Seventeenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

With increased visitation and enhanced visitor experience in focus, museums increasingly seek to implement innovative practices. One such development is integrating the museum-hosted pop-up restaurant (PR). The PR is a temporary (measured in weeks or months), yet fully functional dining establishment, providing a relatively short-lived opportunity for potentially novel dining experiences. The transient nature of such installations allows the host institution to rapidly and repeatedly introduce new dining opportunities, thereby using the serialisation of novelty to increase overall visitation, showcase the cuisine of diverse cultures and generally enhance the visitor experience. Consequently, PRs have proven successful in numerous recreational contexts. However, to date, there have been few, if any, published reports of PR implementation within museums. This mixed-methods case study explores the establishment and impact of a rolling program of PRs at Ithra, a museum located in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.