A recent survey conducted by Eventbrite shows that pop-up dining events are good business for hotels and resorts, reported Elaine Yetzer Simon for Hotel Management magazine. The third-party online platform for event organizers surveyed more than 2,000 attendees of pop-up dinners last year and found that these events attract guests who are willing and eager to pay more for a unique dining experience.
Three in four (75 percent) pop-up event attendees believe it’s worth paying more money for a unique dining experience. In fact, 50 percent of respondents say that even with the exact same menu, they’d be willing to pay more for a meal at a pop-up event with a chef interaction than for a meal at a regular restaurant which can cost $58 dollars more per person on average.
The survey found that 59 percent of survey respondents don’t feel that a pop-up dining event’s cost is very important when deciding whether or not to attend. What attendees are looking for is a unique menu or theme (84 percent), one-of-a-kind events (74 percent,) and a memorable location (76 percent). More than four in five (83 percent) would rather attend these events in nontraditional venues over restaurants.
On average, diners said they’d pay $98 for a ticket to a pop-up restaurant event with a meal prepared by their favorite chef, surpassing what they’d be willing to spend on a performance by their favorite band ($96), or on a ticket to see their favorite sports team ($74), the survey shows.
In addition, after having a positive pop-up dining experience, 90 percent would recommend the restaurant or chef to loved ones, and 87 percent say they’d return to the restaurant with friends, according to Eventbrite.
Diners are more likely to share posts on social media about a pop-up dining experience than about a night out at a restaurant (75 percent versus 51 percent) and are nearly three times more likely to follow or communicate with a chef or restaurant after a pop-up event compared to a regular meal (95 percent vs. 33 percent).
According to Eventbrite, 55 percent say they are more likely to attend if there is potential for a more personal interaction with the chef, and 49 percent would be interested in attending more of these events if local ingredients were used.
Hotel Management shared a few samples of recent hotel F&B pop-up restaurant and dining events:
Morgans Hotel Group offers “Dinner Party,” a communal dining experience. Starting in November, these dinners will appear in New York, London, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco over the next year. Each dinner will be unique and tied together by a theme. Limited tickets for each dinner will be made available prior to the event, and a select number of seats will be held exclusively for hotel guests at the hosting Morgans property.
Thomas Keller, chef and owner of The French Laundry, opened a temporary pop-up restaurant called Ad Lib, at the nearby Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa Valley, Calif., while The French Laundry is closed for renovations. The pop-up offers a classic American menu of traditional recipes Thursday through Monday nights.
The Andaz hotel in London hosted a three-day “Game of Thrones” pop-up event in February to coincide with HBO’s Blu-Ray and DVD release of the 4th season of “Game of Thrones.” Three themed banquets took place during the event.
Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf partnered with Hardys Original Sweetshop to open its first ever Petite Pop Up Shop. Transforming one of the hotel’s former lobby telephone booths, the shop features jars filled with a variety of sweet selections.
Grace Bay Club in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, earlier this year announced its new pop-up restaurant and bar concept, Biere et Boules (Beer and Balls) located on Grace Bay Beach. The menu reinterprets the classic meatball into creative savory and sweet dishes. Biere et Boules is the third pop-up dining experience at Grace Bay Club, following the success of last year’s Jar on Grace Bay and Stix on Grace Bay.
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