Promoting your small bar in the local community
Posted on: 30 October 2016
Share
There is a growing culture of small bars and intimate drinking venues in large Australian cities. These bars are often very appealing to an older demographic of drinkers and attract sophisticated consumers of alcoholic beverages. Here are some ways that you can promote your small bar to draw in these high-value customers.
Themed wine tasting nights
One fun idea can be to run wine theme nights, where you get a wine supplier to bring in a range of wines from a certain region or type of grape. Rather than selling wine by the glass or bottle, you can charge an entry fee for the event and offer people smaller half or 'tasting' glasses of the different wines so that they can compare the wine. You can also have a wine expert come along to give people some more information if they are curious. You may find some new wines that are popular with guests, which you can then add into your winelist. This will in turn encourage event attendees to return at other times.
Matched foods and wines
Some consumers find it easier to stick with wines that they already know. It can be a great idea to offer some discounts when a glass of wine is matched with a certain dish on your menu. This can be a great way to get new people into your bar, as well as introducing your existing customers to new wines which they may not have been going to try. You can promote this through window signs and social media ads. You can also look at creating some special dishes to match with your wines.
Offering discounts to staff from other local stores
One of the good ways to create a great 'vibe' around your bar is to keep it busy. It can be a good idea to offer discounts to local staff in nearby stores so that they come in for cheap after-work drinks. This gives your bar a popular appearance and helps to keep the bar busy all through the night. It also can help to get your bar cross-promoted in local stores if the staff are asked about where they like to head for food and drinks by customers or visitors to the area.
It's important for local bars to be creative in how they promote their offerings. Using a combination of great wine, a matched menu and a good vibe you can attract customers who will spend more in your bar.