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February 9, 2026
APPLETON – If trivia nights are your thing, CoolTable Trivia in Appleton offers a weekly lineup to keep the ol’ noggin sharp.
Eric Maixner, owner of the Appleton-based trivia company, runs live game nights Monday through Thursday at establishments throughout the Appleton area.
Each session lasts roughly two hours, and though playing is free, Maixner said grabbing a bite or drink for the host venue is encouraged.
How it started
After struggling to find work early in 2025, Maixner said he decided to create his own opportunity – starting CoolTable Trivia, which will celebrate its first year in business next month.
With nearly two decades of trivia-hosting experience, Maixner said he was able to turn his passion into a business of his own.
“I created it out of necessity,” he said.
Starting 2025 unemployed, and despite sending out applications, Maixner said he couldn’t land a single interview.
“I got very frustrated, very depressed and decided one day to take things into my own hands and start up a company,” he said.
Drawing on 18 years of trivia-hosting experience, Maixner said he was able to turn a setback into a thriving business.
“I’m doing all the work that I used to do, it’s just now I’m doing it for myself, which is excellent,” he said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Getting started, Maixner said, meant convincing venues to come on board.
Once that was done, he said the weekly shows quickly took off.
“The shows have been really great,” he said. “They’ve been going [like] gangbusters right now.”
According to cooltabletrivia.com, CoolTable Trivia hosts a full week of live trivia nights at various Appleton spots, including:
- Mondays at 7 p.m. – Glass Nickel Pizza (2120 W College Ave.)
- Tuesdays at 7 p.m. – Stuc’s Pizza (110 N Douglas St.)
- Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. – Vault 202 (202 W College Ave.)
- Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. – McFleshman’s Brewing Company (115 S State St.)
Trivia prep
Maixner said most of his day is spent behind the scenes.
As a solo operator, he said he updates league scores, posts to social media, answers emails and writes the trivia questions – all before players even arrive.
“That takes up the majority of my time,” he said. “Getting 20 questions or so in a set…, it’s a lot of me staring at a laptop going ‘yes, I like this question’ or ‘how can I make this question better? Does it make sense?’”
Maixner said maintaining accuracy while keeping the questions interesting is his top priority.
“There won’t be a question set you’ve heard before,” he said.
Despite having no staff, Maixner said he can call on help when needed.
“My wife will chip in when I need her to chip in,” he said. “She is my absolute savior. If a show gets too busy one night, she’s there to kind of help me and keep me sane. I have a couple of question writers whom I can reach out to in the area to say ‘hey, if I need some questions, could you write them…?’ But otherwise it’s a one-man show. I’m doing everything.”
Leagues
For trivia fans who want to play consistently and bring the competitiveness to the next level, Maixner said CoolTable Trivia offers a league.
“At the end of 11 weeks, the highest score wins,” he said.
Maixner said the inaugural season of his CoolTable Trivia league has just concluded, involving all four host venues, with a championship showdown taking place in early February.
Players can sign up for the league, he said, simply by telling him at a weekly game.
Maixner said the season’s top scorer takes home $100, with additional cash and prizes up for grabs in the tournament.
More league details are available on the aforementioned website.
Private events, DJ services
Maixner said private trivia can be booked via the CoolTable Trivia website, with fees and setups customized for each venue and event.
In addition to trivia, Maixner said he offers DJ services, which he learned during his bout with unemployment.
“I was like, ‘Look, I can do all of these things – hire me to do something,’” he said. “So, yeah, I host trivia and I can DJ… I’m happy to do anything and everything.”
Though trivia remains his main focus, Maixner said he occasionally fields DJ requests.
A worthwhile leap
Maixner said launching the business was a “terrifying” step, yet also “humbling” and “comforting” as the results prove the work worthwhile.
“For as awful as life was literally nine months ago, I’ve come so far, and I have so many people to thank,” he said. “This is a nice path that I’m on.”
Besides the previously mentioned website, up-to-date details on CoolTable Trivia can be found on its Facebook page.
