Opening a business that is designed for families to have fun and be entertained can be heavily rewarding. Your business brings joy, makes people smile and can be the go-to place for birthdays and fun-filled occasions.
Running one, however, is not always easy and simple.
Like all business adventures, you need to have a unique selling point (USP) and an idea that resonates with your consumers and customers. You might want it to be a place for young families to relax with their youngsters, or it could be a local hang-out spot for teenagers in needs of an escape from their parents.
If you have an indoor family entertainment center or are thinking of opening one up, the following guide is going to highlight ways to improve your budding business.
Cater to your audience
The very first order of business is to know who it is that you are preparing the business for. As mentioned above, if you are wanting to appeal to youngsters, then you will want to invest in games that are designed with their age in mind.
Common games to include are:
- Jungle gyms
- Bowling
- Foosball tables
- Table tennis
- Pool tables
However, if you are trying to appeal to teenagers and families who have older kids, you should buy inflatable theme parks for a unique and fun experience, include a mini golf course with a difference (glow in the dark, junkyard mini golf, for example), or laser tag – all popular with kids, teenagers and adults alike.
Provide food and drink
If you do not serve food, then you run the risk of people leaving to eat and drink someplace else. What’s more, food and drink allow people to stay for longer and make a whole afternoon of it. There are different ways of serving food, for instance, you could have a sit-down area with quirky booths which are diner-style but also have a bar area for those who wish to eat at a counter while enjoying an alcoholic beverage.
Popular food to serve include:
- Burgers
- Hot dogs
- Fries
- Salad
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Vegetarian options
- Vegan options
- Ice cream sundaes
- Cheesecake
- Chocolate cake
You should also have proper barista coffee available, along with water, soft drinks, and alcohol.
Offer benefits to loyal customers
It is easier to retain customers than acquire new ones, so the best way to keep them coming back time and time again is to offer loyalty points. Such points can then be cashed in for a free drink, free entry, free food, for example.
Loyalty points can be put on a paper card, or if you want something more professional, have a proper card that they can keep track of their points on. Benefits make the business world go round because, without them, customers will turn their backs and head somewhere else that treats them better.
You should also have discounts and promotions for certain special events: Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the ability to hold birthday parties. You could even celebrate Easter and Halloween.
