Video: Stop making your customers search for you

Posted by barblog on Aug 19, 2010 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

As more and more businesses attempt to connect with their customers using social media channels, more and more bars, restaurants and cafes are making basic errors that end up preventing any type of connection at all.

This video was prompted by a recent visit to a local cafe, but is one that I’ve been wanting to make for some time. Would love to get your feedback below too.

Read more..

How to use Whisky to run your car

Posted by barblog on Aug 18, 2010 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

It looks like there’s a whole new meaning to the phrases “tanked up” and “drink driving” after an Irish scientist has perfected a green way to fuel cars with Scotch.

While it’s a far cry from rocket fuel at this stage, it appears that the biofuel made from the by-products of Scotch whisky distillation is just as effective as normal petrol and just as easy on the engine, which requires no modifications.

He has patented the process and is currently working with drinks giant Diageo — which owns the Guinness brand — to look at future partnerships with the oil industry to develop the fuel as an alternative to petrol.

It could get confusing when filling the car up, not knowing whether to fill up your glass or the car…..

Full (Great) Story here

Win 3 tickets to the Irish Pubs Global Conference

Posted by barblog on Aug 12, 2010 in Bar Marketing | 1 comment

Irish Pubs Global is an organisation that was set up earlier this year with the aim of uniting Irish Pubs around the world. It’s aim is to empower owners and managers to develop their business skills, source Irish food and drinks and develop a real Irish atmosphere and experience for their customers around the world.

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of this venture back in the planning stages and helped them develop their management tools and owner resources used by their members.

I will also be speaking at the first Irish Pubs Global Convention which will be held from September 21 – 23 in Galway, Ireland which will be amazing for networking opportunities, social outings, useful seminars, exhibitions and more as food industry professionals, tourism professionals and service providers share their expertise.

To celebrate their first conference and the launch of the venture, we have 3 full delegate packages up for grabs in our Facebook competition.

The prizes are:

3 X delegate tickets to the event which includes:

· Gala conference Dinner

· 2 night’s B&B in the Galway Bay Hotel

· Full conference participation

· 1 year basic membership of Irish Pubs Global Owners & Managers Association

· Golf Tournament Entry

All you have to do to be in with a chance to win one of these great prizes is the following:

1. Go to our Facebook page: http://facebook.com/thebarblogger
2. If you’re not already a fan you’ll need to click on the “Like” button
3. Go to the Wall Post that says “Win 3 Tickets” and leave a comment that tells us what your customers love about your bar! Why do they come back again and again. Don’t be afraid to go into detail.
4. Make sure to add the name of your bar to the comment too!

That’s it. We’ll be picking the three winners on Friday night so get commenting. Oh and you can enter as many times as you like, if your customers come back for different things!

Note: If you win this prize, you only have to find your way to Galway. Everything else is covered (see above)

The biggest mistake you can make when running a Promotion

Posted by barblog on Aug 6, 2010 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

Bartenders replaced by self-service

Posted by barblog on Aug 5, 2010 in Bar Service | 5 comments

It started in Ireland (shocker) and has now made it’s way to the shores of the US and not co-incidentally to one of the most familiar Irish outposts to thousands of emigrants: Boston. What am I talking about? The Pour-Your-Own-Beer Tables that Guinness trialled in Ireland last year to great success have now made it to the Littlest Bar in Boston.

Never have you ever seen such a high tech setup: patrons give their credit cards to the bartender, who turns on the table-mounted taps. After two beers, the system pauses and the bartender pops by to make sure no one is too inebriated to keep drinking. The Littlest Bar currently offers self-serve Smithwick’s and Guinness with a bartender available to show you how to pour the latter.

Personally I think it’s a bit gimmicky and the only reason these tables appear in bars around Ireland is the generous incentives Guinness offers bars to stock them.

At the end of the day, they take up a huge amount of space in small bars and remove the very reason for going to the bar in the first place: social interaction.

It’s a long time since I got a response from a table…..