Offering live entertainment can help restaurants develop repeat and loyal guests. When there’s seemingly a restaurant on every corner, live entertainment can make your restaurant stand out from the crowd.
But there are some major roadblocks for restaurant owners and operators when it comes to implementing a live entertainment program. And these issues can negatively impact the bottom line, including:
- Most entertainment programs lack consistency and are laden with sound and style issues.
- Restaurant entertainment, including at fine-dining establishments, doesn’t always create a great guest experience. In fact, if not executed properly and consistently, live entertainment can actually detract from the guest experience and cause customers to not return.
- Offering live entertainment can take away valuable dining seats, which equals revenue reduction.
- Many restaurateurs believe entertainment is too expensive to start and they remain uncertain whether there will be a positive return on investment.
However, creating a revenue-generating entertainment program for restaurants is possible. It just takes help from experts with a national presence.Outlined below are the top problems with traditional live entertainment programs at restaurants – and how implementing an expert-led program can solve those issues so that restaurants can drive additional revenue.
Build Consistency and Bolster the Guest Experience
A big problem with traditional entertainment programs at restaurants is that they simply lack consistency. Musicians, after all, are humans with lives outside their gigs. What happens if a musician gets sick and can’t perform? Or if the musician booked a better-paying gig somewhere else and cancels last minute at your restaurant? The restaurant has now under-delivered on the guest experience. In turn, that could jeopardize guests returning to the restaurant. And that is bad for the bottom line.
Partnering with an expert to implement an entertainment program maximizes consistency. Companies, such as Beyer Entertainment, work with restaurants to create an entertainment program that never disappoints. Beyer Entertainment has a large roster of talent including former contestants from American Idol, the Voice, and background singers for major touring artists such as Janet Jackson, Maxwell and John Mayer. Beyer provides talent trained on a proprietary methodology that guarantees consistency across the board in every major market nationwide. That means whether your restaurant is a fine-dining establishment or a honky-tonk the music will match the ambience.
Implementing an entertainment program with Beyer means there is little risk of a musician not showing up. If a performer falls ill, for example, Beyer can tap into its large roster of specially trained musicians to ensure your restaurant doesn’t under-deliver on the guest experience.
Additionally, local musicians will often play from their own set lists. What if their song choices don’t match the vibe of your restaurant? Again, you’ll provide an inconsistent guest experience. To make your live entertainment program successful and revenue-generating, you’ll need a program that provides entertainment from trained professionals who understand how to match the restaurant’s aesthetic and honor the guest experience you’re trying to provide. Because talent in Beyer’s roster is specially trained, there’s no worry that you’ll provide an inconsistent guest experience with your entertainment program.
What’s more, because restaurant owners don’t want to cannibalize their dining space, they’ll often request performers bring in their own sound equipment. That too can contribute to an inconsistent guest experience, especially if the sound equipment isn’t quality or set up correctly. Are the diners next to speakers getting the same experience as the guests farther back next to the kitchen?
Restaurant owners and operators who partner with Beyer Entertainment benefit from an on-site commissioning process which balances the existing house sound system with the additional sound system for the musician so that everyone in the outlet receives the same music experience, no matter where they are in the restaurant. If an establishment doesn’t have a proper house system, not a problem, the team at Beyer can assist.
Live Entertainment Doesn’t Need to Cannibalize Space
Restaurants need space to set up live entertainment. Thus, loss of revenue-generating seats is another big problem when restaurants attempt to offer live entertainment.
Beyer Entertainment can customize piano shells with digital piano inserts or DJ booths, both of which can double as seating and storage when the piano isn’t in use. These fixtures can be completed in any color to match any restaurant’s atmosphere. They are topped with tempered glass so that servers need not worry about damage when serving hot food and beverages.
Not only do these fixtures allow restaurants to offer live entertainment without losing out on revenue, but the seats are often viewed as premium guest experiences and serve as a great marketing tool. For example, let’s say a restaurant offers live music Wednesday through Saturday. A guest is seated at the piano shell on a Monday and asks whether the restaurant has live music. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with the guest, tell them all about the entertainment program, and turn him or her into a repeat customer.
Restaurants Without Entertainment Are Missing Out on Revenue
While starting a traditional entertainment program may be expensive, partnering with an expert like Beyer Entertainment costs significantly less. Beyer truly becomes a partner to restaurant owners and operators. Therefore, if a restaurant needs a custom piano shell, Beyer will install fixtures and equipment at no cost with an eligible partnership agreement.
That means, for instance, if a guest happens to spill a drink on the fixture or equipment, Beyer will take care of repair or replacement. Beyer’s top goal is to get rid of the barrier to entry for implementing a live entertainment program at restaurants. It’s all about driving revenue.
Without a live entertainment program, many restaurants are simply leaving money on the table. Beyer’s clients have experienced 20-30 percent higher bar sales quickly after implementing an entertainment program. That’s because a consistent and quality program bolsters the guest experience and builds customer habits and loyalty. In other words, people keep coming back for more. And when customers return, they usually always spend more as their loyalty grows.
Conclusion