Creating And Maintaining A Bar Business

© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedCHAPTER 3CREATING AND MAINTAINING A BAR BUSINESS© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights Reserved© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedDevelop an overall concept and tailor it to meet the needs and desires of a particular clientele.Study the market, choose an appropriate location, and determine financial feasibility.Plan an atmosphere and décor suitable to a concept and its intended clientele.Plan the efficient use of available space.Analyze the design and space needs of the bar itself.Weigh the pros and cons of hiring professional design consultants.Examine the major factors before investing in a specific location or building.THIS CHAPTER WILL HELP YOUTARGETING YOUR CLIENTELETypes of CustomersDiners at restaurants where drinks are served.Drop-in customers who are on their way elsewhere.Meet-and-go customers.Entertainment seekers.Sports fans.Regular patrons.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedTYPES OF CUSTOMERSSUBGROUPSWomenLatino CustomersBaby BoomersGenerations X and YConnoisseurs and Sophisticates© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedSELLING HIGH-END SPIRITSThe experienced entrepreneur concentrates primarily on a single, definable customer group, or market segment, whose members will have similar reasons for visiting a bar.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedPLANNING SERVICES TO DEFINE YOUR IMAGEMuch of what will set your bar business apart from competitors’ is your overall image.Make an effort to define whatever special character your bar exudes that will entice people to visit your establishment instead of your competitors’.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedPLANNING SERVICES TO DEFINE YOUR IMAGESome components of image involve very practical decisions. What services will you perform for your target market, and how?What kind of bar do you envisage?What kinds of drinks will you serve?An integral part of any bar’s image is the bartender or mixologist.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedLOCATION AND MARKET FEASIBILITYChoosing an Area.Estimating Customer Potential.Sizing Up the Competition.Selecting a Site.Consider the Structure.Determine Financial Feasibility.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedLAYOUT AND DESIGNTrends in Bar DesignThe gastro pub, a bar that also offers world-class lunches and dinners.The concept bar, where the goal of the décor is to whisk patrons away to new or exotic locales.Another trend is participatory bars, where customers are part of the action.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedBASIC ELEMENTS OF LAYOUTAvailable SpaceActivities and Traffic PatternsFurnitureUtilities, Codes, and Licensing RestrictionsThe room layout must accommodate persons with disabilities; they must be given equal access to public or commercial buildings, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedPARTS OF THE BARThe front bar is the customer area, where drinks are ordered and served, is typically 16 to 18 inches wide. An armrest along the front edge, adds another 8 inches to its width.The last few inches of the back edge are usually recessed. This part of the bar is known variously as the rail, glass rail, drip rail, or spill trough. The vertical structure supporting the front bar, known as the bar die, is a wall that separates customers from the working area.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedTHE BACKBARThe backbar has a dual function: as a decorative display area and as a hard-working storage space.The backbar is a good place to display call brands as a subtle form of merchandising.Multiple facings are used, meaning several bottles of a known brand are displayed side by side.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedTHE UNDERBARThe underbar is where most of the equipment and supplies for the products you are selling must be arranged compactly and efficiently, to facilitate speed of service.The area where individual bartenders work is called a pouring station.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedTHE UNDERBARMost operations use an automatic dispensing system. Such a system has lines running from bulk supplies to a dispensing head with multiple push-buttons. It has several nicknames: A handgun or six-shooter (it is aimed into the glass and buttons are pushed to dispense liquids).A cobra gun (it has snaking lines that connect to the head).© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedTHE UNDERBARWhen drinks are served from the main bar for table service, the bar must always have a pickup station.A section of the front bar near the pouring station where serving personnel turn in and receive orders and return empty glasses.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedPARTS OF THE BARThe Bar FloorMaterials and UpkeepBar Size, Shape, and Position in the RoomThe Bar as Control Center© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedSMALLER, SPECIALTY BARSThe term service bar refers to a bar that pours for table service only in conjunction with foodservice. It does not serve customers directly; it deals only with filling drink orders brought by wait staff.The same goes for the portable bar, a typical extension of a hotel’s beverage service where banquets, meetings, receptions, conferences, and conventions are being held.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedWORKING WITH A DESIGNER OR CONSULTANTChoosing Design AssistanceWorking Arrangements. Smaller-Scale or Remote Projects.Make a Checklist of Bar Design Essentials.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights ReservedSUMMING UPThe first step for turning a building, room, or space into a popular and profitable bar is determining your target clientele. The next step involves choosing the products and services you will offer to this clientele, or market segment. The third step is defining a unifying concept with a special character or identity.© 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights Reserved