How to Increase Food & Beverage Sales in Your FEC

Don’t let food and beverage be an afterthought in your entertainment venue.

In the past, entertainment venues implemented simple concessions and snack bar-type food offerings, much like theme parks. However, as consumer trends have evolved, many family entertainment venues like FECs, bowling centers, and waterparks have shifted to a more comprehensive dining experience. Sometimes this includes full service, quick service, or, in many cases, a combination of the two.

But food and beverage can be tricky to get right in an entertainment venue! Read on for five ways to maximize your food and beverage offerings in your entertainment venue.

No. 1: Create ‘Food and Fun’ Packages. 

This strategy is perhaps the easiest to implement in any venue. Encourage guests to indulge in both your attractions and delicious treats by bundling experiences. Consider a combination that includes attractions, gameplay, and some type of food offering, such as snacks, drinks, or pizza. You could also sell products that earn your guests discounts on food and beverage, such as memberships. For example, CenterEdge client Rev’d Up Fun offers their members a kids’ meal every time they visit the facility. When families visit, this almost always boosts their per capita spending because parents add on their own food and drinks.

No. 2: Offer Unique Menu Items for Memorable Experiences.

Instagram-worthy craft burgers, loaded truffle fries, Seafood Platter Bloody Marys, and other over-the-top menu items help you stand out from the crowd. Introduce signature dishes or themed items that align with the overall ambiance of your venue. Memorable dining experiences will keep guests coming back for more and contribute to positive word-of-mouth marketing. But whatever you do, make sure you’re leveraging the marketing power of those menu items thoughtfully. Professional, colorful photographs make all the difference and can be used in your digital signage, table tents, Google Ads, social media, and other marketing channels.

No. 3: Cultivate a Culture of Upselling.

Train your staff to seamlessly integrate upselling into guest interactions. From suggesting a special drink at admissions to recommending appetizers during playtime, creating a culture of upselling can significantly boost your food and beverage revenue.

Great upselling doesn’t happen by chance. Staff need in-depth product knowledge, confidence, and the exact words to use when interacting with guests and most importantly, repetition. Consider using contests, shift huddles, meetings, and individual coaching sessions to help make upselling an integral part of your guest experience.

A few good CenterEdge resources to help train upselling are:

• Free Guide – How to Train Your Team to Upsell
• Blog – Listening is the Key to Successful Upselling
• Blog – An Easy-to-Follow Guide to Upselling

No. 4: Provide Efficient and Personalized Service with CenterEdge Hybrid Tablets.

Equip your servers with mobile tablets for efficient order-taking and personalized service. The CenterEdge Hybrid Tablets give you access to your entire Advantage Point of Sale system so that your staff can input and manage orders, process payments, and provide real-time information on menu items or promotions. Use tableside in your restaurants, use them for cocktail service in your bar or party areas, and meet guests where they are, such as at bowling lanes or poolside cabanas. Mobile tablets help you increase both your order accuracy and speed as well, which increases your overall guest satisfaction.

You can improve your guest experience even more by giving guests more control over their payment experience through Click to Pay. With Click to Pay’s feature, Pay at the Table, you can simply drop checks with a QR code and messaging that invites guests to “Save time. Pay at the table.” From there, guests can easily scan the QR code to be directed to make their payment via a secure payment portal. And, because Click to Pay and Pay at the Table are seamlessly integrated into Advantage Food and Beverage, there’s no need to reprint checks as items are added. Check totals will automatically update so guests can make the right payment.

No. 5: Implement Mobile Food Ordering. 

While we’re talking about giving guests more control, you can give them the ultimate control by allowing them to order food from anywhere, right from their mobile device. With CenterEdge’s latest feature suet, Mobile Food & Beverage, you gain access to Mobile Food Ordering, eliminating the need for guests to interrupt their fun. Just provide scannable QR codes at tables or throughout the facility for guests to scan and order at their convenience. Once ready, orders can be dropped by runners, held at counters for pickup, or placed in secure food lockers for contactless pickup. This approach not only enhances convenience but also opens up opportunities for increased sales, as guests can seamlessly enjoy their favorite menu items without leaving the fun.

By incorporating even just one of these strategies, you’ll not only elevate the overall guest experience but also ensure that your food and beverage offerings become an integral part of your business. To learn more about Mobile Food & Beverage, Click to Pay, or CenterEdge Hybrid tablets, reach out to us today at info@centeredgesoftware.com.