IS YOUR BAR COOL & HIP ?
IS YOUR BAR DARK WOOD WALLS, WORN OUT
BAR STOOLS, NEON BEER SIGNS ALL OVER, A MISH MASH OF BOTTLES BEHIND
THE BAR, WORN OUT DART BOARDS AND FADED OUT FELT ON YOUR POOL
TABLES, DISTRESSED REST ROOMS, NO DANCE FLOOR,
A DINGY STAGE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, POOR
LIGHTING, UNFRIENDLY BAR STAFF, NO FRESH NEW FACES AS IN CUSTOMERS,
THEN YOU ARE TOTALLY UNCOOL AND VERY UNHIP.
WHY CONTINUE TO BE STUNNED, SHOCKED,
CONCERNED, CONFUSED, DISTRESSED AND DISAPPOINTED OVER YOUR BAR'S
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE?
INSTEAD OF EMOTIONS YOU NEED TO TAKE
SWIFT SIGNIFICANT ACTION, THAT WILL PRODUCE AN ENTIRELY FRESH NEW
IMAGE, ATMOSPHERE, CUSTOMER BASE AND "REBRAND" THAT REINVENTS YOUR
BAR.
WHAT IS YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY PROMOTION?
WHAT IS YOUR MARDI GRAS PROMOTION?
"VALENTINE'S DAY FALLS ON SUNDAY THE
14TH OF FEB, THEN YOU HAVE "FAT TUESDAY" ON THE 16TH OF FEB. YOU
HAVE A DOUBLE FAT KISS OF TWO NIGHTS ALMOST BACK TO BACK TO GENERATE
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES AS WELL
AS "FRESH FUN" AND "WOW" AKA 'COOL/HIP'.
WHAT IS YOUR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
PROMOTION?
"ST PATRICK'S DAY" FALLS ON WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 17TH.
THIS IS A DAY AND NIGHT OF GREEN, NOT
JUST IN BEER & CELEBRATION, BUT IN CASH FLOW.
WHAT IS YOUR PROMOTIONS PLAN FOR
"SPRING BREAK?
THE "SPRING BREAK" SCHEDULE STRETCHES
OUT THIS YEAR FOR COLLEGES ACROSS THE USA.
THIS YEAR, DON'T TURN AWAY FROM THE
MONSTER MONEY NIGHTS".
NO LAME CHEAP DRINKS, FLYERS AND A DJ.
NOT THIS YEAR.
IT'S TIME TO WIN IN 2010.
FROM "VALENTINE'S DAY" TO "FAT
TUESDAY/MARDI GRAS", TO "ST PATTY'S DAY" TO "SPRING BREAK", DO NOT
LET ONE SINGLE PROMOTION PASS YOUR BAR BY.
WHEN THE NATIONAL CASUAL DINING CHAIN "BENNIGAN'S"
CLOSED DOWN IN AUGUST OF 2008, THE SARASOTA, FLORIDA "BENNIGAN'S"
REMAINED OPEN, BUT THE OWNERS HAD NO CLUE.
THEY BOOKED BANDS FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK,
INCURRED ALL THAT ENTERTAINMENT COST, AND NOBODY CAME.
THEY HAD NO GRASP OF MARKETING OR
REACHING OUT AND TARGETING THEIR POTENTIAL DEMOGRAPHICS.
THEY NEVER SPENT A DIME UPDATING THEIR
INTERIOR.
PEOPLE DID NOT EVEN KNOW THEY WERE
OPEN, SO LAST MONTH THEY CLOSED DOWN.
IT'S OVER.
THERE WAS NO "COOL" AND CERTAINLY NO
"HIP".
THEY NEVER EVER "RECALIBRATED".
SURE THE BAR BUSINESS, THE RESTAURANT
BUSINESS, THE SPORTS BAR BUSINESS, THE LOUNGE AND CLUB BUSINESS ARE
TOUGH, BUT FACE THIS FACT " IF YOU DON'T STAY ON THE LEADING EDGE
AND KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES, YOU WILL GET ROLLED OVER".
THAT WAS CERTAINLY THE PROBLEM AT "BENNIGAN'S".
WHAT ABOUT YOUR BAR, YOUR CLUB, YOUR
SPORTS BAR, YOUR LOUNGE?
"BEEF O BRADY'S" IS ANOTHER CASUAL
DINING CHAIN THAT TOTALLY IGNORES 'THE PARTY HOURS".
SURE THEY HAVE A DEFINED IMAGE AS A
FAMILY EATERY, THAT'S FINE, BUT AT 10PM TO 2AM WHEN THEY SHOULD BE
GENERATING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE WITH A YOUNGER CROWD,
THEY CLOSE DOWN.
MY LOCAL 'BEEF O BRADY'S" HAS A
COMPUTER GENERATED SIGN SAYING "WE HAVE WII" TAPED UP IN THEIR FRONT
WINDOW AND ANOTHER ON THE FRONT DOOR.
WHY?
THERE IS NO "ENERGY" INSIDE, IT IS VOID
OF ANY TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE OTHER THAN THEIR STANDARD FRANCHISE
DEMANDS.
HERE'S AN EMAIL I ALWAYS CHANGE THE
NAME OF THE PERSON, THE CITY THE BAR IS LOCATED IN, SO THAT NOBODY
KNOWS, BUT READ THIS IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF DOZENS OF EMAILS I GET
MONTHLY.
GAME CHANGE:
Hi. My name is Sue Johnson and I am a
bartender/server/crew leader for a place called "Jake's Sports
Restaurant. It reminds people of a knock off hooters in Scottsdale,
Az.. But the fact is were not. We are the neighborhood sports
restaurant . My owner wants to flip his business but isn't willing
to put out for it. He's been open 15 years and is relying on his old
tactics to carry him through these new times. Can you help me with
any kind of ideas I can interest him in? Now we are a restaurant
before a bar and only sell beer and wine. I love my job and don't
want to quit. But this place needs more oomph! Any advice would be
helpful..
Thank You,
Bored Bartender
MY
RESPONSE:
QUIT, FIND A BETTER PLACE TO WORK WITH
ENERGY, AND CUSTOMERS DURING THE "NIGHT LIFE/PARTY HOURS.
Your Owner is losing tens of thousands of dollars every Month and
refuses to embrace "CHANGE", "REBRANDING", "RECALIBRATING" so why
should you suffer?
Your "bored" because he will not accept that this is 2010 he is
still in his 15 years ago mode.
Sadly, even though you love the place, you are doomed if you stay.
I
wish you the best.
INSTEAD OF BEING IN DENIAL AND
ARROGANT, THIS OWNER SHOULD, TURN THAT DOWNSIDE INTO A "I AM GOING
TO PACK MY BAR" MENTALITY.
"REBRAND"..................................
TO "RECALIBRATE" IS TO RETAKE, REGAIN
YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOUR MARKET SHARE, AND THEN SOME.
YOU NEED LIQUOR CONTROLS NOW
MORE THAN EVER
What you do not need is to
invest hundreds or even thousands of $ in systems.
Small bars, clubs, lounges
and restaurants can implement their own Safeguards and
checks/balances to maintain tight reins on liquor inventory, but
without spending with so called "Must Have Software". I developed
easy, simple, tight control processes that keep you right on top of
each and every bottle on your bar, in your wells, locked in your
liquor room.
These so called " Liquor
Oversight or Liquor Command Programs" are not needed, nor required
in small bars, clubs, restaurants, or sports bars.
Don't waste your limited
dollars on what you can do better, and far less costly.
My Program is air tight and
unbeatable.
Due to these extraordinary
tough times behind the bar for many bartenders, maintaining
bar inventory has taken on a new urgency and importance than ever
before.
It is incumbent upon
owners, to be far more vigilant in protecting their liquor from over
pouring, short shots, not ringing up drinks, ringing up the well
instead of call or top shelf, the games have to stop, because that
"BOTTLE" pays all your bills, and it must be respected by everyone.
No employee should be
permitted to drink while working, if you allow it, then you
seriously have no clue.
You need to have control over
YOUR bar inventory, but what you do not want is to spend much needed
cash flow to create a tight and right bottle regiment.
Weighing bottles never
stopped over pouring, and bartender antics.
Measured Shots are a total
negative visual for customers to see, like pumping gas until you
reach the amount you paid for.
Demanding bar times call
for Owner "Instant Inventory" Review. I have done it over and over,
so can you, so should you.
_____________________/
JUST BECAUSE ALL
YOU SERVE ARE BEER AND WINE, THAT'S NO REASON NOT TO BE PACKED.
BEER & WINE BARS ARE JUST AS VIABLE AS
FULL LIQUOR ESTABLISHMENTS.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO NOT HANDICAP OR
HINDER YOUR OPERATION BECAUSE YOU FEEL SECOND RATE.
WHAT MANY OWNERS OF BEER/WINE BARS FAIL
TO REALIZE IS, THEY HAVE SO MANY DIVERSE PRODUCTS TO GREATLY
INCREASE THEIR CASH FLOW.
THE KEY IN THIS "BAR BEATING DOWN TIMES"
IS TO GENERATE AND CREATE AS MANY NEW AVENUES OF INCOME AS POSSIBLE.
LOOK AT YOUR BAR, AND YOU HOPEFULLY WILL
SEE THREE, FOUR OR FIVE FRESH NEW CASH FLOW STREAMS, THAT YOU DIDN'T
PAY ATTENTION TO BEFORE.
THE LIMITATIONS BEER AND WINE BARS PUT
ON THEMSELVES ARE THEIR OWN.
DUBAI NIGHTCLUBS SUFFERING FROM LACK OF
"ENERGY"
After all the billions of dollars poured
into construction of Hotels in Dubai, UAE, their food and beverage
operations in most of these Hotels are facing very challenging and
perplexing ways to attract customers.
Their formats are wound way too tight,
they are copying rather than creating any new elements of Night
Life.
They totally lack "THE FUN" and "THE WOW
FACTORS" , simply pouring millions of dollars into lights,
sound,video and atmosphere does not make a bar, lounge or club thee
place to party.
Dubai now has the "Tallest Building" in
the World, to celebrate, two skydivers jumped off the top.
Fine, ok that generated some media
attention for all of one News Cycle, and it's now old news. You may
buy tickets to the Observation Tower of "Burj Khalifa", but there is
no food/beverage/nightlife on the level below to capitalize on this
magnificent "View".
As well, when it comes to Dubai Night
Life, there is a total gap and hole in attracting a consistent crowd
of regulars and tourists for "THE FUN" and "THE WOW FACTORS".
One Hotel has a club featuring a Resident
DJ, fine, and two bands, that's basic, but what
else?????????????????????????????????????????
They could not tell me?
They offer the same Ladies Nights of 8
to 10pm , Ladies Drink Free, but nothing more.
They spent billions in "Entertainment
Areas", but failed to deliver "THE FUN" or "THE WOW FACTORS".
I fully realize their culture has an
entirely different prospective on Night Life, but that does not
detract from either "THE FUN" or "THE WOW FACTORS" in any way, shape
or form.
It's not their "Culture" that is
costing them millions, it's their lack of insight and foresight.
MARKETING YOUR BAR/CLUB/LOUNGE
With so much competition and the worst economy since "The Great
Depression", today's food and beverage operation, as well just
strictly beverage establishments have to be on the "PULSE" of "FUN"
and "WOW" rather than just copying the bar or club down the Street,
or running the same format over and over and over. Don't you ever
stop to think, "Maybe I am way off the mark?"
You always, must
be a Promotion ahead of your competition and your entire area. You
need to Rebrand, Recalibrate, Reposition and Return your
bar/club/lounge/Restaurant with Night Life with your entrepreneurial
juices to jammed packed Nights.
You want bigger
and better Profits, then generate them. There are Five State
Marketing Tools that will help you find and draw the right crowd.
Please don't tell me people are not spending
money on entertainment, "AVATAR" has the second highest grossing box
office of all time.
People will spend, when you entertain them.
LONGHORN STEAKHOUSES
YOUR TV SPOTS ARE OFF THE PLATE AND PRICE.
"LongHorn Steakhouses" are running a blitz of TV Spots that
are so far off the steak.
The Steak they are featuring is seriously small and yet they
are running it with a $11.99 price, way too high, then they
highlight a chicken dish for just $9.99 the reality is, the steak
IS PRICED too high by $1 and the chicken is priced just right.
The TV Spot totally misses the mark.
It has no "MUST EAT" appeal.
It lacks any "MUST GO" motivation.
"LongHorn Steakhouses" tell your Advertising Agency to go to
an "Outback" and eat their $10.99 compare it's quality, it's
portion, it's presentation to your $11.99 steak and get back to me.
That steak of yours is $10.99 and a not a penny more.
"RED LOBSTER" is offering a two dinner special for $29.99
that once again is overpriced and misleading.
The plates and portions you see are not the same as you are
served.
To spend $30 for these two seafood servings is $5
overpriced.
Corporate, "THE SUITS" just do not get it.
That's my opinion, go to a "RED LOBSTER" and see what is
being served for $29.99 and you be the Judge.
STOP, LOOK, THINK, PRICE RIGHT, SERVE RIGHT, YOUR ENTIRE
MENU NEEDS A "MONEY'S TIGHT BUT I WANT TO BE PACKED TONIGHT
MAKEOVER".
Hey this Month has "Valentine's Day", WHO LOVES YA?
I Do.
