Add a discovery game to restaurant week

A restaurant week game helps residents and visitors find places they might come back to for a meal. In a Collection Game, players pick participating restaurants, stop in, and collect an idol on their phone. They can visit a few at a time for as long as the game runs.

Collecting an idol never requires a purchase. Someone might find a new lunch spot on an afternoon walk, come back for dinner later in the week, or just learn about a taqueria they never knew was there. Every visit is a chance for a restaurant to win a new regular.

Ask each restaurant what a first-time visitor should notice. It might be an open courtyard, a family story displayed near the entrance, or a distinctive dining room. Write a short, accurate introduction that helps people picture the place before they arrive.

Build a varied group of stops rather than several versions of the same outing. For example, a neighborhood collection could introduce a daytime cafe, a small restaurant on a side street, and a dining spot beside a public square. These are possible concepts to confirm with willing restaurants, not a promise that every location can participate.

Walk the route with service in mind. A tiny reception area may be unsuitable for several people stopping at once. Check entrances, accessible paths, and neighboring queues before deciding where an idol belongs.

1. Confirm collection hours

   Restaurant week dates do not mean every restaurant opens every day. Record the actual visiting window for each physical idol, including closed days and breaks between lunch and dinner service.

2. Brief each shift

   Tell hosts and servers where the idol is, that collecting does not require a purchase, and who handles questions. Assign someone to check that the object is still visible and available throughout its advertised hours.

3. Explain optional offers separately

   If a restaurant wants to provide a business reward, confirm the offer and claim details with Find the Idol before promoting it. The restaurant provides and fulfills its reward. Keep those terms distinct from the free collection activity.

Share the game link with a short description of the participating area and an easy starting stop. Play runs in a phone browser with a free account and no app download. Let people choose stops around their own plans instead of presenting the week as a race through every restaurant.

After the event, ask restaurants what visitors wanted to know and whether the collection position worked during service. Review available collections alongside that feedback. Measure meals sold or return visits with separate restaurant evidence rather than treating a collected idol as a dining purchase.