If your dream is to own and operate a bar, you may be ready to put in the hard work that is necessary to make your venue a big success. The best bars are those that are packed with people most nights of the week, and they are the places where people go to hang out with their friends, to watch the big game on TV or to have cocktails after a nice dinner or a movie. When you want to own and operate a bar that is a huge success, there are some factors to think about before you get started running your licensed venue.
The General Ambiance of Your Venue
Each successful bar has a unique ambiance or vibe. You cannot be all things to all people, so it is important to select the type of experience that you want to provide to your customers. For example, your venue may be a darker, quieter and rather luxurious venue with live piano music and velvet-covered benches on the booths. On the other hand, it may be a sports bar with numerous large screen televisions, sports memorabilia on the walls and every type of beer that you can imagine available. Consider the clientele that you may be serving based on the location of your venue, and you may be able to appeal to a larger group of people.
Offer Theme Nights and Specials
When you want your bar to be a success, you want to give customers a reason to come in and to keep coming back. Most bars have happy hours to bring in the after work crowd, but you may have other special incentives as well. For example, Thursday may include margarita specials or Wednesday may introduce customers to a different type of beer each week. When you select your theme nights or specials ensure that your specials appeal to your customers. For example, the dark, luxurious piano bar may benefit from a regular ladies night each week.
Get to Know Your Repeat Customers
A final point to consider is taking time to get know your repeat customers. While you want to bring in new customers regularly, you also want your existing customers to keep coming back. Stress the importance of friendly, customized service to your wait staff and responsible management team. Ensure that each person who comes in the door is provided with great service so that they feel welcome. When you spot a face that you have seen before, give that person extra attention. Eventually, you may become on a first-name basis with some individuals, and you may be able to count on them to return regularly and to bring their friends with them.
While you may be focused on getting a licensed venue (Zealifi in Brisbane can help with that), setting up responsible management and ensuring that you have a fully stocked bar and well-trained bartenders, the fact is that those steps are not enough to give you a successful venue. When you go a step above and beyond in each of these areas, you will be able to better position your bar to be the huge success that you are dreaming it will be.
