How Eatertainment Uses Nostalgia as a Growth Strategy

Female Leadership, Competitiveness, and Resilience in Food Service

Roma highlighted the value of applying athletic resilience within corporate environments that are heavily male-dominated, such as the bar industry and gaming culture. She emphasized that effective leadership demands hands-on technical understanding and operational clarity from end to end: "I start from the principle that if I lead a team, how can I assign or request anything from them if I don't know how to do it myself? How can I hold someone accountable for something I don't understand? That is why I always want to learn."

Career Trajectory: From Themed Exhibitions to Care Natural Beauty

Prior to joining Bario Bar, Roma worked in the non-profit sector and beauty retail. At the NGO Orienta Vida, she contributed to large-scale activations such as Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary exhibition and Batman's 80th anniversary project. Later, she transitioned to Care Natural Beauty, managing logistics during the brand's early stages before leading expansion across marketplaces and physical retail, establishing the company's trade marketing presence.

Marketing Routines, Mental Health, and Avoiding Burnout

Managing demanding deliverables across both physical activations and digital campaigns led Roma to experience mental overload, prompting her to establish firm workplace boundaries. "Starting at 9 PM, I go into sleep mode because I need to turn my mind off," says Roma, describing how structured routines and regular exercise serve as vital tools to manage anxiety and prevent professional burnout in day-to-day operations.

The Eatertainment Concept and the Story of Bario Bar

The eatertainment model brings dining and gaming together under one roof. Roma explained that Bario Bar was launched in 2021 through the exclusive import of Stern pinball machines, gradually expanding its attraction lineup to include classic arcade cabinets, racing simulators, and claw machines across São Paulo. "All locations share the same menu, the same decor style, the same lighting—everything. However, I have three distinctly different customer profiles," Roma observes when comparing the high-foot-traffic Pinheiros location with the longer-dwell-time venues in Tatuapé and Santo Amaro.

Branding, Location Profiles, and the Power of Organic Influencer Media

When it comes to promotional strategy, Bario prioritizes spontaneous organic reach and in-venue customer experiences over massive paid ad spends. Roma pointed to the launch of the Tatuapé location as an example, which gained traction after hosting hundreds of invited content creators. "Bario generates incredible organic media. If you look at our Instagram, we have an overwhelming number of customer reposts every single day," notes Roma regarding the visual appeal built into their venue design.

Nostalgia, Changing Alcohol Consumption, and Screen-Free Experiences

The desire for moments of digital disconnection has driven interest in arcades and pinball across multiple generations. Roma observed shifting drinking habits alongside the growing demand for analog, shared entertainment between parents and children: "It ends up becoming a place of reconnection with the past, genuinely nostalgic. People mention how heavily we lean into nostalgia, and we do, because everyone who walks in lives that experience."

A 360-Degree Marketing Strategy for Bars and Restaurants

For food and beverage venues, Roma advocates centralizing customer data across owned channels while maintaining integrated communication across every touchpoint. Building a proprietary website, running campaigns around non-commercial thematic dates, and training front-of-house staff are essential pillars of this strategy. "Build a website. Keep your customer data on your own website. If Mark Zuckerberg pulls the plug tomorrow, where is your audience? It should be on your website and in your database, not inside Instagram's walled garden," Roma warns.

Mindful Adoption and the Pitfalls of AI in Marketing

The discussion also addressed the risks of homogenized campaigns produced by generative AI tools. Roma argues that technology should serve as analytical support or fine-tuning assistance rather than replacing human creative vision and distinct brand identity: "AI is a tool to help you; it isn't a crutch or the magic fix for your problems. I believe in creating things by hand."

The Bario World Campaign and How Location Drives Customer Behavior

Wrapping up the conversation, Roma broke down the concept behind Bario World, a collaborative loyalty passport created alongside partner burger joints that rewarded repeat visits with game machine credits. The initiative revealed notable variations in customer adoption depending on store location, proving that food service marketing must tailor promotional mechanics to the distinct habits of each local neighborhood.