How Restaurant Games Can Level Up the Dining Experience

With over 200,800 fast-food restaurants, 146,342 single-location full-service spots, and 4,618  fine dining establishments in the US, standing out isn’t easy. The real challenge? It is not just bringing in customers through the door, but giving them a reason to stay, spend, and return. The solution? Introduce interactive restaurant games. 

It could be digital dice rolls, trivia contests, or cooking games; you can transform passive diners into active participants. These low-barrier, high-reward activities automatically create a buzz, encourage upsells, and foster social sharing.

Add a QR code menu to further your streamlined ordering and complete the experience: efficient, fun, and fully geared for engagement.

Explore our list of games and consider why you should have one (or more) for an exciting dining experience ahead.

Tabletop restaurant games

Tabletop games include traditional entertainment like playing cards, board games, and trivia cards.

These games are easy to set up and require little supervision, making them ideal for casual or family-friendly restaurants. 

To add a little spice, trivia cards or quiz sheets can be themed around your restaurant’s concept or menu, adding a branded touch to the experience. 

Here are tabletop games you can use: 

1. Tabletop trivia cards 

You’ll need small decks or printed cards placed on tables with trivial questions across various themes, such as pop culture, food, sports, etc. 

This is best to spark conversation among guests, especially for couples or groups waiting for their order.

It’s low maintenance and easy to rotate themes weekly or for the Holiday season.

2. Restaurant bingo 

Customize bingo cards that include Tried a New Dish, Server  Compliment  Me, or  Someone ordered a Mocktail choices. 

This game can transform the dining experience into a fun experience that encourages interaction with staff, decor, and the menu.

This is best to try if you’re following restaurant themes in your store or trying out playful branding. 

3. Mini games 

Compact versions of classic games like Jenga, Connect 4, UNO, or other card games can be placed at tables or offered upon request.

These games give guests something to do while waiting and create a relaxed, communal vibe.  

They’re especially effective in breweries, communal dining spaces, and laid-back cafes.

To maintain hygiene, you can rotate sets between uses and provide sanitizing wipes or trays. 

Digital games

Going digital in your games uses modern technology like touch screen kiosks, mobile apps, or augmented reality (AR) experiences. 

You can also incorporate tablets at tables that offer games, menu browsing, and the ability to order and pay through a QR code menu ordering tool.

These tech-based solutions appeal particularly to younger, tech-savvy audiences and offer potential data collection and personalized marketing. 

Here are some digital game ideas: 

1. Food menu QR code games 

Guests scan QR codes on table tents to access a digital game. It could be food quizzes, free cooking games, or matching games. 

It's touchless, tech-friendly, requires no cleanup, and can easily change. This is a perfect option if you operate a cafe or fast-casual restaurant with a younger crowd.

On top of that, you can promote loyalty programs or menu items through upselling while they play.

2. Augmented reality food hunt 

Bring your restaurant to life with a playful augmented reality food hunt. 

Using their smartphones, guests scan a code and then walk around the space to find hidden food icons or virtual characters, such as a cartoon burger hiding behind a real chair or a chef popping up near the counter. 

It’s immersive and memorable, especially appealing to families and Gen Z diners. 

3. Build-your-own-dish game

Let guests assemble their perfect dish virtually through a simple drag-and-drop game on their phone or a tabletop tablet. 

They can mix and match toppings, sauce, or components to create a burger, design a pizza, or craft a custom cocktail.  

Once complete, they’re shown a real-life version of what they built that can be ordered from the menu. 

The game also makes the menu feel more interactive and less overwhelming, particularly for new guests. 

It can reduce decision fatigue and help them confidently commit to an order. 

4. Digital spin-the-wheel game

Add excitement with a digital spin-the-wheel game that offers real rewards.

Put a QR code where guests can scan, spin the wheel on their screen, and win instant perks. 

It could be a free appetizer, 15% off their order, or loyalty points. The prizes can be easily rotated and customized based on your current promotions. 

This gamified approach taps into the psychology of chance and surprise, which creates a memorable experience for diners. Because it only takes a few seconds to play,  it works well during wait times or right after ordering.

It’s also great to make every visit feel unique and fun.

Tip: Make sure to provide instructions on how to scan a menu QR code for better game flow. 

5. This or that: Quick-fire food game polls

Engage guests with a fast-paced “This or That” game, in which they choose between two food or drink options in a rapid-fire format. 

After scanning a QR code, they’re given a choice of tacos or burritos, an iced latte or cold brew, fries, or onion rings.

The game moves quickly and ends with a fun food personality summary or suggestion from your menu based on their answers. 

It’s light, addictive, and social media-friendly, ideal for younger audiences who love sharing personality-based results. 

Live games and events 

Live games and events can bring an energetic, community-oriented vibe to your dining space. 

Trivial nights, bingo games, and themed scavenger hunts, often scheduled on slower evenings, can draw crowds. 

Hosting live games can also foster loyalty and create a destination atmosphere, transforming your restaurant into a hub for social gatherings and repeat visits. 

1. Trivia night

This classic restaurant game night is typically hosted weekly or monthly and features teams competing in themed rounds of questions from general knowledge to niche categories like movies or local history. 

It draws in regular crowds, builds community, and boosts traffic on slower nights. 

Trivia nights are best suited for pubs, bars, taprooms, and large casual restaurants, especially with drink specials or themed menus.

2. Photo scavenger hunt 

A photo scavenger hunt invites guests to complete fun tasks by taking pictures around your venue.

Participants post their photos on social media using a branded hashtag, which boosts their visibility online and makes the visit more memorable. 

This game is ideal for trendy or themed restaurants, grand openings, or events looking to increase online engagement. 

3. Name that tune

Name That Tune is a music-based game where guests listen to short clips of songs played and try to guess the title or artist.

It creates a lively and nostalgic atmosphere, especially when the songs are themed like 80s hits, TV show intros, or love songs. 

The game can be casual or structured with answer sheets and prizes. It’s a great fit for bars, lounges, or restaurants with a strong music vibe. 

Family and kid-focused activities

Activities curated for kids are especially important for family-focused diners.

This keeps children entertained, allowing parents to relax and enjoy their meals, improving the overall dining experience, and increasing the likelihood of return visits.

You can set up a coloring station with crayons and placemats, interactive kids’ menus with puzzles, or more robust options like in-house arcade machines or play areas. 

This category can also support birthday parties and family events that offer opportunities for additional revenue streams. 

Take a look at these examples as your reference: 

1. Doodle placemats or coloring menus

These paper placemats include mazes, coloring pages, word searches, and fun food facts to keep young diners entertained throughout the meal. 

Parents will love them because they minimize screen time and distractions, making mealtime smoother and more enjoyable. 

Restaurants specifically serving families can easily incorporate them by printing customized sheets matching their brand.

2. “Would you rather” cards

These are tablet tents or small decks filled with funny, themed, or thought-provoking questions like Would you rather eat only spicy food forever or never have dessert again?  They’re perfect icebreakers for dates, families, or group dinners. 

This game easily incorporates into your menu themes or audience and works well in cafes, cocktail bars, and date-night spots. 

3. Guess the ingredient 

This game challenges diners to identify ingredients from their secret menus that can turn a meal into a fun mystery to solve.

It’s a great way to get people to order specific menu items and promote discussion about taste and flavor.

Guests who correctly answer questions can win a small prize, like a discount or free dessert. This works particularly well in restaurants with creative menus or chefs who enjoy showcasing unexpected or seasonal ingredients. 

How adding games can benefit your restaurant 

Each type of game serves a distinctive purpose: to create a lively ambiance, attract specific customer segments, or provide a memorable dining experience. But what about the business side? 

Here, we explained why you need it for your business’s profitability: 

Enhances guest experience

Games add an element of fun and interactivity to the dining environment. 

In fact, Business and Economic Research found that gamification strategies in restaurants, like loyalty programs and interactive activities, positively influence customer retention. 

When guests are actively involved and entertained, they’re more likely to form a personal connection with the restaurant, increasing the likelihood of return visits and brand loyalty. 

Increases dwell time 

According to Bloom Intelligence, an AI-powered restaurant marketing platform, customers typically spend around 60 minutes dining in.

A PathIntelligence study suggests that increasing dwell time by just one percent leads to an average 1.3% increase in sales.

Food games or other interactive activities can encourage guests to stay longer at the table, which often translates into higher check averages. 

This means patrons can order additional drinks, desserts, or appetizers while they play. 

Encourages group visits 

Games such as trivia nights, bingo, board game tournaments, and even cooking game contests motivate group participation, drawing in friends, families, and co-workers who seek shared social experiences while dining in.

Social dining experiences, particularly those involving shared entertainment, are key drivers of group visits to hospitality venues. 

These group-focused activities can increase average party size, thereby boosting per-table revenue.

Interactive events foster a sense of belonging and fun, significantly influencing guests’ decisions to dine out in groups rather than individually. 

Boosts social media shares 

Aside from focusing on social media food trends and virals, adding interactive and unique game experiences is worth venturing into. 

Guests are more inclined to post about their visit on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, especially if the games include eye-catching visuals or branded elements. 

This organic promotion can significantly enhance brand identity.

Drive repeat business 

Game nights, ongoing competitions, and rotating activities give guests compelling reasons to return.

Whether it’s to reclaim a trivial title or explore new food games online, these create continuity and excitement. 

This ongoing engagement develops habitual habits, building a sense of loyalty beyond food and service alone. 

Roll the dice for fun and profit with interactive games in your restaurant 

Traditional dining doesn’t always hit the mark, especially for younger guests looking for more than just a meal. And with competition this steep, restaurants that stick to the usual struggle to boost engagement, check sizes, and loyalty.

That’s where restaurant games come in.

Whether it’s Guess the Tune, trivia cards, or cooking games, these small touches bring big energy to the table, keeping your guests entertained, encouraging repeat visits, and nudging that profit goal.

Pair this with digital menu QR code ordering software to make ordering seamless and tie in rewards like discounts or free meals for high rollers or game wins. 

With simple tech and smart incentives, you turn tables into profit engines and dining into an experience. Ready to take charge? Check out MENU TIGER’s website today!

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