I own a bar & I'm looking for new ideas to attract customers...What would draw you to a bar in your city?

Question

I own a bar & I'm looking for new ideas to attract customers...What would draw you to a bar in your city?

Answer 1

Sorry, never touch the stuff.  Did you know that a lot of  crimes are committed within a miles radius of a bar?  Besides, I had a cousin killed by drunk drivers.  All of the junk needs to be banned.

Answer 2

having a restaurant in it...  I dont generally go to  actual BARS.  but if it has a restaurant in it that has good food  then I'd consider it.

Answer 3

Hmm. I can't say I know how bars REALLY work yet (I'm only 20, less than a year before I'm legal, wahoo! LOL), but maybe personalized drinks or drink suggestions? http://www.drinksmixer.com has an nice selection of recipes and such. Drinks that aren't your every day stuff would def. attract me.

Answer 4

a wide selection of great beers, excellent food, fair prices, clean atmosphere, lots of flat screens for watching the game.

Answer 5

Free drinks.

No seriously, um, I think it should be a comfortable atmosphere where there are areas that are secluded and areas that are for louder crowds.  

Have some good bar food, don't skimp on the liquor in the mixed drinks and get employees that won't rob you blind and you're set! :-)

Answer 6

cyote ugly night

fear factor contest

mechanical bulls

featured entertainment

drinking contests

one bar that i used to go to allowed people to draw pictures on tiles and that was used for their ceiling

another bar passed out tee-shirts for dancing on their bar

two for one night

dollar beer

bucket beer

puke beer-serve nasty stuff at a cheaper price one night a week

Answer 7

drink specials, free food, pool tables and clean bathrooms.

friendly staff is a must, people bond with their servers, i used to waitress and half my tables asked for me, believe me it makes alot of difference, tell your staff to be friendly even with the bar

flies.   good luck

Answer 8

get some deals like buy 1 beer get 3 free. Or give a free lite beer to chicks that are hot and hope it attracts guys. Also you can make it more like hooters and get hot bartenders.

Answer 9

well... you could try to get a band to play in your bar and advertise it... like take some money off of your drinks for a little while... and yeah. i have the same problem try these. make sure you have a contract for the band... and thats pretty much what i did...

Answer 10

free bar snacks, but nice ones like mini pizzas & bruscehtta & quiches also u cud try drinks promotions like cheap cocktail jugs on weeknights or buy a certain beer & get a free shot.

Also competitions like design a cocktail and get it on the menu etc

this would make me and my friends love that bar!

good luck, hope i have helped!

Answer 11

In my city I would settle for a heated outdoor smoking area (smoking ban) and a few no gun signs (recent law passed in KS saying all institutions must have signs if they don't want concealed weapons--including schools and bars!).  Other then that, it depends on what kind of crowd you want to draw to your bar.  I like a easy relaxed atmosphere but many of my friends go to places featuring local music.  And cheap drink specials....there isn't a single student out there who can't tell you that hurricanes are 2 buck on tuesdays here and margaritas are 1.75 on thursdays somewhere else.

Answer 12

karaoke, open mic night, bands, $1 shots or pitchers of beer (or $2, a good price!), if you have food run specials (like buy 25 wings, get 10 free or during the game 25 cent wings).

or have you heard of foxy boxing? it's basically 2 drunk girls beating the c**p out of each other!

Answer 13

Different specials for different nights of the week.  Such as:

Half price appetizers during happy hour (if you serve food)

Ladies Night - Women drink for half price

Martini Madness - special martinis cheaper one night

Trivia Night - Winning team gets prize

Karaoke - always attracts people around my area

Live entertainment

Theme night such as Beach Party

Oyster Roast (if in season)

Dollar draft

Buck Burger Night - Restaurant where I worked had one night where they served a burger for $1.  We used boxes of frozen patties for those nights.  Any extra condiments other than mayo, ketchup, mustard (such as lettuce, cheese, tomato, etc) were $0.30 each.  It was a mad house every buck burger night.  And we made lots of money on drinks!

Answer 14

If you're in a college town: theme nights, game watching parties, specials for wedding parties/girls nights, etc

If not, try different times for happy hour. There's a bar not too far from where I live and their happy hour is from 4-9 (M-F) and all day Sunday.

Answer 15

Women!! get the women in and tyhe guys will follow and spend the cash.  have a ladies night where ladies get discounted drinks and don;t let any guys in until say 10 pm or something you will have guys lined up around the block.

We used to do it at a bar I worked at.   Theme nights can work as well like Hawian night etc,...

Answer 16

I'm assuming you mean bar and not club...

- Nice decor without being s****. or too trendy.

- Good seating that facilitates conversation with friends.

- Local artists' art on the walls.

- Good music that I could ignore (i.e. not too loud to talk over!!)

- interesting healthy food on the menu.

- Bartenders and servers who didn't feel the need to flirt or be cheesy to get a tip!  BLECH!  Sincerity and paying attention to the customers gets them much further!!

good luck!!

Answer 17

Get some flyers and tape them on places where many people go. You have got to start small. Chack to see if you can get a bigger sign and put it on a building wall (with permission of course)

Flashier sign, people can tell more people, candies when you leave, good deals, HD tv with sports center on it, dim the lights, a band to play every friday night or something.

Answer 18

I like to have a good environment...like a nice patio, I once went to this bar that had a bon fire up on their roof top...supercool!  It was the only one in town and it was just awesome.  I love a good happy hour...drinks now are like $4 and up so when Margaritas are $2.50 I'm there and usually drag all my friends....A good dance floor is always a good thing when your a bit tipsy...umm I like privacy...so if you have closed off sections for small parties...would love that!

Answer 19

If it is legal in your city(?) try a lingerie bar.

There is one such bar near Los Angeles and the entire staff are females and wear lingerie and they pack guys in every night!

Answer 20

Live Music

Pool tables

Karaoke night

BUY one get one free "drinks" Happy hour

Friendly bartender and waitresses

Beer / wine tasting nite

Answer 21

Well I know my hubby loves watching the games, so big screen TV's showing the game and boxing matches. Of coarse happy hours or some type of drink specials. And you know people love to eat so if you serve some kind of small finger food, like french fries, nachos, peanuts, stuff like that. Now since you have something to attract the guys like the T.V's you need something to attract the girls, so I would say some type of ladies special. Something like ladies drink 3 free drinks before a certain time or whatever. Maybe ladies 1/2 off or something like that. This will get people in the door for sure.

Answer 22

cool music, cheap, quality drinks.  The rest will happen.. "if you tap it they will come"

Maybe tap one keg and give out "free beer" until that keg is gone after charging a cover charge.

Answer 23

Women... Cheap drinks... Radio stations broadcasting from your location... industry night...

Long story short, advertising.  Dominos pizza aint number one by word of mouth.  Crappy pizza and they still outsell everyone.  Its all marketing and advertising.   Pass out flyers, mailers, radio ads, tv ads, newspaper ads.  just come up with fun ideas

wet t-shirt contests, penny beer nights, free pool for happy hour, whatever works for your area, do it and advertise it

Answer 24

what do the other bars offer in your city?  Is there people that are going to a surrounding city to get what they want.  Find that out and open a bar that are people are traveling out of town for in your town.

My husband and I have two kids we make it a point to go out twice a month or more for dates.  We enjoy bars that.  The bartenders notice when you sit down or if standing room only that just give a nod.

1-  Great staff

2- food good food-- not whole meals and it didnt have to be served all nite either .  We have a local bar that actually put a small sushi station in behind the bar.  People love it he now knows that people are coming in for them and creates things for them.  makes people feel good and they like they can watch him.    not crappy bar food thats been sitting in the freezer for 3 years.

Music -- bands -- music

good luck to you sounds like a blast.

Answer 25

Drink and Drown

Have a night aimed toward the type of crowd you want

Biker night, ladies night, g*y cowboy night.

Make sure it's a fun atmosphere, so people will tell friends and come back.

Answer 26

Free Cover and half priced drinks until a certain time.  You could also try special night like ladies night, college night, biker night, anything like that.

Answer 27

Those little ads like the ones for clubs, all over the College/University around the area.  Everytime i'm in school I pick them up.  I'm always looking for a new hot spot.

Answer 28

free appetizers during happy hour.  A Bar I frequent offers free apps on a buffet table during happy hour......the after work crowd is huge.

if you have the ability to create outdoor seating that is good.

Good music and sports telecasts are a must.

Answer 29

How the outside looks.  Not too clean, because then it looks stuck up and not too dirty because then it looks nasty.  Specials Specials Specials.  Maybe like Ladies Nights, Mens Nights, Pool Specials, Beer Specials........ with the cost of things people are looking at the prices more close.  Also advertise MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC, and possibly set up a myspace account for your bar and advertise that as well.  That way people can go online and see pics and specials and such.  Good Luck

Answer 30

-Ladies night with free drinks for ladies before 11pm

-Themed nights with go-go dancers dressed accordingly

-Contests, like bikini model searches or dance offs

-Well-known DJs on certain night(s) of the week

-Drink specials for certain nights, like $2 pitchers on  Thursdays or $1 Corona's from 9pm-midnight

-reserved VIP areas (with bottle service, of course) roped off or isolated from the "general population"

-free entry for a guest if she's a hot woman

-foam parties

Answer 31

Usually it is the location first.  Then, it is about layout.  Some bars don't have a good flow for a lot of people and I hate when it is super crowded and you can't walk.  Also, decor is a major part of the atmosphere.(ideas: swanky and upscale or pub-like).  Plus, what gets the girls there is a dance floor and good music--so a DJ or live band line up on Fridays and Saturdays is always a good idea.  You can also do themed nights.  A bar by my house does an 80s night on Tuesdays.  You have to decide what kind of vibe you want.  That will determine the atmosphere and the music.  Good luck!