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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

The importance of offering alcoholic beverages

Research we follow consistently shows that the family decision-making dynamic of where families with children choose to visit for leisure and entertainment has changed.

Today, Millennial parents constitute the vast majority families with children. Millennials' concept of family time is completely different than that of their Gen X parents. Gen X parents often let their children rule, especially when it came to the choices for family leisure time together; think Chuck E. Cheese's that Gen X parents would tolerate. Millennial parents on the other hand don't want to relinquish control or give up their own personal pursuits in favor of their child's. There's now a new family dynamic of "we're in this thing together."

Millennial parents have a different concept of "me time." Although the vast majority say they spend most of their free time with the kids, most still want to pursue their own passions at the same time. This means that "family time" has a new meaning.

60% of Millennial parents say that when they are thinking about things to do with their children, it's no longer about only kid-specific activities. They want to have new, interesting experiences that fulfill them personally while bringing their kids along for the ride. 40% of dads even say they have no problem bringing their kids to bars. An example is that families with children constitute a significant portion, around 30%, of Dave & Buster's attendance.

The majority of adults drink alcoholic beverages. Higher-income and college graduates have the highest percentage of drinkers, roughly 75%. This means the availability of alcoholic beverages greatly increases the appeal of out-of-home entertainment venues for these adults.

Alcoholic-drinking adults also account for the majority of spending for out-of-home entertainment, including even the most affordable: moviegoing. For example, households with $100,000+ incomes account for 62% of all movie ticket spending, and households with a bachelor's or higher degree account for 66% of movie ticket sales. These higher socioeconomic households are also the majority of customers at agritourism venues and are the highest percentage of drinkers.

Serving alcoholic beverages, even if just beer, wine, and hard seltzer, will broaden the base of customers at your agritourism venue. It will help attract childless couples and groups and increase the appeal for adults with children.

The conventional wisdom is that the family market (adults with children) is the largest. It is not. The adult market is the largest. Adults also have the highest per capita spending, especially if they can purchase alcoholic drinks. If you attract adults not coming with children in addition to families with children, you will have much greater attendance and revenues.

Takeaway

Offering alcoholic beverages will expand the number of customers agritourism venues can attract and will result in higher per capita spending. And make sure that there are activities that appeal to adults not coming with children.

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