DRINK SPECIALS ARE A STATE OF MIND
Never before have so many bars, sports bars, lounges,
clubs, pubs, taverns, regardless of their capacity from 100 to
1000 turned to a
"DRINK SPECIAL MENTALITY" as their answer to deal with not
just
the slowdown in the economy, but to compete against the
other
bars.
WRONG, WRONG, and more WRONG.
Instead "UNLEASH THE FUN".
That's right, stop delaying, stalling, and standing still.
That's why your bar can't even put 100 customers in it,
because your not offering anything but cheap beer and drinks it's
your "DRINK SPECIAL STATE OF MIND" that is destroying your
business, your image, your atmosphere and the quality of customers
you draw.
I have never seen so many bars and clubs and sports bars
put their beer/drink specials as the biggest message on their web
sites.
Forget any "FUN", Forget any "WOW FACTORS", they are
nonexistent.
Think about what you pay for a keg of beer, a case of
beer, a case of liquor, then calculate your pricing vs your
paying, do the math, be honest with yourself, and when the liquor
costs show the reality of your strategies, you will stop this "BAR
BEGGING" asap, if you have the foresight to "REBRAND" your bar,
regardless of it's size with a major appeal to Women, Women and
more Women and not the same joe six packs over and over.
YOUR MENU IS WAY OVERPRICED
I am a firm believer and I fully support having a menu
that offers every day affordable pricing.
It's not about a bunch of discounts or coupons or
inserts, why waste the money?
Because all you accomplish is, ending up training your
customers, so that they only come in when they receive a discount.
Instead, you must have what I call an "EDAPM", aka "Every
Day Affordable Priced Menu".
Value isn't defined as just lowest price, it's quality of
the food dish as well.
It's the entertainment experience and if you provide a
great guest experience, value is also part of that component.
My focus is on continuing to improve your guest experience
and maintain the profitability you have generated through cost
controls and on continuing to grow.
That's the bottom line on menu pricing.
STOP THE GREED FACTOR, USE THE KEY FACTOR, WHAT YOU MAY
NOT MAKE ON YOUR DISHES, MAKE UP FOR ON YOUR DRINKS.
CONTACT
RICHUNGER@PROMOTINGNIGHTCLUBS.COM OR CALL
RICH @ 941-921-7027 ASK HIM WHAT HE THINKS?
_____________________________/
SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY?
Why do Owners put a person in charge
as Manager of their bar or club who has
NO Experience
NO Knowledge
NO Background
NO Track Record
NO Support
NO Funding
Someone please explain to me why any
Bar or Club would place anybody in the lead position, when they
know even less than the bar back does?
Here is a perfect example, word for
word "I have virtually NO
BUDGET to work with. Do not have enough ads, therefore giving away
instead of drawing. That's where I am at now...researching how,
when to do promos, best advertising, fastest route to get there,
etc
COMMENTS: I have never managed a bar before, so I am kind of in
the dark. I have no guidance as far as my supervisors or upper
management. All trial and error. I absolutely no longer want to be
clueless!
Managing
a bar/club is a monumental challenge, even for those who have
worked in the industry for years.
Yet, why
would any Owner put a person with zero insight in charge?
Why tie
both their hands behind their back with no budget for marketing,
no direction/guidance from those in authority above the Manager,
leaving this Manager in a no win situation?
I then
turn to the Manager and ask "Why did you even take this job, when
you knew you were not up to the task"?
This is
not a learn as you go job.
These
are the Money Months right now, placing someone in Management who
as they state "have no clue" shows a remarkable lack of
intelligence on the Owner's part.
Why not
just close the bar/club down?
"Research what?"
There
are no simple solutions to the multitude of challenges, obstacles,
roadblocks that are like a mine field that you attempt to walk
through, when trying to manage a bar/club/restaurant.
When you
are honest and even admit "I don't have a clue", I ask again "why
did you even accept this job?"
Why not
be a bartender?
How can
you build respect, trust and employee loyalty, when you have no
mindset that they can believe in?
MY
BAR ONLY HOLDS 100 CUSTOMERS,
SO what?
The smaller the bar, the
faster, the easier, to pack it Your "Occupancy License" may state
100 capacity, you and I both know you can actually hold 150 to
175 customers.
Why do so many Small Bar
Owners, think small?
Owning a small bar and
implementing "THE FUN" and "THE WOW" to have wall to wall patrons
is a walk in the park.
If you own a small bar and
your not packed four nights a week with women and quality male
patrons, You don't need to be a rocket scientist, it's a no
brainer.
If all your going to do is
run beer specials, offer darts, a pool table, karaoke, then you
might as well resign yourself to the fact you are never ever going
to make great gelt ( Yiddish word for money) nor are you ever
going to be a local "Hot Spot", but rather the same old, yawn,
snore, knuckle cracking no energy basic bar.
If that's your choice, then
don't complain about the age, the profile and the quality of male
patrons as well as the almost total lack of female customers. your
bar attracts.
You chose to stay the same.
What a real shame.
Never ever have so many bars
that hold 100 or 150 customers been so behind the times, so
backwards, so
past their prime, because
they refuse to "REBRAND".
Did you ever think "Burger
King" would open what they are calling a "WHOPPER BAR" selling
beer?
And then you woke up,
because they are, their first is in Miami of course, and it is
doing extremely well.
You have to step out of the
box you are in and realize there is an entirely different shape
that you should be comprised of.
You have listened to so many
people who meant well but knew nothing, that you lost time, lost
image, lost customers and lost money, lots of money.
The "Trading Up Phenomenon"
is the greatest Results Making Strategy , seeing it first hand
happen to your bar.
It's an exceptional
experience of Fresh Promotion and High Energy New Traffic
Building.
When you "TRANSFORM" your
small bar, People want to see it, they want to experience it.
Your packed, your sales are
zooming, and you have women customers like never before.
What are you waiting for?
Or Call Rich Unger@
941-921-7027
"YOU
CAN'T MAKE THIS UP"
"Hi Rich, I just opened a bar
in Ontario, three weeks ago, The place is dead, we had a "Salsa"
night but only 30 people showed up".
I ask " Do you have a big Latino Population in your area is that
why you have a "Salsa" night on a Friday Night of all nights?".
His response, "Why no, we don't have a big Latino Population".
I ask "Then why have a "Salsa" night on Friday Nights?".
He responds " good question".
I wished him much success and said
farewell.......................His bar holds 400 patrons, but
right now, he is empty on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays there are
maybe 50 people.
Three weeks old, and the bar is dead.
What a real industry tragedy.
Lack of Finances, Lack of Experience, Lack of Consistency, Lack
of Dedication, Lack of Knowledge, and above all Lack of Logic.
This is not a "learn as you go business".
_________________________________/
You Should be Promoting,
Marketing & Advertising your "CINCO DE MAYO" Event RIGHT NOW.
Can you even tell me right
now, when is 'CINCO DE MAYO"?
That's right four weeks
ahead of the Promotion.
But the usual Owner will
take one week to hang a banner, put something up on his MySpace
site, and then wonder why nobody called in advance, nobody talked
about his upcoming "EVENT" and nobody, nobody showed up.
So this owner will ignore
other significant and high volume Holidays, because instead of
giving 10000% to generating thousands and thousands of dollars in
food and beverage sales, this owner just doesn't get it.
This Owner has no
comprehension of the "FOUR WEEK ALL OUT BLITZ, ahead of the Event
date.
This Owner, simply should
have called Rich Unger @ 941-921-7027 and said "Tell me what you
think?"
Do you even know what "CINCO
DE MAYO" Celebrates?
=========================================
"APPLEBEE'S" IS
PAYING "THE OLIVE GARDEN" THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY
I
knew it was only a matter of time before another National casual
dining chain copied the most successful lunch and dinner mass
appeal format ever offered.
Along comes
"Applebee's" with their new $5.99 bottomless SOUP, SALAD & BREAD.
Only "Applebee's" limits this
copycat
to just Monday- Thursday and
only till 2pm.
But "Applebee's" does beat
"OLIVE GARDEN" by $1, by offering The "ALL U CAN EAT" Soup, Salad
& Bread for just $5.99 vs "OLIVE GARDEN" at $6.99.
"Applebee's" also ups the
offerings, by
giving patrons a choice of
"Caesar Salad", House Salad" or "Spinach Salad",
and the choice of "Chicken
Tortilla Soup", "Broccoli
Cheese Soup"," French
Onion Soup" or "Tomato Basil Soup", ( these soups cost next to
nothing to prepare) and finally the "Warm Bread".
Just my kind of price,
selection, we beat ya at your own format kind of strategy.
Finally "Applebee's" also
offers the customer to "UPGRADE" their salad for $2.50
to "Oriental Fried Chicken Salad",
"Oriental Grilled Chicken
Salad", "Grilled Shrimp N Spinach Salad" or "Grilled Chicken
Caesar Salad". When it comes to Casual Dining and marketing mania,
"Applebee's" is the clear dominator.
Rather than like most food
operators ignore the marketplace and the economic climate,
"Applebee's" uses a "RAPID RESPONSE STRATEGY",that overtakes any
and all others.
Exactly what I would suggest.
Customize your copycat to fit
your format, but leave the basics in place, so that the customer
gets it.
AND YOU WONDER WHY YOUR LUNCH
BIZ IS SO SLOW?
________________________/
YOU HAVE
THE ENTIRE SUMMER AHEAD OF YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR PROMOTION PLANS?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
HOST, TO PRESENT, TO PROMOTE, TO PACK YOUR PLACE?
HOW ABOUT MAKING A
COMPLETE TURN AROUND IN YOUR THINKING, THIS SUMMER
PUT ALL THE FOOD,
MUSIC, FUN, WOW, DRINK, ATMOSPHERE, IMAGE INTO ONE COMPLETE
STRATEGY THAT WILL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE LOCAL COMPETING
FOOD/BEVERAGE/ENTERTAINMENT VENUES BY TOTAL SURPRISE.
IT'S TIME TO EMPTY OUT
THE COMPETITION AND PACK YOUR BAR.
SPORTS BARS ESPECIALLY
CANNOT AFFORD TO STAY TOTALLY GAME MINDED.
THEIR PATRONS DON'T,
WHY SHOULD THEY? WANT TO KNOW WHY SO MANY OWNERS AND MANAGERS
SEEM UNWILLING TO FACE THE NEW REALITY? THE SPEED OF THE DOWNTURN
LEFT MANY BAR AND CLUB AND SPORTS BAR AND RESTAURANT
OWNERS/MANAGERS IN SHOCK, UNABLE FOR THE MOMENT TO TAKE THE MOST
APPROPRIATE ACTION.
THE BAR/CLUB/RESTAURANT
SHOCK EFFECT IS A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION, BUT THE INABILITY TO ACT
IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THIS CRISIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.
ALOT OF OWNERS/MANAGERS
DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACT.
A LOT OF THE ACTIONS
THEY TOOK IN THE MIDDLE OF NO BUSINESS MONTHS, WERE BAR PRICE
SLASHING.
THESE ARE CLEARLY
ADMISSIONS OF THEIR OWN FAILURES.
RELUCTANCE TO ADMIT
FAILURE IN THE EARLY STAGES, MEANS YOU'LL PROBABLY BE FORCED TO
ADMIT A MUCH LARGER FAILURE, LATER WHEN YOUR BAR IS NOSE DIVING
DOWNWARD, NO WOMEN COMING IN, A ROUGH REPUTATION, A ROCKY
RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND AN UNCOMFORTABLE IMAGE
WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT HE THINKS OR CALL
HIM @ 941-921-7027 PLEASE NO CLUB PROMOTERS.
THE BEST
IN THE BEER BIZ
Once in
an Era, a Beer Man comes along who defines Leadership, Respect for
both his on premise and off premise customers, a Man who says what
he does, and then does what he says.
A "Beer
Man" who treats the 30 seat bar the same as the 500 seat
restaurant.
John
Saputo of "Gold Coast Eagle" is the epitome of "EXCELLENCE" in his
relationship with his hundreds and hundreds of bar/club/pub/sports
bars/supermarkets/liquor stores/fine dining /casual dining and
every type of hospitality venue in between.
I always
ask myself why a beer man in Pittsburgh, or a beer woman in Texas
can't provide, produce and promote both their product and the bar
that sells it, equally so both financially benefit.
Why
can't they be like John Saputo?
HE IS THE #1 BEER MAN IN
AMERICA
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SECURITY IS PRIORITY #1 OR IS IT ?
Please
don't tell me, you have some huge guy on your door in jeans and a
t-shirt with an attitude?
Please
don't tell me, you have your "Customer Service People" dressed in
black shirts with "SECURITY" in yellow across the back of their
TSHIRTS?
Please
don't tell me, you have a very lax dress code?
Please
don't tell me, you don't search pocketbooks?
Please
don't tell me, you don't wand down everybody?
Please
don't tell me, you don't double check ids?
Please
don't tell me, you allow male patrons to curse, grope and harass
females in your bar, both employees and customers?
Please don't tell me, your
letting in girls 18 and up just to get their cover charge, or just
to have them around, since you cannot attract enough females 21
and up?
Please
don't tell me, you don't walk females to their cars?
Please
don't tell me, you play hard core hip hop?
Please
don't tell me, your relationship with local law enforcement is not
good?
Please don't tell me, the
Police are constantly responding to incidents inside and outside
your bar?
Please don't tell me, you
still use the words "bouncer" and "security"?
Please don't tell me, you
have taken no new measures, to insure the safety and comfort of
both staff and patrons?
Please don't tell me, you
allow your customers to tear your restrooms and your club apart
and you do not ban them and repair the damage ASAP?
Because, Your letting in
the trash, your tolerating a total breakdown in civility, your
destroying your livelihood, your club, your business.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
YOUR DRINK MENU IS THE
LAST ISSUE YOU NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH:
There is a National
Industry Marketing Company out of Texas, that bases the majority
of their business on creating drink menus for chain operations
that spotlight one specific brand of liquor.
Right Now, in the midst
of the biggest bar battle in industry history, why would you take
the time, spend the money, to create a drink menu that favors one
specific brand, and does very little to increase your traffic,
your cash flow and your energy?
I recommend an already
created "DRINK MENU" that
targets the majority of
your Customers, that is provided for you free of charge, even with
your establishment's name printed on it.
The art work is superb,
the product is so unique and you don't need to pay anyone to
create this "Drink Menu Concept".
Hotel Chains, Casual
Dining Chains, should be far more concerned with creating a bar
and room full of "FUN" and "WOW FACTORS" and keep your customers
ordering from the bar, and not from drink specials, or cheap beer,
not from up selling, but rather simple selling, meaning keep the
focus on the energy in your entertainment format, and patrons will
not be concerned about the price of a drink.
A bar in Brockton, New
Jersey every Wednesday Night was his biggest week night with 200
patrons.
He did the same $2000
every week, the entire format was all about the price of his
drinks and beer.
I suggested to him, take
down the drink/beer menu special signs on Wednesday Nights,
instead change it up and offer fresh new "FUN".
The first Wednesday he
did as I suggested, he doubled his Night's gross.
Why?
Simple, because he put
the entire "FOCUS" on what he was doing in his bar, rather than
what he was selling his drinks/beer for,
Now do you get it?
_____________________/
FLAVORED VODKAS ARE THE
TASTEFUL WAY TO GO
THE question is, which
brand ?
Just because your liquor
distributor Salespeople are pressuring you to carry two, three and
sometimes even four different brands of Vodka Flavors, calm down,
relax, step away from the bar, think for yourself not for your
salesperson's quota.
Patrons are not going to
leave your bar because you offer one brand of Vodka Flavors over
another.
The deciding factors should
be Brand Reputation, Brand Image, Brand Marketing, Brand
Participation in your bar, Brand Support to your bar, and case
price deals.
Years ago, I suggested to a
bar to feature Van Gogh Flavors, nobody knew the brand, but
because of it's taste, it's consistent marketing strategies, it's
participation in the bar's roll out and featuring of their brand,
"Van Gogh" sold and sold over the Top Brands.
In addition to duplication
and overlapping Vodka Brand Flavors.
The other most important
aspect of your "Behind The Bar" mentality is as follows.
The question you should ask
your "Southern" or "Republic National" or any other Liquor
Distributor Salesperson is, "WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO FOR MY
BAR?"
You order liquor from them,
you pay them, but what are they doing to enhance and increase your
sports bar's business?
Because the #1 bar that is
going to suffer until NFL Preseason are "Sports Bars".
The #2 bar that is going to
suffer is the basic, boring,
been there, sat there,
neighborhood bar.
Both do not have to go
through "Behind The Bar" , down periods as significant as they
are, but due to a lack of vision and an inventory of brands that
they do not even pour on a regular basis, their cash flow is going
to be weak.
..................................................................................................
THEY WON'T COME TO A DEAD
CLUB UNLESS:
YOU decide to stop doing
what every other bar
in your Area is promoting
and totally disengage
from the norm and breakout
"THE FUN" and "THE WOW FACTORS".
You can run all cheap beer,
low priced drinks, free cover charge nights you want, but you
won't make a penny, you will destroy your club, you will attract
the totally wrong element, you will not have any Women to speak
of, you will be as usual "Panic Promoting".
Go ahead spend another $1000
on radio with no results.
Go ahead run another print
ad in that free publication that
nobody reads or responds to.
Go ahead hand out another
few thousand flyers and wonder why nobody shows up.
OR
Turn the corner, make the
change, transform your club, host what you never ever have before.
Attract Women, like you
never ever have before.
Bring in Male Spenders, like
you never ever have before.
Create new avenues of cash
flow, like you never ever have before.
As the Great Jack Welch
former CEO of "GE" and one of the most brilliant minds in the
world of business ever, use to say " IT'S THE FIRST FUNDAMENTAL,
CONFRONT REALITY, NOT AS YOU WISH IT WERE, AND NOT AS IT USE BE,
BUT AS IT IS".
That doesn't just mean
understand what your facing, but IMMEDIATELY reacting, going
offensive, above all "WINNING".
Meaning emptying out all the
other bars, all the other outdoor decks, beer gardens, all the
other clubs, all the other sports bars, all the other restaurants
with night life.
That's the most "FUN" of
all.
Because this entire industry
is a one big game, either you run, hide and lose, OR you play,
stay and WIN.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IF YOU SENSE IT, IF YOU FEEL
IT, IF YOU KNOW IT, IF YOU SEE YOUR CLUB IS SLOWLY GOING DOWN,
PATRON COUNTS ARE WAY OFF, BAR SALES ARE STAGNANT, EMPLOYEE MORALE
IS LOW, YOUR CLUB HAS NO LIFE TO IT, LIKE IT HAD A MONTH OR TWO OR
THREE AGO, IT'S TIME TO TURN IT AROUND.
* STOP ALL ADVERTISING
* STOP ALL DRINK SPECIALS
* STOP ALL BAND BOOKINGS
* STOP ALL ANYTHING GOES
* STOP THE NO DRESS CODE
POLICY
* STOP LETTING 18 & UP IN
* STOP, STOP, STOP.
* TIGHTEN UP YOUR DJ.
* PRETEND YOUR A CUSTOMER
WALK IN AND EXPERIENCE WHAT THEY ARE?
YOU have reached a point in
this club's life where you need to seriously take action.
You need a new direction.
You need a new strategy.
You need a new game plan.
You need a new attitude.
You need a new format.
You need an entirely new way
of
OPERATING.
YOU LET OTHER CLUBS OPEN AND
DID NOTHING TO DEFLATE THEIR GRAND OPENING.
YOU BECAME ISOLATED AND LOST
YOUR FOCUS.
YOU TOOK FOR GRANTED THAT
YOUR CLUB WOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE ANY DOWNSLIDE, THAT IT WAS THE
AREA'S FAVE, AND EVERYBODY WOULD ALWAYS SUPPORT IT.
FINALLY YOU WOKE UP
SO, WHAT NOW. WHERE DO YOU START?
HOW DO YOU START? WHEN DO YOU START?
WHY DO YOU START?
RIGHT NOW YOU SHOULD BE PACKED
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS.
BUT YOUR NOT.
WANT TO POUR YOUR HEART & MIND OUT?
