Top Five Tips For Running a Successful Bar

We've been writing a lot about home bars and private events, so this week we are diving more into the commercial side of things. We want to talk about the things that make a bar successful. You can write whole books about this topic, so this will by no means be an exhaustive list. Rather, it will point out the top five tips that we think are most important to running a bar. 

In today's post, we will summarize our five tips. Then, in the following weeks, we will go more into detail on each individual item listed below. We will update this page with links as those later posts become available, so feel free to bookmark this page and return to it. For an even easier solution, you can also subscribe to our blog here and the follow-up posts will go directly into your inbox ;)

Work On Drink Presentation.

The devil is in the details!

For this topic, we will be focusing on the little details that can truly elevate your bar over the competition. 

For example, here's an easy way to gauge the quality of a bar. Order an Old-Fashioned or Manhattan, but make sure to tell the bartender that you want a cherry with your drink. If your cocktail arrives with a Luxardo cherry (or subsequent knock-off) you are probably in good hands. If your drink arrives with a bright-fake-red maraschino cherry you probably picked a bad bar, or you're reading this in the year 1995. 

In the year 2020, this is a good rule of thumb to judge a bar by; yes maybe an oversimplified way but nonetheless a good way. Simple details (like the types of cherries you use) DO MATTER. Don't overlook them. Make sure to come back next week when we will cover this topic in much more detail. The post will be available next Monday on 10/05/20. 

Uniformity. 

Is Everyone On The Same Page?

If you employ 10 bartenders, chances are that your drinks are coming to the guests in 10 different ways. One of the reasons McDonald's is so successful is because I know that no matter which location I go to, I can count on getting delicious french fries...EVERY TIME! 

The same principle should apply to your bar/restaurant. It shouldn't matter who is bartending, the Lemondrop Martini should taste the same, seven nights a week. (Don't roll your eyes at me. You may have your poker-night buddies convinced about how tough you are, but you don't have this old-soul fooled. EVERYONE loves a good Lemondrop!)

Come back to the blog on 10/12/20 to find out how you can get all your bar-staff on the same page. 

Know Your Audience.

Location, location, location!

You wouldn't open a bar in Antarctica, just like you wouldn't open an LGBT nightclub in Lafayette, LA. It doesn't matter how cool or innovative your bar is if there's no one around to appreciate it. On 10/19/20 we will talk all about what it means to know your audience. Make sure to come back to the blog and check it out. 

Elevate Your Ingredients

You can't polish a turd and you can't shine shit!

We aren't talking about putting diamonds in your drink. That's a stupid gimmick for people with too much money and not enough hobbies. No, we are talking about making some simple changes to the ingredients your bar uses. Using Rose's Grenadine pre-bottled 'sweet & sour' should be a thing of the past. 

On 10/26/20 We will write all about simple ingredient tweaks you can make to elevate your guest's experience without breaking the bank on your bar budget. 

Hire The Right People.

Easier said than done!

This is by far the hardest thing to get right for our list of tips to running a successful bar, which is why it will be our last post for this particular blog series. Ideally, you want to hire people that are a jack of all trades. Realistically, you will be better off treating your staff like a jigsaw puzzle. Make sure all the pieces fit and work with each other. 

You can have the greatest bar set-up in the world, but if your bartenders suck, your business will not succeed. The people you hire will ultimately make or break your business. Be sure to come back on 11/02/20, when we will go into detail about how to hire the best team for your bar. 

Running a successful bar is no easy task, but if you focus on these five tips you'll be off to a good start. Remember, sometimes the cheapest solution is to hire professional help. Twist & Bitters can help you with your bar by identifying problems and implementing solutions for both new and established bars. Please feel free to reach out to us - [email protected]

Cheers,

-Sam 

www.TwistAndBitters.com