Thanks rajraj and FI, good points all around. I really like your point about the menus, our menu is completely bloated to try and offer more variety but no one even buys most of the crap on there.
I have been in this business my whole life, and I will tell you one of the key things, is to have a specific identity. Mixing two types of identities never works. My point is about having the Dj, I dont think its a good idea for THAT type of place. Dont try to make a corner bar into the next club, take what you have and improve on it. Instead of having a bunch of old hags behind the bar get a few young girls in there, instead of the shitty ass band, get a good one.
And another thing is for you to be a big part of the customer relations, get in there and chat it up with the clientele and make them feel special, buy a few guys a round every once in a while and make them feel welcome in your place.
Good luck!!
[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
[quote]dday wrote:
so many non smokers will smoke when they drink
[/quote]
Uh…that would make them “smokers”. :)[/quote]
I unno, about 4-5 drinks in and call me Dirty Harry
[quote]therajraj wrote:
Lastly, I don’t know what your bar menu looks like, but I’ve been to some bars and they have ridiculous food selection (4-5 page menus) and most of what is available is only “okay.” Personally, I think a streamlined menu with no more than 10-15 items where everything is typical bar food and tastes great is better than a large selection of okay items. Think one laminated page menu.
[/quote]
As well, as I pointed out earlier, if you’re going to change the scene of the bar at night (like switch from a restaurant and bar to just a bar and maybe dance floor) then have a little bit longer menu, but I wouldn’t start serving lunch all of a sudden and early bird specials.
However, one thing I would suggest, Friday Fish Fry’s. Advertise in the local papers and Churches. Charge a good margin on the plate, and the Catholics won’t try and shut you down and they’ll fill your pockets with green backs.
I worked in the bar trade here in the UK for a few years. Ive worked in bars that tried to turn themselves around and it can be very hard to get right.
One big issue that no one has mentioned is, whats to stop the old clientele coming back after the renovation? I’ve worked in bars where they tried everything possible to get rid of the old clientele and attract a younger crowd, but the old guys came back even with pumping drum and bass music playing a few nights a week. This had a negative effect on attracting a new crowd, and really after spending a lot of money on renovation there was no real net gain.
You need to master the trick of being inhospitable to the old dudes whilst attracting whatever your new crowd is. I would look to whats not catered for in the area at the moment, and what there may be a demand for
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
By the way, if you start doing that well drinks or real cheap college specials, realize who you bring with it- drunk waste of life college kids who are absolutely going to get in fights and drive home drunk from your place and hit shit.
To me, it’s never worth it to get known as “that place” when you could be known as a much better bar.[/quote]
That’s unfair. A college-aged crowd doesn’t automatically mean a low class establishment. You’ll have those problems no matter your age group. You just sound like you hate all college students. [/quote]
Not true at all. If your bar attracts people 25 and over who aren’t out to just get shitfaced, you will not have as much violence.
Trust me when I tell you I’ve been going to bars since I was 17 and I have been part of the problem more often than part of the solution. What I can say is that after turning 25 (I’m 27 now) and hitting the wall, so to speak, I’m much less prone to start trouble or fight than I was five years ago.
There’s a reason they call these things “Youthful indiscretion.”
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
By the way, if you start doing that well drinks or real cheap college specials, realize who you bring with it- drunk waste of life college kids who are absolutely going to get in fights and drive home drunk from your place and hit shit.
To me, it’s never worth it to get known as “that place” when you could be known as a much better bar.[/quote]
That’s unfair. A college-aged crowd doesn’t automatically mean a low class establishment. You’ll have those problems no matter your age group. You just sound like you hate all college students. [/quote]
Not true at all. If your bar attracts people 25 and over who aren’t out to just get shitfaced, you will not have as much violence.
Trust me when I tell you I’ve been going to bars since I was 17 and I have been part of the problem more often than part of the solution. What I can say is that after turning 25 (I’m 27 now) and hitting the wall, so to speak, I’m much less prone to start trouble or fight than I was five years ago.
There’s a reason they call these things “Youthful indiscretion.”[/quote]
lol - this is so true.
Going to a place that caters to the 19-22 crowd is always low class.
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
By the way, if you start doing that well drinks or real cheap college specials, realize who you bring with it- drunk waste of life college kids who are absolutely going to get in fights and drive home drunk from your place and hit shit.
To me, it’s never worth it to get known as “that place” when you could be known as a much better bar.[/quote]
That’s unfair. A college-aged crowd doesn’t automatically mean a low class establishment. You’ll have those problems no matter your age group. You just sound like you hate all college students. [/quote]
Are you in the United States? If that’s the case your hub lists you at 20 which is below the drinking age in the United Sates.
How much experience do you have going to bars and clubs?
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
By the way, if you start doing that well drinks or real cheap college specials, realize who you bring with it- drunk waste of life college kids who are absolutely going to get in fights and drive home drunk from your place and hit shit.
To me, it’s never worth it to get known as “that place” when you could be known as a much better bar.[/quote]
That’s unfair. A college-aged crowd doesn’t automatically mean a low class establishment. You’ll have those problems no matter your age group. You just sound like you hate all college students. [/quote]
Are you in the United States? If that’s the case your hub lists you at 20 which is below the drinking age in the United Sates.
How much experience do you have going to bars and clubs?[/quote]
The ‘That’s unfair’ should have given it away.
I just wanted to add, good luck with the bar/establishment LM. 
You let them watch the news in the bar? Thats the worst thing I’ve ever heard and I like dive bars with old timers.
A co-worker of mine suggested ten dollars at the door all you can drink well vodka drinks. Those drinks should cost you like 20 cents a pop and no one can drink ten dollars of em.
I think this is a horrible idea for the reasons other people said about clientele issues but its an interesting idea to drive traffic at least.
Consider an exchange with a local/nearby non-chain burger joint to advertise a percentage discount (5-10%) for producing a receipt from the other establishment.
They kinda go hand in hand in both directions. Some drinks and hanging out after a burger, a burger after some drinks and a night of hanging out.
[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
This is one of our biggest problems. The current bartenders don’t bring anyone in at all. They’ve all been there for so long it almost feels like they just gave up on trying to make a crowd. We’re speaking with them and going over the new agenda with them so if they don’t at least start trying again we’ll have to get some new bartenders in there.
[/quote]
Fire them. Bartenders have a very short shelf life. A comfortable bartender is one who doesn’t bring in people and steals (a whole 'nother issue no one has addressed yet).
[quote]postholedigger wrote:
Consider an exchange with a local/nearby non-chain burger joint to advertise a percentage discount (5-10%) for producing a receipt from the other establishment.
They kinda go hand in hand in both directions. Some drinks and hanging out after a burger, a burger after some drinks and a night of hanging out.[/quote]
I always like to black out at places with coupons. But I’m a party animal ya know.
play soul thrashing black sorcery metal 24/7.
Keep the High Life special, get ready to advertise the shit out of it. Miller High Life is about to explode Pabst style, now that hipsters believe Pabst to be blown out.
new bartenders who have a following are key. get them. bartenders will make or brake a bar.
Am I misunderstanding, or do people really go to bars for the bartenders? I don’t get this. I go out to have a drink with friends, I couldn’t give a fuck how or by whom the drink gets made.
Ditching the live music for a DJ? No way. DJ’s suck.
[quote]Cimmerian wrote:
Am I misunderstanding, or do people really go to bars for the bartenders? I don’t get this. I go out to have a drink with friends, I couldn’t give a fuck how or by whom the drink gets made.[/quote]
I won’t go back to a place that has shitty bartenders. I’ve walked out of places if I have to wait too long at the bar to get a drink as well. I know everyone always says you want to have hot chicks behind the bar, but in my opinion, it is better to have hot chicks IN your bar, and that means having competent bartenders. Hire the girls with big tits to clean the glasses (that’s all anyone wants to watch them do anyway) and keep the hard stuff to the professionals.