A serious matter for design of family entertainment centers (FEC’s) is the type, layout, and staffing requirements, of the amusements included. These factors are important since the peak period business – weekend afternoons and Thursday through Saturday evenings – are so much larger than the very limited non-peak business typical to FEC’s. Customer through-put during peak periods, is therefore, a vital factor in design.
While there are few opportunities for truly “sustaining competitive advantages” for one FEC versus another, sine characteristics of successful FEC’s include:
- Location with superior visibility, proximity, and access to customers – this can be difficult since the economics of FEC’s are not attractive compared to most other forms of urban land use.
- Design with superior thematic decor – if the rides, games, and attractions are all the same, from one FEC to the next, a factor perceived to be distinguishing by patrons is the fun factor in the overall decor.
- Built to include five or more superior “anchor” activities – there simply must be enough to do so that patrons can return again and again to easily achieve an hour or two length-of-stay without being bored, or waiting too much in que lines.
- Operated with superior sales strategies to reach customers – the successful FEC’s have an ever-present strategic marketing and tactical promotional program in place, varied by daypart and week-parts, targeting specific customer niches. Without constant work on awareness, FEC’s can see business decline as their potential customers seek other forms of leisure-time entertainment.
Operated with superior comfort and security for patrons – many FEC’s function as drop-off centers for tweens and teens, making on-site security an important factor in an FEC’s success.
Operated with superior food and beverage options for guests – parents are more likely to bring a family to an FEC if the parents can enjoy a snack, meal, and/or drink of high quality.
