosy, but it really isn’t when you drill down into the results. The revenue increase is attributable to an increase in the number of stores. … Continue reading
Eatertainment webinar rescheduled for next Wednesday
The eatertainment webinar has been rescheduled for 1 PM Easter Standard Time, next Wednesday, February 17th. Continue reading
Free webinar on eatertainment this Wednesday
Free webinar on eatertainment this Wednesday Continue reading
America – a no vacation nation
The percent of Americans not taking vacations is not good news for any location-based leisure venues that cater to vacationers, whether they are out-of-town on a trip or on a staycation at home. Continue reading
Looking back and looking forward at the FEC industry
Looking back through the history of the family entertainment center industry and predictions of what the future holds for its success. Continue reading
Is Chuck E. Cheese’s the Blockbuster Video of the Eatertainment Industry?
Greg Casale, the head chef at CEC, tells the press that a desire to attract Millennial mothers is behind the menu change. “Her kids know it’s a fun place to go, but Millennial moms want to provide that great experience without sacrificing for themselves,” he says. . . .Greg Chef, your new menu is still so in the past. It’s a 2005 menu in 2015. . . Continue reading
Daily fantasy sports coming to family entertainment centers
Fantasy sports is not exactly something you would associate with a family entertainment center (FEC). That is about to change in the near future with the acquisition of Major League Fantasy (MLF) by Latitude 360 . . . Continue reading
Where does pizza at FECs and Chuck E. Cheese’s fall in the four pizza groups?
Most FECs need to wake up and get with it, or they will see drastic revenue declines no different than Chuck E. Cheese’s has seen over the years due to their behind the times, non-adult appealing pizza. Continue reading
Playing Video Games Now a College Varsity Sport
This is just one more example of how the digital world is disrupting traditional entertainment, and now sports. Not only is pure digital displacing the physical and real world versions, but we are also seeing a convergence of digital and real world experiences creating new forms of competition. Continue reading
How interactive location-based entertainment can bond families
In a world where our children are constantly alone on their tablets, it is so important to create environments where they can have fun with each other. It [laser tag] can even bring mom and dad together with their son to. Continue reading
American’s Favorite Leisure Activities
Here’s the favorite leisure activities of American Millennials and Gen-Xs. If we exclude reading, although today much of it takes place on a tablet screen, four of the most popular five leisure activities for both Millennials and Gen X take place on a screen. Continue reading
Travel expenditures since 2005 and the Great Recession
Earlier this year The Bureau of Labor Statistics posted a graph showing that 2011 household travel expenditures had decreased 6% from their peak in 2007. However, they didn’t adjust for inflation. The decrease is actually much more severe. Continue reading
Per person restaurant expenditure trend
The 20-year trend of per person restaurant expenditures is very similar to the trend of household expenditures Continue reading
Trampoline centers a flash in the pan?
Indoor trampoline parks are popping up everywhere in the U.S. But is this deja vu all over again in the children’s entertainment center industry ? Are they nothing but a fad that will shortly die off, especially because many children are being injured? An industry veteran gives his candid opinion. Continue reading
Chuck E. Cheese’s Leaking Bucket
Learn how Chuck E. Cheese’s has the highest new customer defection rate of almost any restaurant and how restaurant defection rates are now improving post-recession Continue reading
What’s happening with Chuck E. Cheese’s?
Update on Chuck E. Cheese’s 4th quarter 2010 results, their rollout of a new pizza and their remodel, expansion and franchise plans. Continue reading
Community-Based Eatertainment Venue Sales on Increase
Comparable store sales at a number of public eatertainment companies are showing increases, indicating an increase in consumer spending at community-based entertainment-oriented venues. Continue reading
