WASHINGTON 鈥� Last weekend, the New York pizzeria L’inizio Pizza Bar saw a 75 percent increase in sales 鈥� and it wasn鈥檛 because of their pepperoni. It was because of Pok茅mon.
Manager Sean Benedetti told the he spent $10 using the Pok茅mon Go app to 鈥渓ure鈥� a dozen Pok茅mon characters to his business. The strategic buy brought in a stream of game-crazed players, eager to catch the Pok茅mon. And it turns out, they stuck around for a few slices.
Restaurant owners throughout the country are cashing in on the popular virtual reality game, advertising the Pok茅mon that are popping up in their businesses, and even offering specials geared toward gamers.
pok茅mon go is ruling our lives!
鈥� milk bar (@milkbarstore)
Thurs night is Pok茅mon Go night at Duffy’s Irish Pub. We have a special $6 “Pokemangorita”
鈥� Duffy’s Irish Pub (@Duffysirishpub)
鈥淢ost restaurants are seeing customers that never would have walked into their restaurant, and it鈥檚 all due to the game,鈥� said Deborah Bruzzo, a restaurant real estate expert with McEnearney Associates Commercial and a family owner of Alexandria鈥檚 Osteria Marzano.
Restaurants don鈥檛 necessarily have to purchase anything from the app to experience success. Some business owners are finding out that they are hot spots for Pok茅mon 鈥� or even better: they are predesignated Pok茅mon 鈥済yms,鈥� or spaces where players send their characters to do battle.
鈥淵our business could be holding a gym, and if that鈥檚 the case, you鈥檙e going to be seeing a lot of people just walk in your business just to accumulate points,鈥� Bruzzo said.
the staff at Alexandria鈥檚 Port City Brewing Company was surprised to learn the brewery was a Pok茅mon gym. This weekend, the owners are capitalizing on their good fortune with free giveaways to those who come into the tasting room in a Pok茅mon costume.
It’s true, PCBC is a ! This weekend, we’ve got some activities too:
鈥� Port City Brewing Co (@PortCityBrew)
Bruzzo predicts Pok茅mon Go could be a major game-changer in the restaurant industry, as long as businesses are willing to cater to those obsessed with the game 鈥� even if that means聽just mixing up a few character-specific cocktails.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for the game company to make money and for the businesses to benefit from it,鈥� she said.
Just witnessed a guy come into a restaurant and ask if he can go into their kitchen to catch a Pokemon … So many.
鈥� Garrett Moloney (@garrettmoloney6)
Going hunting today? If you catch one in our restaurant, snap a photo and tweet us to win a $25 gift card!
鈥� Zo毛s Kitchen (@ZoesKitchen)
