Of all the traditions it has impacted, COVID-19 has dealt a deep blow to the extinguishing of birthday cake candles.
Enter Main Event Entertainment LP, the Plano, Texas-based family eatertainment brand.
The brand has introduced “Birthday Wishing Wands,” a limited-edition line of candle snuffers.
Even before the novel coronavirus pandemic, scientists at Clemson University found candle-blowing spread a lot of bacteria. Their report in the Journal of Food Research in May 2017 found 1,400% more bacteria were found on birthday cakes after the candles were blown out.
“The wishing wands are for use during birthdays celebrated at each center,” a spokesperson said. “Afterward, they are returned and will be sanitized per Main Event’s standard COVID sanitization protocol.”
Main Event also is hosting a sweepstakes on its Instagram page, @mymainevent, for a Wishing Wand to be used in a participant’s home.
The Wishing Wands debuted at Main Event centers Monday, which also happened to be the brand’s 22nd birthday. The snuffers come in three designs: a birthday party hat, a birthday present and a bowling ball.
“Birthday celebrations are in our brand’s DNA, which is why we felt it was important to find a solution for even safer ways to celebrate all the way to the birthday candle blowout,” said Sarah Beddoe, Main Event’s chief brand officer.
Beddoe said the “Birthday Wishing Wands are intended to be another reminder that celebrating safely doesn’t mean the fun has to stop and our commitment to providing our guests with the most fun, most memorable experiences doesn’t stop either.”
In addition to the wands, Main Event also is celebrating its birthday month by introducing a new limited-time birthday-themed dessert: a vanilla ice cream shake blended with cake syrup and topped with a Funfetti bundt cake and whipped cream.
The company is also rolling out an “Epic Birthday Party Package,” which allows guests to reserve an entire Main Event for two-hour and three-hour private sessions with unlimited games and activities through Nov. 21. Some restrictions apply.
Main Event, founded in 1998, operates 44 centers in 17 states. It is owned by Australia-based Ardent Leisure Group.
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