Five Reasons Why F&B Establishments Need Social Competition

Customer experience has always been a vital pillar of food and beverage hospitality. In addition to a core product that delivers on quality and value, a consumer’s lasting impression of an establishment can also be determined by several other factors that contribute to the overall experience – speed and friendliness of service, appearance, and cleanliness of the venue, the acoustics of the room, and more.

Recent years have also shown demand for offerings that go beyond first-rate dining and drinking in a pleasant environment. More and more, people are looking to go out for an experience that they cannot replicate at home, a trend underlined by the rise in ‘eatertainment’ and, in particular, competitive socializing.

In short, competitive socializing includes any contest, competition, or game that forms an integral part of a wider social setting – in this case, going out for food and/or drinks. According to research conducted by Cushman & Wakefield, competitive socializing concepts have grown a whopping 386% since the beginning of 2021.

This has given rise to gaming arcades and dedicated ‘battle bars’. However, F&B operators can exploit this growing trend, not least because it helps them acquire more customers, build a base of repeat guests, increase spend per head, and improve profitability. Given the difficult financial reality facing the hospitality sector at present, it is well worth exploring the positive impact social competition could have.

Indeed, many will have already taken steps such as offering cornhole, giant Jenga, and board games for customers to play. However, these may have limited draw given the experience can easily be replicated at home.

To truly cash in on demand for competitive socializing, F&B establishments can go a step further and offer a more compelling reason for people to leave home.

In the case of Duckpin Social, this offers a reimagined format of a classic game with universal appeal: tenpin bowling. Duckpin Social delivers all the advantages of bowling in an even more accessible and engaging way. And, crucially, it requires far less space, making it ideal for venues such as bars, social clubs, restaurants, breweries, resorts, and hotels. Duckpin Social requires one-third the space of standard tenpin bowling, translating into triple the revenue per square foot. What’s more, because bowling has no inventory or cost of goods, almost all income flows to the bottom line. In fact, most proprietors enjoy a five-year ROI of well over 300% and start making a profit within nine to 12 months.

Interested? Let’s go into some more detail about why adding this kind of social competition might be right for your establishment. Here are five key reasons…

Attract new customers
Offering games and other forms of competitive socializing gives people who might not otherwise step through your doors a reason to visit.

Like tenpin bowling, Duckpin Social appeals to all ages because it is a game everyone knows how to play.

Because of its approachable setup, it can be a perfect feature for all kinds of customers—from those on date nights to colleagues on corporate socials and groups of friends and family. The interactive experience can be tailored to each customer or party, who can select different games or themes using Brunswick's intuitive touchscreen scoring system.

Extend customers’ length of visit
In the food and beverage sphere, time certainly equals money. If you keep customers on your premises longer, they're more likely to spend more.

The average Duckpin Social venue has a limited number of lanes, and our statistics show demand outweighs supply. This means operators can build revenue-enhancing wait lists, where customers spend money in other parts of your facility while they wait for a lane to open up, increasing time on site and total spend.

Increase spend per visit
In addition to increasing dwell time, there are other ways competitive socializing, such as Duckpin Social, helps to drive up spend per customer.

Social competition features represent a brand-new revenue stream, one not restricted by what customers can eat and drink. That said, Duckpin Social is also a proven generator of increased food and beverage sales. Our figures show that a typical group of four to six players stays engaged for at least an hour, meaning the likelihood of buying food and drink is high. In fact, for every dollar spent on Duckpin Social bowling, the average customer spends between $1 and $9 on F&B.

Duckpin Social makes these purchasing experiences seamless. With patented Brunswick tech, customers can purchase from the menu using the lane-side scoring tablets or their own smartphone.

Build customer loyalty
With competitive socializing on the up, today’s customers and prospects have a world of entertainment choices in front of them. By offering something compelling and unique, F&B establishments can build a base of guests who keep coming back.

Duckpin Social is accessible to anyone and encourages friendly competition among friends, family, and colleagues. Because it is highly tech-driven and interactive, customers can easily enter contact data that automatically fills your marketing database, helping you keep your venue top of mind.

Attract and retain talent
Beyond loyal customers, the F&B hospitality sector also needs a loyal staff cohort. Indeed, one of the most pressing challenges facing operators is finding and keeping talent, as establishment owners and managers navigate a fiercely competitive labor market.

Duckpin Social helps make your venue a unique place to work. It adds an element of spice that can enhance company culture, while a steady flow of guest traffic drives earnings and provides additional job security for employees.

Brunswick as a trusted partner
These are just five compelling reasons to consider investing in a game-changing competitive socializing offering.

When doing so, it is important to work with a partner you can trust. Brunswick, an organization with over 150 years of experience in the entertainment industry and synonymous with all things bowling, knows what it takes to deliver an experience that draws in new customers and keeps them coming back.

Duckpin Social in Action: Woodrows Duckpin Bowling

Nestled inside the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Woodrows offers Duckpin Social with a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The site has seven lanes across two floors, and its typical customer base includes a mix of young and old, families and corporate parties, hotel guests, and local residents.

Jeff Royce, the business's co-owner, reflects on more than two years in operation.

“Duckpin has brought significant value to our business,” he says. “Woodrows Duckpin Bowling provides a very unique social experience that is unmatched in Grand Rapids. The bowling aspect allows our customers to socialize and play a competitive sport while enjoying a few beverages of their choice.

“Our customers constantly comment on how much fun they have and how competitive playing duckpin bowling is. They really like the lane layout in our space and how easy it is to move around. And our staff make the customer experience their highest priority, and it shows in how many repeat customers we have.

“Brunswick has been a fantastic partner to work with. They are very attentive to any service needs that arise, as well as discussions of best practices and ideas for future locations.”