In an industry with margins more razor thin than almost any other sector, the bar and restaurant business is a tough one. From things like finding customers, retaining them, managing shrinkage, and a laundry list of other costs and managerial priorities, running a bar is a real challenge. So when customers come in, you need to make sure they’re ready and willing to spend. Maximizing the profit per ticket and per customer lays groundwork for consistent and sustained success in an industry where those things are hard to come by. Here’s a few ways to make that a reality.
Music choice in a bar is a not oft discussed, but helpful tool for customer spending encouragement. Think of it like how Disneyland pumps in artificial scents through their vents to confuse our brains and make us hungry. With good music pumping from the speakers all night, patrons will likely let loose more and encourage their friends to keep the fun going all night. Whether you keep it upbeat and loud all the time, or have themed nights with certain genres, bands, or artists getting the focus for a night, a fun night out with a group of friends will always encourage more spending from customers than the average night.
Having a tightly and well-run ship also spells success in almost every scenario. If your bar is well-kept, consistent, and runs with few hiccups in service or quality, customers will always be around and always come in. Many bar-goers can attest to the fact that if a bar doesn’t really work for them in the first few minutes, for whatever reason, they’ll grab their stuff (and possibly friends), and head elsewhere. If your bar satisfies customers on all the levels a bar should be operating well at, they’ll come in and stay awhile. Consistent drinks, good service, and personable bartenders can really take your bar the extra mile.
A well-curated and well-dressed up drink menu seems almost too obvious to discuss, but it truly does go a long way. Every bar has the classics, but the well drinks and basic 20-30 classic cocktails don’t go the extra mile. If your bar can swing it (extra ingredients can definitely make their mark on bottom lines), investing in a handful of signature cocktails can make a world of difference for patrons that come in your doors. Not only are they different and enticing, but charging a little extra for those drinks can add up in the long run. (Plus, if they’re made well, someone is bound to post it on their socials and tag their location. Free promo!).
All of this can be a challenge to do with just standard and outdated bar operating practices though. That’s where BarMinder can come in and help. Centered on these revolutionary pour spouts, The BarMinder Inventory System tracks every bottle from when it enters the establishment until it goes into the trash. By combining data from the spouts about every drop being poured with real-time counts of every bottle in storage, BarMinder lets you never have to count another bottle of liquor. Ever. Just slap a sticker to the neck of the bottle and check it into the system, your inventory is complete and provided to you on the hub on location or anywhere in the world on your phone. No more incorrect counts, no more hours wasted on counting bottles, you and your staff can focus on caring for customers, and BarMinder will let you know when there’s something that can be done to improve your operations. Reduce shrinkage, reduce overhead, and make more money with BarMinder.
