The Edge Magazine Vol. 8

W hat do you get when you combine high-end dining and competitive games with a group of people hungry for unique, fun experiences that they can brag about to their friends? A growing trend called “competitive socializing,” which not only provides much-needed, out-of the-home experiences with friends and coworkers, but also a unique opportunity for landlords looking to revitalize their assets and fill large vacancies at the same time. Not to be mistaken with experiential dining, which ranges from posh Michelin-starred restaurants to unique food trucks to cat cafes, competitive socializing goes beyond food and beverage to include a highly social and interactive element, such as mini golf, axe throwing, beer ping pong and even a concept called Chicken N Pickle, serving up wood-fired chicken alongside your pickleball paddle. The concept isn’t new; people have been throwing darts and knives in pubs for centuries, and arcades like Chuck E. Cheese and Dave & Buster’s have been around for decades. But today’s competitive socializing version has evolved into a new level of sophistication where people choose experiences over things—especially if those experiences are ideally both “Instagramable” and TikTok-friendly. According to a Harris Poll survey, before the pandemic, over 75% of Millennials chose experiences over things, and that desire hasonly grown.

With Gen Z and Millennials making up nearly half of the full-time workforce in the U.S., this thirst for experiences is a trend that cannot be ignored, and this concept has taken heed. According to Cushman & Wakefield research, competitive socializing concepts have grown 386% since the beginning of 2021.

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