The pandemic hit most eating places arduous, however Dave & Buster’s Leisure, which operates 144 venues throughout 40 states in North America, was uniquely affected by Covid-19. For one, the chain’s takeout enterprise displays a low proportion of gross sales attributable to its format, games-centric events and logistical challenges.
The massive retailer footprints — on common 41,000 sq. ft. per location — rely closely on visitor visitors. Clients are usually drawn to leisure sights centered round enjoying video games and watching dwell sports activities and different televised occasions, so meals and beverage events aren’t the primary visitors drivers for the model.
And regardless of a menu refresh previous to the pandemic that simplified each the variety of drinks and improved the standard, customers nonetheless didn’t give Dave & Buster’s credit score for great-tasting drinks.
Enterprise situations following the Covid-19 shutdowns additional challenged Dave and Buster’s.
Restaurant operators needed to cope with giant menus and restricted workers, to not point out dated model imagery that now not conveyed pleasure and invited trial. It was time for a full revamp to create a beverage program that:
- Elevates the visitor expertise.
- Supplies the visitor with selection throughout a number of style
- profiles and taste choices, maximizing shopper attain.
- Preserve excessive velocities and velocity of service.
- Drives incremental meals and beverage gross sales.
- Refreshes imagery to be attractive, contemporary and new.
- Supplies a baseline for activation alternatives.
- Offers workers new information to speak about.
The place to begin? Dave & Buster’s started with rigorous shopper analysis on each attitudes, perceptions and sentiments for its choices, after which a TURF (Complete Unduplicated Attain and Frequency) examine that resulted in a brand new menu strategy.
Core prospects and Explorers
The analysis helped establish two shopper segments for the restaurant model: Core, that are “driven-to-win instigators” drawn to basic, elevated cocktails, basic wines by the glass and American gentle lagers; and Explorer, “fun-loving connectors” that at all times like to attempt the most recent enjoyable and modern drinks, canned wine and craft beers.
Commercial
Dave & Buster’s launched a brand new menu in two waves, in November 2021 and January 2022,
that was structured to enchantment to focus on customers in every section. The chain upgraded a lot of its tequilas, gins and vermouths, in addition to its garnishes and glassware, to ship an elevated drink expertise to company. It simplified and streamlined many multistep drinks to ship velocity and high quality.
This system outlined a quarterly limited-time provide (LTO) showcasing related flavors and developments by season and created a year-over-year testing course of wherein it tries out new gadgets one yr forward of launch. Dave & Buster’s developed specialty cocktail lineup to replicate analysis, taste and shopper strategy.
As an example, the menu lineup is 70/30 Core/Explorer and 45/55 current/new. The 19 cocktails provided by class embrace 4 Umami/Earthy/Smoky choices (corresponding to a Chocolate Bourbon Milkshake); three Citrus/Bitter (corresponding to a Strawberry Watermelon Margarita); 5 Candy or Fruit Ahead (just like the Harmful Waters tropical punch); two Refreshing/Crisp Clear (a Recent Mojito); and 5 Liquor Ahead (together with the home Lengthy Island Iced Tea).
A few of Dave & Buster’s different beverage program initiatives embrace:
- Revised printed beverage menus to showcase new cocktails, wine, spirits and booze-free drinks.
- Advanced merchandising and promotional strategy to hyperlink to the manufacturers’ “Million Greenback Halfway” feeling. As an example, evocative imagery highlights the standard and drives urge for food enchantment, whereas bringing the Halfway theme to life with vivid colours and textural cues. Seasonal promotions embrace UFC, March Insanity, Soccer Recreation
- Watches, Octoberfest and Vacation, whereas in-venue programming options Trivia nights and DJs for recreation watches.
- Crew coaching to make sure constant execution with such instruments as a complete bartender coaching handbook, Cheat Sheets and Recipe Playing cards that embrace ServSafe meals and alcohol security coaching and certification so bartenders what number of internet drinks are within the recipe. Tutorial movies present step-by-step directions on the way to make all menu listed recipes and LTOs; talk about the drink taste; emphasize how the drink seems to be when made with correct approach and garnish.
The chain additionally optimized its draft beer lineup nationally and regionally and revamped its wine checklist, together with each bottle and transportable can alternatives. The consequence was vital progress within the beverage attachment price and each gross sales and profitability progress as nicely.
How vital? The brand new beverage menu highlights embrace a 3.5% enhance in featured beverage combine; a 5% rise in featured beverage portions; and a $0.48 enhance in gross revenue per drink offered. The trouble additionally earned Dave & Buster’s the BevX Award for Finest General Restaurant Beverage Program this yr.
Dave & Buster’s has come a good distance since recreation parlor operator Dave and restaurateur Buster joined forces and opened their first “eatertainment” venue in Dallas in 1982. The model’s current recreation plan and implementation have helped evolve its beverage program in a means that resonated within the post-Covid world and sure positioned Dave & Buster’s for continued progress.
