Finding mid-week business can feel like an insurmountable challenge for many bar owners and managers alike. When the dust settles from your busy Friday and Saturday nights, you still need to be making money. There are plenty of options to do this, like nightly entertainment and special weekday deals, but nothing is guaranteed to work. One that is guaranteed to bring in groups of people though, is corporate happy hours. Use it to your advantage.
The corporate happy hour has been a staple of US work culture for decades. There’s a reason it’s depicted in so many movies and tv shows. And with more and more companies returning to in-person work, office camaraderie is needed more than ever. If your bar is anywhere in the vicinity of an office building, you’re surrounded by people who would love to have a reason to come in. After their 9-5 that may have drained them for the day, stopping in for a drink (or two) can be a very appealing idea. Host them. By reaching out to and partnering with some of the managers or event planners, you can guarantee your business some mid-week business and possibly some future regular. Not only that, but it doesn’t have to be a one off event either. Setting up something monthly with different businesses around you can have a huge impact on your bottom line and create a consistent stream of customers.
Once they are in the doors, make them feel special. Offer special deals for the employees who come in. This may even entice the ones who were unsure of going out with their coworkers to come in and spend some time in your bar. Something like a 2 for 1 or a deal on pitchers for everyone to share can go a long way for not only those ordering it, but your finances as well. Being a host doesn’t just mean opening your doors, but making people feel welcomed in. Give them a reason to. The next time you’re having a slow week, call up a local business and get the ball rolling.
The BarMinder system is everything you’ve ever wanted for your bar. Streamlining your back of house operations with an efficient and easy way to do your liquor inventory, easing and keeping a consistent guest experience, and giving your team the time they need to maintain good customer relationships can all happen with the help of BarMinder. Centered on the revolutionary Smart 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.
