As Head of Electronic Leisure at Mitchells & Butlers, I take immense pride in leading a dynamic team dedicated to creating life’s unforgettable moments. In a world often overshadowed by daily stresses, we focus on bringing people together – away from their screens – ensuring every guest enjoys a fun and memorable gaming experience.
Each day brings new adventures, especially with the rise of Arrowsmiths, M&B’s new interactive darts experience, which has rapidly expanded to 10 venues across the UK in under two years.
I’m someone who firmly believes that true luck lies in doing what you love, paired with a commitment to quality and service — an ethos perfectly exemplified by the success of Arrowsmiths and the teamwork behind it.
High Street bars in particular face significant challenges now. Along with broader economic pressures, we note that guests are heading out earlier, and late-night bars and nightclubs now contend with diverse competitors, such as competitive socialising venues. Our 18–35-year-old guests seek interactive, innovative, and differentiated experiences.
To stay competitive, M&B stepped up to the mark and introduced Arrowsmiths, catering to Gen Z’s preference for experience-led activities and earlier outings, where the electronic boards do all the maths for you!
We were able to expand our core offer of a High Street bar and increase dwell time and spend. Guests are greeted by a host, led to a playing area, where any pre-ordered drinks are waiting on arrival. Hosts will then bring additional food and drinks to you, transforming the High Street service cycle; guests should never need to leave their playing area, ensuring a premium experience.
Arrowsmiths provides a muchneeded escape from everyday stress, allowing our guests to unwind and have fun. In just two years, we have welcomed our 90,000th guest through our doors — something we could only have dreamt of during the pandemic.
In that time, 8.7 million darts have been thrown, 165,000 games played, and 32,000 opponents eliminated in the popular game, Killer. Who would have thought our guests were so competitive!?
It feels incredible to think that just two years ago, we wondered if guests would embrace the new addition to their High Street pub. Would the technology work well? Would guests enjoy our games?
It takes an entire team to bring a ground-breaking concept to life, and after countless hours of planning and a few sleepless nights, our hearts raced on opening night at our inaugural business, Arrowsmiths at O’Neill’s, Solihull. As our first guests stepped up to play, the room quickly filled with the celebratory sounds of cheers, trebles, misses and bullseyes, and we witnessed the pure exhilaration on their faces. In that moment, we knew then we had created something extraordinary. Guests were instantly hooked, and their excitement matched our own – Arrowsmiths was a hit!
And, so not to forget those memories, the innovation continues with Social Replay. Our new replay feature that captures and replays the most exhilarating moments of a guest’s game. Triggered by epic events like becoming the final ‘Killer’, our cameras ensure every thrilling highlight is yours to relive by receiving a text message with a link to your personalised story, where you can dive back into the excitement: watch detailed summaries of everyone’s scores, thrilling action replays, and unforgettable highlights.
Social Replay does not just enhance your Arrowsmiths experience — it transforms every darts session into a series of unforgettable moments. We are also very proud to support a more inclusive feature with Arrowsmiths Digital Darts’ accessible oche, where, on August 23, we proudly unveiled the UK’s first accessible interactive dartboard concept, marking a move forward in access to competitive socialising for wheelchair users, making the game enjoyable for everyone at Arrowsmiths at O’Neill’s, Southampton.
The ground floor board was officially launched by Vincent D’Hondt, the World Number One paradarts player, who demonstrated the innovative features of the new dartboard. Vincent, with 30 titles to his name, showcased his exceptional skills while also taking the time to engage with the team and locals in friendly matches, testing out
the new oche designed specifically for wheelchair-friendly height.
The launch of the concept was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from attendees. In addition to five interactive dart boards on the first floor, an accessible oche with step-free access and dual height dartboards is situated on the ground floor, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the thrill of the game together. The unique set up eliminates the need for manual adjustments, fostering inclusivity and enhancing the overall experience for all players.
Vincent shared his thoughts on the launch, saying: “This accessible oche is brilliant because wheelchair players can play each other, but also non-wheelchair users too. It’s great for inclusion and I really enjoyed trying out all of the games.”
The success of Arrowsmiths highlights the critical role of teamwork, a strong #oneteam ethos, and a commitment to inclusivity and its innovative initiatives. The collaborative effort of the dynamic team at M&B have been pivotal in creating unique and memorable experiences that bring people together, transforming traditional pub environments. By embracing inclusivity through features like the accessible oche, M&B demonstrates its dedication to breaking down barriers and ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability or gender can enjoy the thrill of the game. The team’s shared passion and commitment to quality service have been instrumental in driving the brand’s rapid growth and fostering a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for all guests.
