Dolla Dumplings are the secret ingredient to a successful bingo night, according to Dolly’s. Photo: Supplied.
Bingo is back, baby, although if you ask the team at Dolly’s in the city, it never went away.
All-day venue Dolly’s has been hosting Tuesday musical bingo for 18 months now, with varying levels of success. However, in early April, they added a night of bingo to their schedule, pairing it with $1 dumplings instead of music.
To say it has been a hit would be an understatement, and ‘Dolla Dumplings’, as they call them, appear to be the secret ingredient to a bar packed full of patrons.
“Bingo started about 18 months ago; however, we recently introduced $1 dumplings into the mix, and it has been a roaring success,” says Kate Parkinson, director of Dolly’s.
Old-school bingo with the numbers is what retro bingo is all about. Photo: Supplied.
At first glance, I thought Dolly’s running a throwback like bingo may have been a strange anomaly, but it turns out I’m too old to have realised that bingo is cool.
Branded as retro bingo, the question that remained in my mind was, what specifically was retro about Dolly’s bingo nights? Turns out, it’s the numbers.
While many modern versions of the game incorporate a spin, such as marking song titles in musical bingo or drag bingo hosted by performers, retro bingo is simply bingo. Formerly a beloved pastime of oldies and cruise ship aficionados, numbers are drawn from a cage, called out, and if you mark a full line or a full card on your playing card, you win a prize.
The simplicity makes it the perfect game to pair with copious drinks, which I am sure is the general marketing strategy behind running the nights.
“It’s short and fast with many chances to win venue vouchers. It’s a great group activity with a drink,” says Kate.
If you’re heading down to Dolly’s for bingo, make sure you book – it’s usually a full house. Photo: Supplied.
Kate also feels that the $1 dumplings, paired with the free participation in the bingo, are two of the big drawcards of the night, with people looking for affordable and fun ways to spend their time as the cost of living pinches many people’s pockets.
So pleased with the success of the event, Kate says they have decided that musical bingo also needs an affordable culinary partner and is excited to announce that from 13 May, they will be adding $5 ramen to the menu for the Tuesday night musical bingo sessions.
To me, this looks like a trend. Bingo is well and truly back, and it’s bringing all the retro vibes plus its modern day buddies, cheap dumplings and affordable ramen.
To find out more about Dolly’s bingo nights, head to their Instagram page and be sure to book ahead, these events sell out. Dolly is located at 50 Bunda Street in the city.
