7 Ways To Make Your Restaurant Bar More Profitable

Posted by Karen Erdelac on Jun 19, 2018

7 Ways To Make Your Restaurant Bar More ProfitableYour bar is an integral piece of your restaurant.  In some cases, it can be your biggest money maker and in others it may eat away at your profits.  Maximizing the efficiency and profitability of your bar should be a priority for owners looking to increase restaurant profits.  The question is, how can you make your restaurant bar more profitable?

Track Everything

Everything that comes into or leaves your bar should be tracked precisely.  This counts for cash, credit card receipts, product and even individual pours.  “It may seem like a few ounces here and there is no big deal. But when a bartender eyeballs it, or “free pours”, those few ounces can add up big time in shrinkage costs.”  Properly measured drinks and limiting complimentary ones is the first step in making your restaurant bar more profitable.

Continued Training

Ensuring your bar staff has the proper tools and training will go a long way towards improving employee efficiency and reducing waste and theft.  Training and testing for retention will improve employee performance and help you to maximize your inventory.  “If your goal is to establish a higher standard of service and knowledge, frequent quizzing can promote a culture that actively pursues bar and beverage education outside of the workplace.”

Marketing Campaigns

Tossing out a few flyers and telling your current patrons about an upcoming promotion does not a marketing campaign make.  “Bars survive on returning customers, so your promotions must appeal to your core customers and newcomers who appreciate the kind of operation you’re running.”  Build campaigns targeted at attracting your ideal customer.  Marketing techniques such as blogging, social media marketing, email and direct mail are all great ways to draw attention to your establishment.

Happy Hour

7 Ways To Make Your Restaurant Bar More ProfitableThis is a classic bar promotion that can bring about a spike in revenue but will be largely ineffective without other promotions to build on it.  Happy hours are a great way to get people in the door, but in order to be profitable, you have to get them to stay and spend on something other than drink specials.  “Offering additional deals, upselling, and using your ingredients wisely can help ensure that even these low-cost specials bring in their fair share of dough.”

Master The Upsell

Your staff’s knowledge of your menu and what to offer as complimentary items is perhaps the biggest asset to leverage when trying to increase revenue at your restaurant bar.  The more your staff knows about your menu and drink pairings, the better chance they have of selling additional items.  Upselling should be emphasized to all members of your bar staff prior to each shift.  Every customer should be offered additional menu items when the opportunity presents itself.  This will help to increase the average revenue you take in from each customer.

Bar Games

Games such as trivia, billiards, pinball and darts are great ways to keep people in your bar area spending money.  Not only do these games keep people in your bar, they are money makers on their own.  While you want to be careful not to disturb the atmosphere of your restaurant, games can bring added excitement and revenue to your bar.  Before making a purchase, survey your loyal customers to find out which games will appeal to them most.

POS System

A point of sale system that is tailored to your industry is an essential piece to any profitable restaurant bar.  “These order and receipt systems ensure smooth communication between the waitress, bartender, and kitchen to help keep track of customer tabs on even the busiest of nights. It also allows managers to see the breakdown of sales by employee.”  With the ability to track inventory, cash and employees, point of sale systems can provide valuable insights that can make your bar more profitable.

You bar has the potential to make or break your restaurant and attention to detail is needed to make it truly profitable. 

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Topics: Restaurant