Love Island Watch Parties Are Very Good For Business
"Reality TV bars are the new sports bars!"
I have had a long fascination with Love Island, having been a fan of the show since I stumbled upon one of the UK seasons a few years ago. I love everything, from the absolutely chaotic vocabulary and catchphrases (“I'VE GOT A TEXT!) to the truly wild eating habits of the contestants (do they only know how to make avocado toast?? did you know they have catering for lunch and dinner but the men and women have to eat separately??)
The finale to Season 7 of Love Island USA aired this past Sunday and it’s absolutely wild how embedded into the cultural zeitgeist the show has become these past two seasons. While I was expecting the fury of internet memes, parody reels by content creators, and savvy merch for sale, I was not expecting to see so many bars and restaurants across the country holding watch parties, as they might for a major sporting event like the Super Bowl or the NBA finals.
Every reel or TikTok I saw posted — whether it was a bar in suburban ohio, or a spot in central Manhattan — showed that the venues were packed with super rowdy, deeply engaged fans. Some places went so far as to offer themed drinks and menu specials, host trivia, and even give out prizes. And if people were not in attendance at a watch party, they wanted to be — per the hundreds of Reddit posts I found from people looking for watch parties in their area.
While I have seen a handful of watch parties occur for other shows like The Bachelor, I’ve never seen the demand for a reality tv watch party be so high and so widespread, so I was curious about what this meant for business. I chatted with three bar and restaurant owners across the country in places including Detroit, Brooklyn, and Austin.
Michele Moore From Corktown Taphouse in Detroit, MI
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What made you decide to host a Love Island watch party? How many did you host? We have had two watch parties (include the Finale on Sunday). I had never seen the show but two young ladies approached me at the pool knowing that I was a co-owner of Corktown Taphouse, and asked if i’d maybe be interested. I thought about it. and asked my daughter who is in her 30s if she thought it was a good idea, and she said yes. So we did a version with trivia and fun prizes.
How popular was it?
We can seat 180. We had over 200 rsvps to each watch party about 170 people showed up.
What was the mix of attendees like?
It was definitely 70 percent female, but there were a lot of guys there.
Did you do any food or drink specials?
We renamed a number of house cocktails with Love Island terms (a pineapple colada the Casa Amor Colada etc) and threw in some umbrellas.
What were sales like? were you busier than an average day?
We definitely saw a boost in sales on Tuesday and Sunday but they don’t compare to say a day with a Lion’s game which is always a packed house without a single empty seat. But Lion’s games are also usually 70 percent men, so this brought in a different demographic.
Would you ever host another Love Island watch party again?
Possibly! If Love Island came to me directly? I’m not closed off.
Isabelle Fehr From Huda in Brooklyn, NY
What made you decide to host a Love Island finale watch party?
Myself and the head chef always talk about love island, and our space has a private dining room with a projector so we wanted to show the finale! (also since we're named Huda, it only made sense)
How popular was it?
The owner posted it on our restaurant's Instagram (and it was a free event) so it was very popular. Our space was full, my guess was probably around 50-60 guests attended.
What was the mix of attendees like?
Mostly women, but a few men showed up in support!
What were sales like?
It was DEFINITELY busier than the average Sunday. Since we didn't do any specials, most people either ate first then watched after or got drinks to have during the show.
Would you ever host another Love Island watch party again?
Thinking of doing a watch party for the reunion!
Sara Watson from Vacancy Brewing in Austin, TX
What made you decide to host Love Island watch parties? How many did you host?
Vacancy Brewing has unintentionally become a bit of a hub for reality TV fans—we’ve hosted watch parties for Bachelor in Paradise, Vanderpump Rules, The Traitors, andeven Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.. We weren’t planning to take on Love Island this year (I mean, six episodes a week is a serious commitment), but once the obsession started spilling over into conversations at the bar, we decided to hop on board. We ended up hosting three episodes, including the finale.
How popular were they?
Even with plenty of other bars and restaurants in Austin showing Love Island at the same time, we had a strong turnout. Each night brought in a lively crowd, and it was clear that people were excited to have a fun, low key space to watch and react together. Reality TV bars are the new sports bars!
What was the mix of attendees like?
The crowd was surprisingly diverse. You might expect a mostly female audience (and we love nothing more than packing the brewery with a strong female turnout), but we actually saw a great mix. Plenty of guys showed up and we’re just as swept up in the drama.
Did you do any food or drink specials?
Since the decision to host Love Island watch parties was a bit last minute, we didn’t roll out any specific food or drink specials. But for previous reality show watch parties, we’ve had a blast with themed drinks, like the Latter Day Lemonade and Excommuni-spritz for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
What were sales like?
We saw about a 65% increase in our average daily sales compared to non-event days, which was amazing to see! That said, it didn’t feel quite right to celebrate something so lighthearted while the Hill Country floods had just devastated so many in our area. During each watch party, we donated $1 from every pint of our Vacancy Classic American Lager and June Hill Country Pilsner to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
Would you ever host another Love Island watch party again?
Absolutely! We love staying tapped into pop culture and jumping in when the timing feels right. When Scandoval hit, we fired up Vanderpump Rules. When Amaya Papaya won everyone’s hearts, Love Island made it to the big screen at Vacancy. We’re always excited to see what show takes over next!
Did you go to a Love Island watch party? Let me know in the comments.