GROWTH BRANDS
These are the rising stars of the eatertainment space Leaders of Puttshack, Pinstripes, Alamo Drafthouse and the new Joy Trade platform share their plans for growth. T he explosion of eater- tainment following the pandemic is driven by Millennial and Gen Z leaders offered a look into the rapidly growing niche and plans for growth. Robert Thompson, a By Lisa Jennings Executive Editor Restaurant Business
look for acquisitions to add to the platform’s offerings. The two brands don’t canni- balize each other, said Thomp- son. Jaguar Bolera has bowling, darts, “maker-tainment” options like crafting, and other games. It’s a smaller real estate play, de- signed for more urban locations. Camp Pickleball, meanwhile, is much larger—taking about 5 acres—and designed for sub- urbs. The hugely popular sport of pickleball also appeals to all ages. The platform model will also allow for some crossover with the food-and-beverage program, which Thompson expects will account for up to 80% of sales. In fact, Joy Trade’s culinary is led by Denver Chef Manny Barella, who is the first eatertainment
27-year-veteran of the space who founded and later sold Punch Bowl Social, is now poised to open two new brands: Jaguar Bolera, a bowling-and-games concept scheduled to open its first unit in Raleigh, North Carolina, next month, and Camp Pickle, a pick- leball-and-games complex that will open first in Denver next year. Thompson announced for the first time Tuesday that he is bringing the two brands under a new eatertainment platform dubbed Joy Trade. The platform will allow the two brands to grow with the benefit of a combined infrastructure and enhanced val- uation, and Thompson plans to
consumers looking for fun, inter- active experiences. But the top brands in the space say food and beverage are vital parts of the equation, and most say they are building brands that they hope will bring people back for the food alone. So said top executives of four of the leading eatertainment brands at the Restaurant Lead- ership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. In rapid-fire interviews, the parade of eatertainment
The ‘eat’ in eatertainment Joe Vrankin of Puttshack talks with Informa’s Chris Keating about making sure the fun doesn’t pull focus from the food.
https://vimeo.com/942129399
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PHOTO CREDIT: W. SCOTT MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY
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