How Entertainment Venues Are Surviving (and Thriving) in 2025
Running an entertainment venue these days isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Whether it’s a movie theater, a barcade, or a glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course, the challenges are real. After surviving the pandemic rollercoaster, entertainment concepts now face staffing headaches, rising costs, and customers who want more than just a quick round of putt-putt or a cheap beer.
We’re currently working with two of the largest entertainment brands in the world, and together, we’re discovering some good news: with smart tools and creative strategies, these spaces won’t just survive, they’ll thrive. Let’s dive into how forward-thinking entertainment venues are pulling it off, and why something as simple as a high-tech beverage dispenser might be their secret weapon.
The New Normal for Fun Spaces
Today, places like barcades and mini-golf courses are expected to deliver Instagram-worthy experiences, craft cocktails, and flawless service. Meanwhile, movie theaters aren’t just competing with each other, they’re up against streaming platforms and couch-bound Netflix nights.
To succeed, they need to create an experience beyond the movie, and that strategy includes premium offerings like cocktail bars, games, and full-service dining to turn a movie into a full evening out - all while dealing with some major challenges:
1. Staffing shortages, high turnover, and labor costs are crushing venues. Training new hires takes time and money - two things most venues don’t have. Plus, the specialized labor needed to staff a full bar isn’t always practical: the COO of a major entertainment brand that we work with told us that staffing a bartender is only profitable from 7:00-10:00PM on Friday and Saturday nights.
2. Customers want more, faster, but won’t pay more. Patrons want their experience to include concessions that are worth the hype, including craft coffee, complex beverages, and LTOs. But manually making those lavender lattes or hero-themed mocktails is slow, messy, and prone to errors. And when a $12 cocktail takes 10 minutes to make while previews are already on-screen, customers get antsy.
3. Margins are razor-thin, especially for smaller venues. Spilled ingredients, over-pours, and outdated inventory systems can eat into profits fast.
The Secret Weapon: Smarter Tools
Technology offers solutions that address these challenges head-on. Our intelligent beverage dispenser can single-handedly craft every drink that customers want - and it never calls out sick. Here’s how entertainment venues benefit from Sidework:
1. It reduces labor and training costs while relieving scheduling headaches. Training staff to use our dispenser takes just minutes, and it allows every employee to serve every drink on the menu, at all hours, with no specialized labor required.
2. It lets you offer today’s most popular drinks at the touch of a button, including craft cocktails, premium coffee drinks, and limited-time offerings. Every drink is made perfectly and ready to serve in under 10 seconds.
3. It saves on ingredient costs. Sidework’s precision means that no ingredient is wasted, and because it’s compatible with all types of containers, you’re able to save even more money by optimizing your supply chain.
Beyond Drinks: The Ripple Effect
It’s not just about keeping glasses full. Tools like Sidework’s dispenser create a chain reaction that benefits every stakeholder:
Happier staff: Instead of memorizing twenty cocktail recipes, employees tap a screen and Sidework does the rest. They spend less time stressed about drink orders and more time providing great customer service.
Happier customers: With Sidework, customers get more beverage options, less waiting, and a more consistent experience, whether they’re ordering a customized caramel latte with oat milk or a summer blockbuster-themed margarita. The dispenser nails it every time.
Happier owners: Less waste, faster service, and higher margins. Sidework allows venues to offer a world-class beverage program that’s always relevant, evolving, and profitable without any operational headaches.
What’s Next for Entertainment Spaces?
The future isn’t only about bigger screens or TikTok-worthy decor. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Venues that embrace new tools like intelligent dispensers are finding they can pivot faster, be more profitable, and ultimately provide a more enticing experience for their customers.
And hey, if a drink machine can help keep the lights on and the crowds happy? That’s a win worth toasting to.