BAR & NIGHTCLUBS SURVIVAL IN 2012
HAPPY HEALTHY NEW
YEAR TO ALL !
IT'S TIME FOR YOUR NEW YEAR PROMOLUTIONS. BUT
PLEASE, DON'T SAY IT, PROMISE TO DO IT, THEN, AS ON "BAR
RESCUE" AND "RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE" GO back to your same old
ways.
I am not Taffer cursing and yelling @ you for reality
tv viewers.
I am not Chef Irvine mocking you for food network
ratings.
I am Rich Unger, who for 40 years, eats, sleeps and
breathes this industry PACKING ESTABLISHMENTS with "FOOD FUN",
"BAR FUN", "DANCE FLOOR WOW","NIGHTLY FAB"
LET US BEGIN YOUR NEW YEAR PROMOLUTIONS IN YOUR
RESTAURANT:
THIS APPLIES TO
RESTAURANTS EATERIES, BISTROS, GRILLES:
A I AM NOT GOING TO SERVE MY CUSTOMERS WATER ANYMORE
MY SERVERS WILL ASK THEM WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO DRINK, THUS
INCREASING PAID BEVERAGES, INSTEAD OF EVEN CREATING THE
ABILITY TO HAVE CUSTOMERS ORDER DRINKS.
B. I WILL NOT PUT BREAD OUT UNTIL THE ENTREE IS
SERVED. WHY PUT OUT FREE BREAD AND ELIMINATE THE APPETIZER
ORDER?
C. I WILL RECOMMEND RESERVATIONS FROM NOW ON, SO I CAN
GUAGE MY NIGHTS RATHER THAN JUST OPEN AND HOPE DINING PATRONS
ARRIVE.
D. I WILL HAVE MY CHEF WALK THE FLOOR GREETING DINING
PATRONS, ASKING HOW THE DISHES ARE, AND SHOWING A REAL CONCERN
FOR THEIR SATISFACTION.
E. I WILL REVAMP MY MENU FOR BOTH LUNCH AND DINNER
ADDING, ENHANCING, INFUSING MY SELECTIONS WITH CARMELIZED
DISHES AND 86 THOSE ITEMS THAT DO NOT SELL.
F. I WILL TIME MY KITCHEN STAFF & SERVERS TO SEE
EXACTLY HOW LONG THE FOOD SERVICE IS FROM ORDER TO PREP TO
SERVE.
G. I WILL INSPECT THE CONSISTENCY OF THE SAME DISH AS
PREPARED BY DIFFERENT COOKS IN MY KITCHEN
YOUR BAR PROMOLUTIONS
1. I WILL NOT TOLERATE FOUL LANGUAGE
USED BY MY BAR STAFF.
2. I WILL NOT TOLERATE A BARTENDER
CONSTANTLY BEING LATE FOR WORK.
3. I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OF MY BAR STAFF
TO DRINK WITH A CUSTOMER. IF A PATRON WANTS TO BUY A BARTENDER
A DRINK, THEY ARE WELCOME TO, AND THE BARTENDER WILL HAVE IT
AFTER WORK.
4. I WILL ASSIGN ONLY ONE PERSON PER
NIGHT TO REPLACE LIQUOR INVENTORY.
5. I WILL REQUIRE EACH BARTENDER TO
CLEAN THE BAR FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, FRONT AND BACK, SO
THAT THE BAR SHINES AND IS A GLOWING BAR.
6. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY BAR STAFF TO USE
THEIR PERSONAL CELLPHONES WHILE WORKING BEHIND THE BAR.
7. I WILL NOT PERMIT MY BAR STAFF TO
BUY ANYONE A DRINK.
8. I WILL WARN MY BARTENDERS OF
VIOLATIONS OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT TWICE, AND THEN LET THEM GO.
9. I WILL REQUIRE MY BARTENDERS NOT
WEAR ALL BLACK AND LOOK LIKE NAVY SEALS ON A MISSION.
10. I WILL ASK MY BARTENDERS TO ALWAYS
LOOK THEIR BEST, FEMALES, MAKE UP, HAIR, ATTITUDE, AND SMILES,
FOR MY MALE BARTENDERS, HAIR STYLED, FACE CLEAN, HANDS CLEAN,
CLOTHING PRESSED AND FASHIONABLE.
11. I WILL NOT ALLOW BARTENDERS TO
THROW BROKEN BOTTLES AWAY I WANT THE ENTIRE BOTTLE PUT IN A
BAG OR BOX FOR ME TO SEE AT THE END OF THE NIGHT.
12. I WANT ALL BAR GLASSES SHINING AND
SUPER CLEAN.
13. IF A BARTENDER TAKES A BREAK AND
SMOKES OUTSIDE I WANT THEIR BREATHE FRESH WHEN THEY RETURN TO
WORK BEHIND THE BAR.
14. I WILL NOT TOLERATE SHORTAGES OR
OVERAGES IN MY REGISTERS.
MY DOOR STAFF MY DJ, MY BAR BACK
15. I EXPECT MY DOOR STAFF TO BE
COURTEOUS, FRIENDLY, NEVER WEAR THE WORD SECURITY OR BOUNCER
OR USE THOSE WORDS EVER AGAIN.
16. IF AN ID IS QUESTIONABLE, REFUSE
ENTRY TO THE PATRON.
17. I DO NOT WANT ANY FOUL MOUTH,
VIOLENT THUGS OF ANY RACE IN MY CLUB. A SIGN SHOULD BE
PROFESSIONALLY POSTED, THAT IF PATRONS NEED TO BE WAND DOWN ,
OR POCKETBOOKS SEARCHED, THEN THEY WILL BE.
18. MY DOOR STAFF WILL NOT ENGAGE IN
VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS THEY WILL CALL LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WE WILL IMPLEMENT A DRESS CODE, CHANGE OUR GENRE OF MUSIC,
ENFORCE OUR COVER CHARGE, AND USE THESE STEPS TO DISSUADE THE
PROBLEMATIC POTENTIAL PATRONS FROM WANTING TO COME IN OUR
CLUB. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE.
19. I WANT MY OUTSIDE ALWAYS CLEAN, AND
SHINING, NO GARBAGE, NO LITER, NO CIGARETTE BUTTS, NO SNEAKING
IN LIQUOR. I WANT A TIGHT
RUN DOOR, I PREFER A REALLY CUTE FEMALE IN A LONG HOSTESS
DRESS, WITH A MALE HOST IN THE BACKGROUND IN CASE OF A
SITUATION.
20. I WANT DJ TO DRESS IN STYLE, NO
TSHIRTS, NO BASEBALL CAPS, WEAR A FEDORA,THE LATEST RAGE IN
HATS ARE NO JEANS, NO ATTITUDE, I WANT MY DJ TO PLAY WHAT MY
PATRONS WANT, THEY ARE PAYING HIM TO SPIN.
21. I WANT A NEAT AND CLEAN DJ BOOTH.
22. I DO NOT WANT MY DJ TO DRINK WHILE
WORKING.
23. I WANT MY DJ TO FOCUS ON PACKING MY
DANCE FLOOR.
24. I WANT MY DJ TO BE COURTEOUS AND
PROFESSIONAL DURING HIS RESIDENCY OR GUEST APPEARANCE.
25. I WANT MY BAR BACK TO WORK, WORK
AND WORK SOME MORE.
I WILL MAKE SURE MY BAR BACKS ARE
COMPENSATED FOR THEIR DEDICATION. I WANT CLEAN BATHROOMS, MY
ICE BINDS FILLED, MY
GARBAGE BINS EMPTY. ANY KIND OF MESS
CLEANED UP ASAP.
26. I WANT MY BAR BACK TO WEAR ALL BACK
DUE TO THE STAINS AND SWEAT OF THE JOB. BUT NOT LOOK LIKE A
SLOB.
MY GENERAL MANAGER
27. I WANT A GM WHO DOES NOT HIT ON
FEMALE EMPLOYEES.
28. I WANT A GM WHO CAN SEE A PROBLEM
DEFUSE IT, AND SHOW LEADERSHIP.
29. I WANT A GM WHO DOES NOT ACT LIKE A
BIG SHOT, BUT RATHER A CUSTOMER SERVICE AMBASSDOR.
30. I WANT A GM WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR
MY BEST INTERESTS AND DOES NOT ALLOW ANY THEFT, DRUGS,
PERSONAL SITUATIONS, OR ANY OUTSIDE
ISSUES TO AFFECT MY NIGHTLY BUSINESS.
31. I WANT MY GM TO BE FRIENDLY,
OUTGOING AND HONEST.
32. I WANT MY BUSINESS INFORMATION TO
REMAIN INSIDE MY PLACE OF BUSINESS. I WANT ETHICS, MORALS,
VALUES, CHARACTER AND LOYALTY.
I KNOW, I AM ASKING ALOT. GIVE ME A
NAVY SEAL OR ARMY SPECIAL FORCES ELITE.
OVERALL OPERATIONAL RESOLUTIONS:
A. I WILL NOT FIGHT PRICE WITH PRICE,
I LOWERING PRICES IS NOT GOING TO WIN BACK MY CUSTOMERS.
B. WHEN A RADIO SALESPERSON, AN
INTERNET SOCIAL NETWORK CONSULTANT, ANY MEDIA PERSON COMES IN
WITH WHAT THEY CAN DO AND HOW THEY ARE GOING TO PACK MY VENUE,
I WANT ASSURANCES, THAT'S RIGHT, THEY TALK A GOOD TALK, BUT I
AM FED UP WITH LACK OF RESULTS.
IF IT'S SO POWERFUL, SO EFFECTIVE, I
WANT RESULTS OR A FAIR RESOLUTION TO THE MONEY I AM SPENDING.
NO MORE TAKE THE $ AND RUN.
C. I WANT TO REVAMP,
REINVENT, REPOSITION, RECONFIGURE, RENEW PERHAPS EVEN CHANGE
THE NAME OF MY VENUE, IT'S GOTTEN OLD, STALE, BORING, DULL,
AND WORSE OF ALL, EVERYONE KNOWS IT AND ADMITS IT BUT ME THE
OWNER.
________________________________________________________________________________/
Never Give your Well
Business To The Same Liquor Vendor Your Giving Most of your
Major Brand Business to, why? Because unless this liquor
vendor is doing anything and everything you ask, you are on a
one way train, that only goes their way and never goes in your
direction. Your Well is your 'ACE", do not give it just to
have one Liquor House own your bar. If they have the chutzpah
to say "NO" to you, when you ask them for help, Support,
Sponsorships, Brand Parties, you start taking the entire well
The Vodka
The Rum
The Tequila
The Gin
The Bourbon
The Scotch
all away from them. It's
called "Quid Pro Quo", I do for you, you do for me.
They know how
to take the orders, deliver the cases and pick up the checks.
What they don't have is "YOUR BACK". They can have only the
bare minimum of orders and you want to speak to the Vice
President of Sales, and not some district manager or other
lower minion. You want Respect and you want RECIPROCATION. No
excuses, no explanations, no nonsense. Develop a "RICHIE
RANT", it's called you get more with a position of power than
with honey.
MY FAVORITE "SWIM UP
BAR" ANYWHERE IS....
WHAT A SWIM UP! WHAT A BAR !
______________________________/
Rich, Here's our format, Karaoke,
comedy shows,2 bands, local news ads. pocket cent ads.radio
commercial in the works, comedy shows, not enough customers
show up
Wife and I are dazed and confused as to what to do? James &
Heidi
MY RESPONSE: Hi James & Heidi, Karaoke is knocked out.
Comedy Shows must be so fine tuned to fit in your Community,
not just anybody who appeared on some National TV Show, or
Late Night Show. Local Newspaper Ads total waste of money.
Pocket Cent Ads are like Groupon they are now over used, over
rated, over saturated. Radio ads, add up all that money you
and your Wife spent, no wonder your confused. It all reverts
back to my pound the stone philosphy, "GAME PLAN", "SET OF
STRATEGIES", "MARKETING PATHS", infuse "THE FUN", "THE WOW
FACTORS" and "THE FAB".
If local newspapers worked, people would not read
online, the days of print ads are about coming to an end.
Pocket Cent Ads are not for your type of venue. Radio, nobody
is listening. You and Your Wife just kept throwing more and
more money at every form of useless so called advertising that
nobody paid attention to, no one responded to and no one came
to your venue from.
As for bands, here I go again, local bands unless
they:
Learn an entire new set before they come back again
Unless they dress for the stage and not for farming
Unless they don't drink on stage
Unless they go wireless and entertain the entire room,
not just stand on the stage.
Unless they bring in great voiced hot female singers
to enhance their performances
Unless they do "REMEMBER THEM" Sets that are dedicated
to legendary bands.
Unless they pack the dance floor
Unless they don't play everywhere around your venue,
which denies you the ability to even charge a cover charge.
Unless they appreciate the GIG, you don't want any
local or regional bands to perform @ your venue.
I know exactly the bands and genres of music that will
pack your place.
_________________________________________/
THINKING YOU CAN PLACE YOUR FOOD
ANYWHERE
First let me start by saying that i like all of your advice. I
agree with all of it. And im a firm believer in the fact that
"someone always knows more than you do". So im asking for some
help here.
Im a young business owner. ive been owning and
operating pizzerias for years . Well about a year ago a
popular bar in the area closed down after they had some
issues with violence, gangs, bad crowds etc. It was closed
about a year until i reopened it under a new name and
manager and all. We opened in March and we only made money
on fridays and saturdays, the rest of the week was a waste
of time, im sure you hear this a lot. Well i decided to move
one of my pizzerias, which was really popular in the area,
into the kitchen at the bar. So now we are running our
pizzeria and bar/night club out of the same establishment. I
thought about it for a good month or two before pulling the
trigger and the thought of saving 60-70k a year in just
overhead from the pizzeria made me pull the trigger and get
it done. But im not writing today because of that. Its
because our bar life has gradually decreased over the last 2
months. We have the largest, nicest bar in the city
of ______________ and when we opened we were really the only
bar having entertainment and offering specials. Now, 4 other
dive bars in the area are having DJs to compete with us and
they copied my drink specials.
And now im reaching out for help before its too
late.
Im located in____________ Its a small city,
population like 25,000. We have a large hispanic population,
prolly 40% of the city is hispanic. Its not a very affluent
community although there are a lot of blue collar jobs with
this huge industrial park just a mile outside the city. The
bar is named _______________.
Im not in the weeds yet here but i have a feeling if
we dont find that wow factor, we will be. I really need some
advice here.
Let me know how we go from here and if you can give
me a hand.
Thanks,
Michael
MY RESPONSE: FIRST THE BAR'S NAME IS HIDEOUS,
SERIOUSLY A NAME HAS TO REPRESENT AN IMAGE, AN ATMOSPHERE,
SEND A MESSAGE OF WHAT KIND OF VENUE YOU ACTUALLY ARE. THE
NAME YOUR ESTABLISHMENT HAS, DOES NONE OF THE ABOVE.
YES, you do need "WOW FACTORS" which is not one
singular moment, it is a GAME PLAN you implement, a SET OF
STRATEGIES you follow, a MARKETING PATH you take.
The Hispanic Market is a wonderful group of party
people, you just have to excite them and entice them to
party, to spend, to tip and to have a good time.
Your burnt out, your challenged, your lost right
now.
It's always the largest, nicest places in an area
that do the least amount of business, all because they rely
on their decor instead of what they can offer on their
floor.
Email me some pictures or a video let me see what
you have to work with and how it is being percevied?
I would suggest powerful high energy Latin Nights,
but not every night, just one night a week, so that you can
reach diverse demographics in your greater area and reach
out beyond the norm to bring in as many women of diversity,
as possible.
I am all about attracting women with 60% or 70%
women on any given night, you have a dead atmosphere.
When you have nothing but joe six packs, you have a
place that is going down, and I mean sinking fast.
That's why you stop spending, you stop doing, you
stop listening to what anyone and everyone is telling you.
GREAT TRUE
STORY:
A CLUB OWNER
EMAILED ME, HE HAD A HOT SHOT IMAGE CLUB PROMOTER APPROACH
HIM ABOUT HOSTING A NIGHT, SO THE OWNER AGAINST MY AND HIS
OWN MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS STAFF'S COMMENTS GAVE THIS CLUB
PROMOTER HIS DREAM COME TRUE.
THE OWNER GAVE
HIM A WEDNESDAY NIGHT, ALMOST 200 PATRONS SHOWED UP, THE
CLUB PROMOTER GOT THE DOOR, THE OWNER WAS SUPPPOSE TO GET
THE FIRST 150 COVER CHARGES AND THE LIQUOR SALES, PER MY
ADVICE, BUT HE CHOSE TO GIVE THE CLUB PROMOTER THE DOOR.
NEEDLESS TO SAY,
NOBODY WAS DRINKING.
THE OWNER
DISCOVERED THE MAJORITY OF THIS CLUB PROMOTER'S CROWD WERE
DOING DRUGS.
WHEN THE NIGHT
WAS OVER THE OWNER ASKED THE CLUB PROMOTER INTO HIS OFFICE.
THE OWNER ASKED
THE CLUB PROMOTER" HOW DID YOU DO TONIGHT?" THE CLUB
PROMOTER RESPONDED "GREAT,LET'S DO IT AGAIN".
THE CLUB OWNER
SAID "OK, SURE NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONLY HERE'S THE WAY THIS
IS GOING TO WORK, I GET THE FIRST 50 PAID COVER COVERS,
SECOND, NOBODY DOES DRUGS IN HERE, I SEE ONE CUSTOMER OF
YOURS IN MY RESTROOMS DOING DRUGS WITH MY STAFF IN EACH REST
ROOM, I SEE ANYBODY GO OUTSIDE AND DO DRUGS AND COME BACK
IN, FIRST I CALL THE LAW TO HAVE THEM ARRESTED, THEN I THROW
YOU OUT.
THE NEXT
WEDNESDAY CAME AROUND, GUESS WHAT, THE OWNER TOOK THE FIRST
50 PAID COVERS AND THE BAR DID OVER 30% MORE IN REVENUE.
WHY? BECAUSE THE CLUB PROMOTER PUT THE WORD OUT," NO DRUGS
OR YOU GET BUSTED SO DON'T EVEN BRING ANY IN OR LEAVE ANY
OUT BY THE CAR" EVEN THE FOOD SALES OF BAR APPETIZERS WERE
UP 25% FROM THE WEEK BEFORE. I TOLD THE OWNER " I WARNED
YOU" HE REPLIED, "HEY RICH YOU WERE RIGHT, BUT IT WAS A DEAD
NIGHT, AND I FIGURED OUT MYSELF WHY I WAS NOT DOING
BUSINESS, I TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF AND IT WORKED". HE DID
AND IT DID.
I SALUTE YOU
SAMUEL.
FINALLY,
YOUR MISSION IS TO DEFINE YOUR CLUB,
YOUR BAR, YOUR SPORTS BAR, YOUR LOUNGE, YOUR RESTAURANT WITH
NITE LIFE, YOUR BILLIARDS CENTER WHICH HAS A BAR, FIRST TAKE
OUT SOME OF THOSE POOL TABLES, I HAVE FOUND, MOST
BILLIARDS/BAR VENUES HAVE WAY TOO MANY TABLES, AND NOT
ENOUGH ROOM TO PARTY, TO DANCE TO DRINK.
I HAVE FOUND FAR TOO
MANY SPORTS BARS FOCUS ON WINGS AND PITCHERS OF BEERS WITH
SHOWING GAMES, AND TOTALLY IGNORING OFF NIGHTS WHEN NO GAME
IS ON.
SPORTS BARS NEED TO BE
"FUN BARS", THEY NEED TO BE "WOW BARS", THEY NEED TO BE "FAB
BARS".
I HAVE A SPRING BREAK
PROMOTION THAT WILL GENERATE 100% MORE CASH FLOW THAN YOU
DID LAST YEAR.
