Running and/or managing a bar can be a very rewarding experience. Not only is it a fun and exciting atmosphere, but it also can be very profitable if done right. If you have a good location and run a good business, you can easily make thousands of dollars a day. However, running a bar as a business is not always easy, and issues can always arise.
There are many different considerations to make, and it can be a stressful time to try and run the business as efficiently as possible. In an effort to help you out, we have decided to go over a couple of useful and helpful tips to help your bar run as smoothly as possible. While these aren’t guaranteed to make your bar a hit, they can certainly help.
Take hiring and training very seriously
Your bar is only as good as your service and the people you employ. They are the face of your business and if they are not well trained and empowered about their jobs, your bar is likely to fail. They need to be personable, friendly, hardworking and trustworthy (especially with how common employee theft is in the industry).
Your bar is likely to be busy and your staff needs to be up to the task. Part of that is on you, as you need to be able to give them proper training to make drinks quickly, while also being personable and fun at the same time.
Don’t just give your customers drinks
While yes, most people go to bars to drink, there are likely at least a dozen bars in your city to choose from. Your goal as a manager and/or business owner is to make sure people come to yours, and you have to give them some good reasons to do so.
Whether you offer up a weekly trivia night, or a series of contests over social media, they need a reason to connect to your bar on a deeper level than just drinks. Listen to your customers, see what they like or are interested in, and then consider implementing it somewhere in your establishment.
Use technology to help
That’s right, technology can even help your bar business run more effectively, just like it can help pretty much everywhere else. One of the most helpful pieces of technologies that you can use in a bar is a POS system. This will help you manage inventory, keep track of sales and cash flow and other helpful and important data.
In addition, you should also look at an ID scanner for bars. These are handy devices that will ensure you are only selling alcohol to people who are of a legal age, thus keeping yourself out of any minor-related legal trouble.
Have something for everyone
Everyone has different tastes when it comes to alcohol. Some like beer, some like wine and others like virtually everything else in between. While you cannot stock everything under the sun, of course, look what is the most popular and start with those.
Also, if there are any local breweries or wineries you should reach out to them, as local and craft brewing is incredibly popular, and your patrons will love those being present in the bar, most likely. Of course, have some available drink options for those who don’t drink or for the people who are designated drivers.