Vol. V, No. 6, July 2005

More on uWink

Last month we reported on Nolan Bushnell's new uWink Media Bistro. We have learned additional information about his concept.

Although the original reports characterized uWink as more of a gaming and entertainment center, it will be much more of a bistro first, with media taking a second position. Bushnell projects that media will represent only about 25% of sales, with the other 75% coming from food and beverage sales. Bushell says, "[uWink] is aimed at the 21- to 35-year-old casual diner, and we're providing an environment where they can have so much fun [that] they can do it once or twice a week." Now that's really shooting for high repeat business! This makes uWink Media Bistro a true eatertainment facility. Food and beverage could very well be the primary attendance driver, with the games and media enhancing the experience, to give uWink a competitive advantage over restaurant-only businesses. And unlike many young adult eatertainment concepts, such as Dave & Buster's or GameWorks, where guests must leave their tables to play billiards or arcade games, uWink diners' media will be right at their tables, which means they are likely to eat and drink more.

The average per cap for food and drink is projected to run $12 to $13, with another $4 for media, making the total per capita sales $16 to $17. The menu will feature pizza, pastas, salads and burgers, along with the Extreme Menu, which allows guests to order "extreme amounts" of garlic, curry, onion, jalapeño or other flavors.

Vol. V, No. 6, July 2005

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Vol. V, No. 6, July 2005

More on uWink

Vol. V, No. 6, July 2005

LOCATION-BASED LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT