30 event ideas to attract guests to your restaurant or bar (2023)

Events in restaurants, pubs and bars that wow guests and keep them coming back can only be achieved with a lot of planning.

The first step isfind a creative event concept.This step can be the most frustrating for some, so we've broken down 30 of our favorite bar and restaurant event ideas here to get you started.

Restaurant Event Ideas Your Guests Will Love

Keeping your business running means always thinking of ways to attract customers. While good food is a must, a restaurant owner or manager still needs to come up with creative restaurant promotion ideas that customers will love.

1. Wine Tastings and Oenologist Dinners

With wine tastings, guests have the chance to learn more about wine and try their favorites. Consider basing your event around different vintages or regions, such as the top 5 South African wines or the wines that put Italy on the map.

If you have a sommelier on your team, perfect! If not, invite someone to talk about the wines. For extra profit, combine the wine tasting with a dessert or cheese tasting.With prepaid tickets,These add-ons are easily purchased in advance, giving you more time to prepare.

With a Winemakers Dinner, guests have the opportunity to taste a selection of wines in a whole new way: properly paired with delicious dishes, and with background on grapes, wine, and why the taste is so exquisite in each dish carefully selected. . It's an opportunity for your chef to partner with a winemaker for a truly unique event.

2. Beer tastings

A beer tasting works like a wine tasting. Guests learn about the ingredients and the fermentation process and are allowed to sample. Try partnering with a local brewery to share costs, and use social media to promote your event.

3. Dinner and conference

When it comes to dinner parties and conferences, take note ofmanual de Madklubben. They schedule regular conferences that include everything from true crime to lifestyle training. And it all comes with a prepaid ticket for a shared 3-course menu and all-you-can-eat beer and wine (which always makes true crime conversations that much more intense).

The best part about these types of restaurant events is that they work very well during the week, when business is usually slower.

4. Four-handed dinner (Six-handed dinner)

A four-handed dinner is a type of collaborative chef dinner where 2 or more chefs cook together for an unforgettable dining experience. From delectable dishes to expertly paired wines, the only limitation is the size of your kitchen.

5. Chef's Trucks

Inviting a guest chef gives returning guests a reason to come back and new guests a reason to reserve a table. Look howbar restaurantit does so by offering a fixed menu and beer.

6. Guest bartender events

This restaurant event is the same as a guest chef night, but with a bartender creating new drinks to add to your menu to attract new guests. Go a step further and ask them to teach customers how to make their favorite cocktails.

7. Gastronomic tastings

The trick with a food tasting is to offer something special and unique, something not normally found on your menu. Consider menus that range from vegetarian, gluten-free, pasta-based or soup-focused, or celebrate a specific region like the Nordic countries or Campania in Italy.

8. Charity events

Hosting a fundraiser is a great way to get involved in your community. Take Barr's restaurant as an example. In support of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Australian bushfire campaign, they partnered with other restaurants in Copenhagen (Iluka, Noma, 108) to create a tasting menu featuring dishes from each of the participating restaurants and wines from Lieu Dit and Rosforth & Rosforth. 100% of the ticket price went to the fund.

9. Christmas events

From large Christmas parties to intimate Christmas Eve dinners, make your restaurant the place to be this holiday season. be inspired byMichelin Star Proand your Christmas Eve experience: a 6-course menu with premium drink pairings.

Christmas events are not reserved for fine dining.slidersin Copenhagen takes advantage of the Christmas season by drawing smaller crowds hungry for something other than the usual Christmas food (julefrokost in Danish).

And don't forget about businesses looking for a venue for their annual Christmas lunch or dinner.Click here to see how Bistro17 Bar & Grill partieswith a fixed menu to share and entertainment throughout the night, plus an open bar as a complement.

10. New Year's Eve parties

New Year's Eve is the night guests search for the best place to go, and tickets sell out fast. Plan a New Year's Eve event that features delicious food and lots of drinks. Don't forget the champagne when the clock strikes midnight.

Bar and Pub Event Ideas That Draw Crowds

Whether you're looking for an event to fill your bar to capacity on a slow night, or an event to give guests something to talk about, check out this list of the 20 best bar event ideas guaranteed to draw customers to your pub or bar

1. Question and answer nights

Themed trivia nights are a huge success and don't require a lot of work, just a host, a microphone, questions, and prizes. Choose themes based on popular shows like Game of Thrones or the MCU. Or buy the classic Trivial Pursuit and skip asking questions from scratch.

2. Board game nights

Grab your favorite board games and you'll have an instant bar event. You can even allow guests to bring their own. The best thing about this type of event? Guests are likely to invite their friends and save themselves a lot of additional marketing work.

3. Olympics of Bars

If you're not afraid of a rowdy crowd, host a Bar Olympics night and play rounds of beer pong, darts, Jenga, or even Cards Against Humanity. Encourage guests to decide on teams before they arrive (encourages more attendees), pick a country, and see who takes the gold!

4. Charity events

Partner with a charity and host a bar event for a good cause. Donate the proceeds from a signature drink or split the winnings for the night. Remember to invite a representative from the charity to speak (or at least mingle and explain what it's about) and use your social media to invite people and strengthen your network.

5. Singles nights

Hosting a singles night at your bar or pub gives guests (at least singles) a chance to meet other people. Turn the night into a lock and key party: give guests a lock or key and tell them to find their match. It's like a forced mix... but fun.

6. Nights for couples

After a few successful singles nights, it's time to host a couples night. Games for couples, like a fake date show and 2-for-1 drink specials, are perfect for a married couples or date night.

7. Karaoke nights

You might want to grab your earplugs for this one. The global karaoke market will reach $5,733.77 million by 2024. To get a piece of those profits, you can spend an evening listening to “My Heart Will Go On”.

8. Networking events

Targeting specific groups like young professionals or business women and industries like finance or advertising will almost always draw a crowd. This type of event requires little planning and works best if you partner with a professional networking group in your area.

9. Theme nights

With a theme night at your pub or bar, your guests won't have to wait for Halloween to dress up. From '80s neon to '00s goatees, theme nights are fun ways to liven up your bar. You can also serve seasonal drinks and offer prizes for the best dressed.

10. Sporting events

Do you want a bar event that requires almost 0 planning? Turn on the TV and host a sports viewing event on whatever fight, game or match is happening.

11. I sell parts

Speaking of stuff on TV, there's more to it than just the game. Focus on finales, annual events like the Oscars, or classic movies like Back to the Future.

Go the extra mile by creating unique drinks based on what you're looking at.

12. Live music

If your bar or pub has space, offer live music as a way to draw crowds. Don't limit yourself to just the music you normally play at your bar—a local jazz band may attract a different audience than an acoustic set.

13. Stand-up comedy nights

For these types of events, all you need is a microphone stand in the corner and a line of comedians... amateurs or professionals. Check with local theater groups for help with the talent portion of the night. The best part is that every comedian will have her own following - that's a whole new audience for your bar.

14. Tasting of beers and cocktails

Create an experience with an event that gives guests a chance to try out what's new. You can even make it a VIP by limiting the number of tickets available and bringing limited-edition beers.

Do the same with new cocktails and drinks. It's a great way to test a new idea before going public. And if the new drink works, it could become a regular, chosen by your guests.

15. Bartending Masterclass

From whiskey to the history of the mojito, this is your chance to showcase the bartender's knowledge and passion for his craft. Host this bar event as a demo or limit the number of entries and let guests practice their mixology.

16. Cocktail workshop

Inspire-don'tcocktail workshopsorganized by Gedulgt in Aarhus, Denmark. Here guests learn how to make 2 different pre-selected cocktails. As an upsell they offer a different package with chips and snacks.

17. Cocktail Demonstration

Host a bartending demo and give your bartenders a chance to exercise. Have your best bartenders dazzle guests with flying bottles and flaming drinks, and watch the crowd come out to test their talents.

18. After Party

Is there something going on in your city that will draw a crowd? Where will they go after that? With the right marketing strategy, you can turn your bar or pub into an unofficial party. Or contact the event organizers and make it official.

19. Celebrate the holidays

While you could celebrate random holidays like Inside Out Day (January 31) or Pajama Day at Work (April 16), we suggest that you focus on holidays that people know about: Christmas, New Years, even Halloween and Valentine's Day. And don't forget the seasonal drinks that match the theme. Thathe would beDoes Santa Claus drink?

20. Anything you can think of

We added this to say... any event will work if you believe in it. It's true.Apollo Bar and Canteenit uses its courtyard to host everything from flea markets to jazz festivals to conferences. and the one in CopenhagenSeasongives local produce a chance to shine at farmers' markets.

Don't be afraid to think outside the box... and sometimes that box means your actual space. Gustu Restaurant in Bolivia offers you to go to your company's facilities or to your home to live a memorable gastronomic experience.

Is there a nearby beach that you can use? A park? A restaurant you can associate with? Another local event to attend? The possibilities are endless.

All you need is your passion for magical guest experiences and an all-in-one platform (reservations, POS, and payments) like Superb to help you market your event and sell tickets.

Your bar or pub must host events. This is why...

You can't run a business based on people celebrating the weekend. Having events at your bar helps drive traffic on less busy days and is a great way to stand out in a busy industry.

And for those who already askedHow can I make my bar fun?The answer is… organizing events like the ones mentioned above.

Bar events also give you a chance to show off your creative side. From signature cocktails to the personalized customer experience your bar is known for, signature events let you showcase what makes your business different.

And that, in turn, opens up your business to a whole new group of potential customers.