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It’s no secret that getting guests to order more than one drink is the best way to boost profits. Make new customers feel welcome, and encourage regulars to stay a while. You can turn your bar into the talk of the town by encouraging guests to stick around with a few simple tips.
Everyone Loves Happy Hour
Turn happy hour into more than a discount. Make it an attraction with great prices on snacks, small plates, and drinks. Attract a regular customer base on weeknights, and be the go-to place after the grind every day or just because.
Have a Comfortable Vibe
The atmosphere of your bar can be dark and dingy, or it can be inviting.
Do you want your patrons to order food or just drinks? What kind of age group frequents the bar most?
Try different lighting techniques, different music, and different décor that appeal to your guests.
Play Great Music With a Beat
Slow music can make people want to go to sleep, especially after they have already had a drink. Ditch monotonous tunes for lively music that lifts the mood. Create a positive buzz inside your bar that makes people feel good from the second they walk in.
Host Weekly Events for Returning Guests
Keep guests entertained with weekly live trivia games powered by BEOND. Give winners more than the pride of knowing that they beat their competitors. Offer fun, goofy, and great prizes. The geeks shouldn’t be left out of the fun. Create a trivia community, and have regular guests return every week.
Great Service Staff Is Hard to Find
One of the easiest ways to get your guests to cash out and run out the door is poor service. It is important to reward your best front of house staff with more than customer tips. Empower your go-to people, and show them that their stellar work is recognized.
Go Nuts With Signature Drinks
Have a drink menu that is an attraction. Guests can get 3.2 domestic beers or shots anywhere. Find ways to craft entertaining cocktails that people talk about and ask for. Come up with catchy names, or develop innovative presentations.
Keep New Customers Coming
People stop patronizing a bar for many reasons. You probably can’t rely on your current regulars forever. Hit the pavement, and pass out fliers for promotional events. No one wants to be the only person in a bar. Keep a crowd, and give the impression that your bar is always busy.
Aggressive Social Media Marketing
Delegate your social media strategy to your staff. Let trusted staff members tweet from live events, snap photos, and post them directly from their smartphones. Encourage people sitting in front of their laptops to get out and go to your bar.
Host Private Events on the Side
Let individuals rent your entire bar or a back room for private parties, corporate events, and fundraisers. Show guests what your bar is all about, and keep them happy (and ordering drinks) for the duration of the event.
Get the Feedback You Need to Keep Improving
You can easily get feedback through social media quizzes and online questionnaires. Small things can make a big difference as to whether or not guests want to linger instead of grab a drink and go.
Things change, and you need to stay up to date on what your guests want. Small initiatives can turn a lackluster bar into a thriving community and a thriving business.
