What would encourage you to go in to a bar earlier?

[Steph86]

Sensible suggestions please

A friend of a friend owns a bar in our local village & we was talking to him on Saturday... He asked us for ideas to encourage customers to come in early.

By 11.30 the place is busy til 1.30 when it closes.

We had no ideas between us except getting people off the street!

It is just a bar no meals etc, it is open later than the local pubs which is why it gets busy in the evening.

So, what would make you go in their sooner?

Xx

 

[hughsey_baby]

Happy hour and drinks promotions always get me in somewhere earlier

 

[Hazemalone]

Entertainment

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

it's hard if its a local village pub tbh - do they do pub food? get people in for dinner and then stay?

 

[Mobile Manicure]

Live music?

 

[Steph86]

Thanks ladies... Il pass forward your suggestions

No they don't do food (no space & a restaurant next door) it is just a bar in the village.

Xx

 

[w1nnie]

People are obviously using it as the last stop of the evening as it is open later than anyone else. I think food of some sort is the way to go to get them in earlier. Even if you just start with posh sandwiches and posh pies, interesting salads etc.

 

[tonicj]

I agree. People always turn up where there is food.

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

Thanks ladies... Il pass forward your suggestions

No they don't do food (no space & a restaurant next door) it is just a bar in the village.

Xx

What about doing a deal with the restaurant where they can guarentee a table in the bar for the people who book in the restaurant? This would mean a better turn around time for tables in the restaurant and hopefully people would just amble over to their table in the pub to continue the night x

 

[fascinationkt]

Cocktails & make them buy 1 get 1 free or half price before 9pm

 

[MissyMuffin]

My village has 4 pubs! They all cater for different tastes but the one that is rammed all the time has no music, no tv and you can take your dog in!
It's the atmosphere, the original features and the real ale. People come on buses to visit. Annoying for us regulars but it helps our lovely local thrive. They have no garden as such but they made one end of the car park into an outside area with colourful plant tubs. We just love it and all ages do too. Many motor bikes and cycles outside as it's a stop off refreshment house too.
But how you turn the ambience into a business model I don't know!

 

[MissyMuffin]

Cocktails & make them buy 1 get 1 free or half price before 9pm

A village pub could die like that

 

[Steph86]

Ive never been behind the scenes so not sure if there is a kitchen (id imagine there is somewhere) they have a washroom next to the bar for glasses.

But something like sandwiches, Pies, salads don't take much cooking/preparing but adds a little extra.

Yes it seems it is an end of the night place, when its busy it is busy & its a shame as it is a nice little bar.

Xx

 

[MissLease]

Pub quiz!!! I love a pub quiz haha

 

[candy86]

Karaoke and happy hour

 

[amys-beauty]

Tapas type food? Most bars rent their space out during the day to dance classes like salsa and pole dancing I know it's not getting them in early but could be an idea for extra money?

 

[beauty bits]

My village bar/pub is family and pet friendly earlier in the day. Then the drinkers come in the evening, works well for them x

 

[cabby]

I think you need to think outside the box to survive in the pub trade these days. If it was me you could try breakfast club or coffee and cake for mums when they had dropped of their kids at school. Maybe run a slimming club knitting stitch and bitch xxxx

 

[Ajay]

The problem is, whatever they do to encourage a crowd in, another crowd will avoid like the plague - put the footy on, do a quiz, serve meals, music (live or speakers), allow pets, allow kids.... Attract one group, repel another.

What else is around locally? Is there a niche they can fill?

• I used to help a friend run her pub and we did a weekly quiz on a quiet night - to get more people through the door without annoying the regular Fri/Sat night crowds.
• We did live music one night a week, if it goes down well they could change to an early set on a weekend evening - get people in earlier to catch the music.
• When the football was on we picked a team besides England and put those games on with a theme - the food served, the music earlier in the run up, the guests beer, anything we could think of! (we picked Italy, because Italian food is easier - pastas, pizzas and ice cream!)
• Is there an outside seating area? Are kids allowed? Giant garden games like Jenga, Draughts, Snakes and Ladders etc, give kids something to do while supervisors chill.
• Snacks served from the bar - again, child friendly options etc.
• Is it a lively area? Do people drive in from a distance? Deals for the designated driver
• Is it a farming area? Theme/deals at lambing/hay time?
• Some sort of loyalty scheme style thing - try all the guests ales/wines over the summer, one a week. People who try them all (and get a stamp/sticker per ale tried) enter the draw at the end of the summer
• Wine tasting evening
• Beer tasting evening
• Cider tasting evening
• Ask regulars to trial the new bar menu/snack menu for a week and vote on what stays

Umm... It was a while ago! I'll have a think for more Wish your friend good luck - too many pubs have closed in recent years

 

[GirlyGeek]

It's not just in small towns this is happening - the 'pre-drink' culture is affecting bars and clubs in big towns and cities too. I used to work in a bar in my town and it went from getting busy around 10pm to only getting busy around midnight because people are going out later and later to save money.


A quiz on a quiet night sounds good.
Events every now and again too? Like a cocktail making class, or an acoustic music night if you have any local bands?!