Blog

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Music

January Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Quieter.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! January has a reputation in hospitality.Slow. Flat. Something to survive until things “pick back up.” But that misses what might actually be happening

A customized dish at the bar
Music

Top Hospitality Trends for 2026

The hospitality landscape is shifting rapidly coming out of years of disruption, rising costs, and changing consumer behavior. 2026 will be defined by experience, value, technology, and cultural relevance and

Audio Waves showing normalization
Playlists

The Power of Audio Consistency

We were featured in Bar & Restaurant Magazine this month in a deep dive on a topic every operator feels, especially during the busy holiday season: audio consistency. The article

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Food for thought

What Control Play Readers Read Most This Year

Every year, the data shows the same thing: operators don’t have time for guesswork. You want straightforward strategies that fill seats, improve the atmosphere, and create experiences guests remember. Looking

Friends at a Christmas Party
Music

Turn Holiday Parties Into Year-Round Business

December is when restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues hit maximum chaos. Teams are stretched, guests expect everything to look and sound festive, and companies realize (usually too late) that they

Man serving a drink
Playlists

The One-Button Holiday: Make December Easy Again

December is when restaurants and bars turn into beautiful chaos. You’ve got new hires still learning table numbers.DMs asking why brunch felt “low energy.”Guests walking in expecting the room to

Playlists

Building a Holiday Atmosphere That Scales

In a recent blog, we talked about how theme nights are pressure tests. They reveal whether your system runs smoothly or if you’re just holding it together on instinct. The