The reason bars are popular for company events is that they are the cheap and easy choice. For the price of a couple of rounds, you get maximum camaraderie--at

The reason bars are popular for company events is that they are the cheap and easy choice. For the price of a couple of rounds, you get maximum camaraderie--at least among the people who attend and drink. You usually need no forewarning, as many bars can handle an influx of a team's worth of people without issue. Alternatives all require more planning, and usually higher expense, and often result in people who are comfortable in bars opting out. You might rent some bowling lanes and provide food, but that's usually more expensive than a bar, and there will definitely be some people who won't bowl. Other activities in the same category as bowling, like escape rooms and the like, all seem "forced" in that they require people to do things they probably don't normally do. This is in addition to the expense and planning necessary. Possibly the most natural event of all is a meal, since everybody eats. Assuming you find a restaurant that accommodates varying dietary requirements, you probably need to make reservations and possibly spend more than you would at a bar, but it's still probably the best option. Except... everybody will be sitting down rather than mingling, so it's a different sort of event then. I'm not saying a bar is the best option. I'm saying it's the easiest option, which is why so many companies go back to it again and again.