Owning and operating a bar is a delicate balance. You want to provide your customers with the best while keeping your business above water. Competition in the hospitality business is fierce. You need to differentiate while implementing standard best practices to be successful. You need the very best cocktails and be able to pour a top-quality beer using a bespoke commercial beer tap system. Offering the best drinks and service is one sure way to make sure your bar gets to the top of the chain, if you carry on reading, we will look over some of these best practices you can implement at the same time so that you can make your bar more profitable.
Expand the Menu
Variety is the spice of life. Your bar's regulars likely enjoy the standard menu items, but they’ll also appreciate a few new additions. Expand the types of menu items you offer to bring variety to the patrons. Carrying unique items gives your bar something special, and you can bring in new guests every time you feature a new addition.
You can implement that variety in any way you want. It could be a new menu each week or a special offer during happy hour. Keep customers on their toes so that they can enjoy a pleasant surprise every visit. You can also include a broad selection of alcohol-free drinks on the menu and create crafty mocktails.
Find the Money Drainers
Locate all the areas in your bar where you’re wasting money. Plenty of bars lose profit every day due to overpours and comps.
Depending on the type of liquor you provide, you could lose a substantial amount of money to these issues. One solution is to invest in alcohol-tracking software. There’s technology to track beer poured versus beer sold in real-time. Aside from the drinks, you will want to survey all other expenses, such as waste disposal. Renting a dumpster for your bar provides many benefits, especially if you plan to host a significant event or need to manage extensive waste.
Host a Theme Night
Everyone loves dinner and a show—drinks and a show are even better. When patrons go out, they hope for some excitement and a change of scenery. After a while, going to the same bar and doing the same thing can become tiresome.
Show your regulars and newcomers you have a lot to offer by hosting a theme night once a month or, if you have a host to manage it, once a week. There are plenty of options to choose from. Host a game, trivia, or even roaring twenties night. You can serve a special drink to go with each theme.
Offer Happy Hour Specials
Could you think about the demographic your bar attracts regularly? If most patrons are between the ages of 21 and 35, they appreciate a good-priced drink. Affordable-priced drinks are practical tools for attracting and keeping a crowd.
Rather than hire-priced drinks, patrons will probably only order one or two before they get up. Happy Hour specials might guarantee that they order at least three or four drinks. Make these specials different every day for different drinks so that every label gets a chance to shine.
Once your bar becomes more profitable, consider opening at another location.