Vol. XXIV, No. 5, September 2024
- Editor's corner
- Premiumization, the next phase in leisure spending
- Attendance patterns for location-based entertainment venues
- How the immutable laws of marketing are changing the location-based entertainment industry
- Is a backlash against digital culture underway?
- Flavor-forward foods
- Topgolf's sales decline
- Important factors for deciding what experiences to spend money on
- Homebound: The long-term rise in Americans' time at home
- Sports activities now exceed pre-pandemic levels
Attendance patterns for location-based entertainment venues
Attendance data between August 2023 and July 2024 shows that Dave & Buster's and Main Event, two eatertainment chains (owned by Dave & Buster's), are busiest on weekends - with Saturday evening between 7:00 to 10:00 PM drawing the biggest crowds to both chains. 11.9% of visits to Dave & Buster's and 9.4% to Main Event occurred Saturday evening.
Friday and Sunday also experienced increased foot traffic, with hourly fluctuations reflecting the rhythms of weekend activities: Friday visits picked up between 7:00 and 10:00 PM, as people likely wrapped up their work weeks and headed out to unwind with a drink and some games.
Sunday visits followed the opposite pattern, with stronger foot traffic earlier in the day that tapered off towards evening as people put down their pool cues and got ready for the upcoming week.
Visitor behavior at Dave and Buster's and Main Event also changes throughout the week. Analyzing the average driving distances of visitors to the two chains shows that people drive further distances to visit the venues on the weekends - when they have more time on their hands.
Between August 2023 and July 2024, 43.9% of weekend visits (Friday to Sunday) to Dave & Buster's and 49.7% of weekend visits to Main Event were made by people traveling 10 miles or less to reach the venue. On weekdays (Monday to Thursday), these numbers increased to 49.4% and 55.3%, respectively - indicating that on weekdays, the eatertainment chains are particularly appealing to locals looking for a convenient night out during the week. But interestingly, it was on weekdays that visitors to the two chains were most likely to come from more than 100 miles away, suggesting that these customers may be on vacation away from home - the perfect time to pop into an eatertainment venue mid-week.
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Vol. XXIV, No. 5, September 2024
- Editor's corner
- Premiumization, the next phase in leisure spending
- Attendance patterns for location-based entertainment venues
- How the immutable laws of marketing are changing the location-based entertainment industry
- Is a backlash against digital culture underway?
- Flavor-forward foods
- Topgolf's sales decline
- Important factors for deciding what experiences to spend money on
- Homebound: The long-term rise in Americans' time at home
- Sports activities now exceed pre-pandemic levels
