Whether you’re looking to increase business or to continue to stomp the competition, offering your customers the latest and greatest services is very important when trying to stay ahead in the bar industry. Once a particular trend is set into motion, you have only two choices; embrace those trends or lose customers. The fact of the matter is that people are going to get used to these different service, and if you don’t offer them they will find a bar that does. Fortunately, keeping these services implemented isn’t as tricky as you think if you know what you’re doing.
To start things off, you need to make sure you’re staying on top of all the latest information about the bar industry. There are a few predominate platforms that you should stay up to date with including magazines and websites. Additionally, you should consider watching certain television programs such as Bar Rescue because they often emphasize the latest bar trends. These things will help to guide you and keep the latest trends where they’re easy for you to spot and implement. Here are a few examples of trends that have become popular in the last decade to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
Food
Most bars have a full service kitchen, but sometimes there just isn’t enough space. If you have the room for a full service kitchen, you should definitely consider making it fully functional so you can have another half to your business. If you’re short on space, you should at least get some pizza ovens or perhaps offer some cold sandwiches and chips. Customers will statistically spend an extra hour at a bar if they serve food since they don’t need to leave to buy it elsewhere, and that means they will buy another two or three drinks on top of the money you make off the food. This tasty trend is not only necessary, it will make you money.
Bottle Service
Bottle service hit the mainstream on the main nightclub drag of Miami, but the idea actually goes back much further than that. It’s not uncommon to see a full bottle of wine placed at a table in an Italian restaurant, so taking that concept to the next level really isn’t that unreasonable. This has become a very standard service to offer at any bar, but it’s particularly standard at nightclubs. Simply attach sparklers to the bottle and light them before it’s delivered to the table to make a really big impression and sell more bottles. You’ll need to discount each bottle a little compared to selling things by the drink, but each person will be spending more and you’ll be profiting quickly of this staple bar trend.
Weddings and Events
The first rule of hospitality is that weddings make big money; but other events are golden as well. Whether it’s an anniversary party, a corporate event, or a high school reunion, events bring in large crowds that are ready to spend money. Offering full service for weddings and events will ensure that your bar is capitalizing on this market and maximizing your revenue. Why settle for only your regular bar’s income when you can make more on event services? Some simple remarketing and a couple decorations can turn any bar into a great event center to drive more sales.