Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., couples, families and friends gather around tables to play trivia and to eat pizza at one of 109’s pizza places, Mellow Mushroom. This isn’t a quick dinner, but instead, a time to sit back and relax while catching up with friends or family.

Mellow Mushroom employees commented on the event online: “Yes, you may be humiliated, but then again there’s a chance you may come out looking like Einstein. Or what Einstein would be like if he watched every episode of Star Trek, like nine times.”

Kendra Cunningham, an employee at Mellow Mushroom, said the trivia event has grown. Trivia night has gained quite the following and even has “regulars” who attend every week. These participants even have tables reserved for them each week (usually only for tables of eight or more people) to guarantee that they can sit back, relax, and play trivia.

Cunningham said the trivia nighters are from a wide range of people, like TCU students, empty nesters and families who might be looking for something besides the typical rushed dinner at home before soccer practice. All in all, Cunningham described it as a “great way to break up the week.”

Lee and Annette Cochenour have been participating weekly for over a year. Lee admitted that he has always been a big fan of trivia while Annette enjoys being able to watch sports on TV while guessing on answers. The Cochenour’s opened up about making friends through the weekly event. In fact, their waitress has become more of a friend over the year and even attended their wedding. Another trivia team that has been attending regularly for the past two years has become so close to the Cochenour’s that they all get together outside of trivia night.

Mellow Mushroom adds incentives with gift cards for the first, second and third place winners. The game lasts about an hour and a half and only has one major rule. No cell phones. While Mellow Mushroom doesn’t like cell phones due to the possibility of cheating, others like it too because it means more conversation and less distractions.

The questions come from a range of categories…everything from science to television. Questions are aimed at different ages with questions about Cher, Roman warriors, and jelly beans as topics. When chatting with the Cochenour’s about why they consistently go, Lee Cochenour said that for one, “it’s the best pizza [he’s] ever had” and also for the personable staff. Annette Cochenour summed it up by asking the question, “What’s not to love?”