Are Your Happy Hour Deals Falling Flat? New Ideas to Boost Your Bar Sales

It’s a problem common to many restaurants and bars; after a stellar opening and a few months in the limelight, sales start to fall flat. There are many reasons why establishments can see a sales dip – increased competition, shifting tastes and attitudes of patrons, tired selections and décor, etc. Deborah Harris of Bar Business Magazine recently tackled this very problem in the article, “When Sales Grow Stale – Innovate!

TAM ® of Nevada agrees wholeheartedly with her advice to start thinking outside of the box to reinvigorate sales, motivate staff and get customers talking about your bar again. You can read the full article here. Some of our favorite suggestions included:

Mixology is becoming increasingly popular, and lots of patrons want to feel like bartending aficionados. Offer guidance, but let customers get involved in their drink selection. Offer a selection of glasses, liquors, and mixes, and let them mix and match their order to create something that suits their taste.

Try a tasting table or spirits sampler. Let your guests pick and choose from a selection of spirits to sample, and provide logoed tasting card. This way they can take down notes on which drinks they enjoyed, and they’ll have a reminder that it was your establishment they enjoyed it at.

Sometimes it’s tough to break old habits and get out of a rut, but hard work and creative thinking can pay off big for your business. What types of sales strategies or deals have you implemented with success?

Resources

When Sales Grow Stale – Innovate! – Bar Business Magazine

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Are You Serving Poolside? Five Ideas for Popular Vegas Pool Parties!

Extended exposure to the heat and sun can cause dehydration. In fact, experts will tell you to avoid drinks containing caffeine or alcohol while in the sun or heat. When a person is dehydrated, they actually have a lower volume of blood. With less blood in the system, it will take less alcohol to reach a higher blood alcohol content level.

So, add alcohol to the mix and party goers can quickly become even more dehydrated while drinking their poolside cocktails. So, how can pool party servers ensure that their guests have fun in the sun? Remember, the key word is fun. Hugging the toilet or being rushed to the hospital with heat exhaustion is not fun. When your guests are having fun, they are more likely to give better tips. Here are five ways to keep the party hoppin’ without your customers droppin’:

  1. With each drink order, remember to ask, “Would you also like a glass of ice-cold water?” By helping your guests to stay hydrated, you’ll offset the dehydrating effects of the alcohol and the heat and sun.
  2. Offer food. Food in the stomach keeps alcohol in the stomach for a longer period of time which means that it will be absorbed into the bloodstream at a much slower rate.
  3. Count drinks and monitor behavior. By keeping track of how much your guests are drinking, you can better judge when they’ve had enough. When in doubt, do not serve.
  4. Monitor moods and serve accordingly. Anxiety can slow down or stop digestion and absorption of alcohol causing people to drink too much too fast. Then, once they do relax, all that alcohol that is setting in their stomach will release and the person may seem to become “instantly intoxicated.”
  5. Suggest some shade and promote an alcohol-free beverage. You can say, “You know it’s really hot out here today. I don’t want you to miss out on the party. Let me find you a shady spot. I’ll hook you up with a nice drink and you can sit back and watch all the hotties.”

By following these steps, you up the FUN factor and you keep yourself, other guests and your establishment safe.

What other ways that you have been managing service at Vegas pool parties?

© 2010 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada