This week, Zagat editor Billy Lyons visits two restaurants to find out how the Pokémon Go phenomenon is impacting their business. He filed this report.
Pokémon Go has replaced the beach for New York's favorite summer activity this year, yet the game is attracting more than just people looking to kill time. Several restaurants have invested in the game to help attract more customers, a strategy that has resulted in an increase in business, and an education in gaming, for some.
One of the main ways restaurants use the game as part of their marketing strategy is to purchase lures and incense through the game. These tools are designed to attract more characters to a location, which in turn attracts gamers in the area.
"We set the lures around which hopefully attract people in this vicinity. If 20 people come in the next half hour, maybe some of them will come in for a drink or see us and remember we're here" explained James Horn, Director of Operations at Añejo Tribeca. The game has already made several adjustments to the restaurant's flow of operations.
"Happy hour started a bit earlier now. People playing Pokémon, Pokémon parties break out. We're buying items for everybody. There's eating and drinking. There's definitely a reliable increase in business there" noted Horn. However, the game does have a downside, particularly when it comes to distracting employees.
"I realized pretty quickly this is going to have both positive and negative affects on our businesses" noted Mile End Managing Partner Joel Tietolman. "It's constantly a struggle to basically keep our employees off of their cell phones while they're at work. The Pokémon game does not help with that struggle" stated Tietolman.
While many New Yorkers are enjoying the game, not every restaurant customer is glued to their phone during the dining experience, and restaurant owners are often faced with a tough decision to try and ensure the overall guest experience is pleasant.
"It's highly distracting to everybody because there are customers in here that probably would be distracted by people next to them, not crazy that someone caught a rat a tat tat in the restaurant which is some kind of poké rat. I prefer not to have the poké rats in the restaurant" joked Tietolman.
Both restaurants are open to guests playing the game in their restaurants and using interactive gaming as a marketing tool to draw business, though overall interest in Pokémon Go may dictate just how long these restaurants continue to participate.