The Bar Blogger

You can’t go into a store, restaurant or bar, book a flight or hotel anymore without being offered free membership of their guest loyalty program. My wallet is now so thick with loyalty cards that I walk at a 45 degree angle to the ground, but at least I know I’m building points everywhere I go!

We’re all suckers for a deal and a loyalty card offers us that promise. The more we spend, the more we save. I think that grocery stores and supermarkets have perfected the system: points added at checkout, and then the choice of redeeming them on future purchases. Simple and effective. [...]

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Many bar owners steer away from offering more than a handful of quarter bottles of wine or the occasional wine by the glass due to lack of knowledge or experience with this drink of the Gods. However, ignoring the opportunities that wine offers your business means you could be turning away business without even knowing it.

One way to increase your customer numbers midweek or during the slow season is to host a wine tasting event. Now I know what most of you are saying: “We don’t know enough about wine to host a wine tasting”, or “I wouldn’t know where to begin…”!

But before you knock this idea on it’s head, consider the following:

1. A Wine Tasting Event allows you to create awareness in the community of your wine list and drinks menu. You may end up introducing new customers to menu items they never knew about before. [...]

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I received this question this week at http://thebarblogger.com/askbarry:

We run a very popular restaurant w/an 20 seat L-shaped bar and a service area at the end for servers lets the 3 bar tenders working any shift roam up & down with no assigned section nor one of the 3 designated for service exclusively.Sometimes the wait is long for servers and bar patrons/customers.Is it not sound business to assign them a section of the bar with responsibility for that area primarily?

Here are my thoughts on this: [...]

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We got a question here at TheBarBlogger.com during the week asking us what lines of defense could be added to a bar to protect it from stock loss and one of the areas that the bar owner had not considered was how to account for complimentary/giveaway drinks.

Whatever your policy is (or isn’t…) regarding drink giveaways or discretionary drinks for customers, you need to establish a system that all staff members follow.

This quick video will show you how to establish that system today: [...]

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We’re getting more and more requests for ideas on how to increase business in these difficult times. One thing is for certain: The game has changed and it’s time to start thinking differently about how to grow your business. After all, doing the same thing over and over again without signs of growth is not going to keep you in business very long. These 10 Low Cost Ideas will help you get the ball rolling.

“Become a Bartender” Night
Make the most of the quiet nights by offering bartending classes. More suited to city center locations and areas of higher populations, running a bartending class could include showing “students” how to pour a pint, how to make certain cocktails, learn a little about serving wine etc. You could charge a small fee to cover the costs of all the drinks and the chances are that your “class” will stay afterward to enjoy a few more at full price!

Free Menu Tasting
Advertise a free menu tasting when introducing a new menu (or simply when you re-introduce your current menu…). Have taster size portions of your menu available on trays around the bar for a few hours and mingle with the customers getting feedback about the food while your bartenders keep the drinks flowing. Your regular customers will love it and you’ll introduce some new customers to your menu and bar, all for the cost of a few trays of food that’s already in your fridge.

Beer Tasting
Most of your beer drinking customers will be accustomed to their regular pint and won’t “chance” a different variety very often. Make it easy for them to broaden their horizons by hosting a beer tasting event. Include regional and microbrew varieties, especially those served by the bottle which will normally have a higher margin than your draught products. You might find that some of your customers will switch their allegiances to other varieties after the event and you will also have had the chance to bring new customers into the bar with this promotion.

Television Nights
Make the most of midweek by identifying a popular television show and making an event around it. Bring in popcorn (salty foods make people thirsty…), arrange the chairs like a living room around the tv, offer table service so the customers don’t have to leave their chair and make sure everyone can hear and see the television. Your bar could quickly become the place to go to see favorite tv shows. [...]

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Today I received an email from a client asking me how they could increase their revenue by 50,000 Pounds (UK) or reduce their costs by 50,000 Pounds UK).

Here is their question and my answer:

Can’t see this video? Click Here

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The rational business owner, when asked if he would like more complaints in his business, would probably say NO quite definitely. And we can all understand that. Who wants to hear that there is something wrong with their business? Especially considering all of the blood, sweat and tears we have poured into our labors of love.

But the irrational business owner WANTS to get complaints. They have toughened their skin, swallowed their pride, put themselves firmly in front of the customer with one sentence: “Tell me, did we please you today?”

And it’s the irrational business owner that succeeds, because for every bit of feedback he gets back, he tweaks a little and he makes a 1% improvement every day. That makes his business more than 300% better each year and that is the business owner that rides out any recession.

I’m the first to admit that I spent a long time (at least three years) afraid of what people might say if I asked them, but you know what? As soon as I did, little changes took place and little problems were addressed and business started to grow, slowly but surely. Not overnight and there was no magic formula, but inch by inch, foot by foot I moved ahead.

Marriott Hotels in the UK have just advertised for 60 voluntary inspectors to stay in their hotels, rate them independently and give feedback. These will be regular guests from the demographic they serve and you can be they will get a lot of constructive feedback. If they act on it, they’ll be the better for it.

I admire their interest in getting this feedback however it bruises the corporate egos initially but sometimes a kick in the rear is good, because remember, a kick in the rear is still a step forward.

If you want the tools to help you establish your systems and get that vital feedback, you’ll find a huge selection available for instant download at ManageYourBar.com

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Bar Louie in Columbus have a great head turning talking point of a promotion on at the moment. Ignoring the usual love fest that is taken advantage of by every other bar and restaurant, they have instead decided to focus on the demographic without a significant other!

Makes a lot of sense! Will be checking it out to see the results they got with it and will keep you posted!

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