Weekday nights at restaurants, taverns, pubs and bars have become trivial pursuits
By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli
A pool ball set includes how many balls? The average human body contains how many pints of blood?
In the past, a weekday night during the winter months in Oswego wouldn’t necessarily hold much appeal for people to visit a bar or restaurant.
Recently, on a snowy Tuesday night in the Port City, more than 50 people gathered at a former eclectic Water Street bar turned stylish, refurbished restaurant and nightspot.
What was the draw? Trivia night.
The proliferation of trivia night or quiz night in bars, restaurants, pubs and other night-time gathering spots is a business strategy that has attracted patrons who might not ordinarily venture out during mid-week, especially in the winter.
Trivia nights can range from casual, admittance-free gatherings to highly organized, cash and other prize-seeking throngs attracting a clientele more interested in dining and mental diversion than having their feet stick to a beer-soaked floor.
Trivia night, a trend which has recently found a renewed interest across the country, has become a multi-million-dollar industry that began in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, migrated to the United States in the 1980s and found a new passion several years ago during COVID-19.
Since November 2025, the Old City Hall Brewery in Oswego has played host on Tuesday nights to the brain— busting phenomenon in bar patronage. Lorbird in Fulton and Lagrafs Pub & Grill in Oswego also does trivia on Tuesdays. Wednesday night trivia hosts include Mendzetti’s in Oswego, and GS Steamers Bar & Grill, also in Oswego. And Thursday night in includes trivia night at the Scriba Town Inn in Scriba.
These taverns, pubs and bars are only a sample of establishments engaging in the trend. The same is happening in places in Syracuse and its suburbs.
“We started running trivia when it was at the Cellar Door,” quizmaster Dorothy Bonney, along with her husband, Dave, explained. “People quit so we decided to take it over. We do this because we like it and know lots of places that run trivia nights. It’s all for fun; five rounds of questions with 10 questions each round. It usually takes 90 minutes to two hours. We do prizes for the winners.”
Trivia night topics at Old City Hall Brewery are displayed on monitors throughout the venue where diners can easily review questions without interrupting their dining experience. Sports, pop culture, fashion, movies, music, television, history, geography, current events, science, literature and general knowledge are some of the topics randomly pulled from each week. Another facet of the evening includes themed rounds, time periods, special events and topics sometimes connecting news of the day and newsmakers.
Other formats include visual rounds (board game pieces, TV pets), common bonds, “Firsts and Lasts,” nature, audio rounds (song clips) and more. Phones are prohibited.
“We’ve only been doing it since November,” Old City Manager Terry Fistick said. “We opened in March 2025 and summer was great for us with the open space. But then the winter came along and people are a little more shut in, so we wanted something to get people to come out. Tuesday nights were one of our softer nights and trivia night brings people out. It’s almost a good excuse to go out and have a couple of drinks because we’re also doing trivia. We’re working our minds.”
The results have been 10-fold for business at Old City on Tuesdays with an average of 50 patrons participating. “Normally, on a Tuesday night at this time we’d have a few tables — maybe three to four — and a couple servers working,” Fistick continued. “Tonight, we only had three tables empty. The downside is there is no turnover because they stay for two hours. But they drink the whole time.”
Fistick figures that each person coming in on Tuesdays spends about $30 on a few drinks and something to eat. Quizmaster Bonney reports similar results as host of Wednesday nights at Mendzetti’s.
“Mendzetti’s is newer, so we have been getting between 20-30,” Bonney said. “If you come here and get a drink and a pizza, split between two people it’s about $20-$25.”
As quizmasters in the summer at Junco Brewing Company in Oswego, Bonney and her husband recall weeks when they had 65-70 people. A lot depends on the space inside the bar. “When you go to Junco, you might spend $25 per couple,” Bonney explained. “Most of the people that come may have one or two drinks. They are conscientious about driving so they stop there.”
Trivia nights are a trend across the country that seems to have staying power. Usually, it doesn’t cost anything to join the fun and patrons have a chance to win anything from a $25 gift certificate per member of the winning team to free drinks and entrées. Fistick doesn’t plan on letting interest die down.
“Way back before we opened, we talked about trivia night, karaoke and wing night as ideas to pique people’s interest,” Fistick recalled. “We will continue doing this 100% until springtime at the very least.”
Bonney breaks it down to its most basic element. “People are looking for the chance to go out and have fun,” the quizmaster explained. “They get something out of it. Even if you don’t win, you learn something and enjoy playing trivia. It gets people out. It is a trend that is popping up more and more and is a very simple way to bring in more business without a lot of cost involved. Ultimately, it’s an inexpensive way to get people in and have some fun.”
Answers to questions in the first paragraph: 16; 10.5 pints
Tom and Jerry Caraccioli are freelance writers originally from Oswego, who have co-authored three books. They also host a monthly television and multi-platform segment on WSYR-Channel 9 (ABC), “Backroads to Bridge Street with Tom & Jerry.”
