New businesses seem to enter the bar market almost every week, making for a very competitive market. It's easy to feel like all of your new rivals are just around the corner when you conduct business in a huge city like Melbourne or Sydney. What, then, can you do to make your bar more noticeable?
Make Your Own Signature Beer
If you really want your bar or restaurant to stand out from the rest of the competition, then you can think of adding your own signature beer to the menu. For this, you don’t need the experience of beer brewing. You can simply hire the services of brewing companies that provide services for making your beer. You can choose from over 100 different beer and cider recipes and make your own delicious, chemical-free microbrew. Or you can create your own unique brew for your pub, bar or club by using a small-batch contract brewing service.
Stay Ahead of Cocktail Trends
If you want to stand out from the crowd, building a name for yourself as someone who thinks outside the box is a great way to do it. One simple strategy for doing so is to monitor trends in the beer, wine, and spirits markets and adapt accordingly. For instance, if a bar owner sees that the craft distilling movement is on the rise, he or she may decide to add a premium craft spirit to the drinks list; this decision is backed if the craft distilled spirit has some connection to the bar, whether it be in terms of aesthetic, location, or other factors. Maybe you've heard of the session cocktail craze. Customers are increasingly seeking out mixed drinks and cocktails with a reduced alcohol content that can be savoured over a longer "session" with companions, and bartenders have taken note. A new session drink would be an obvious proposal given the context. So, keep yourself updated with such trends to stand out.
Offer Mixology Or Paint And Sip Classes
During slow times, use your restaurant or bar as a classroom (make sure there are no liability issues that would prohibit this). You could either send an employee to teach the sessions yourself or team up with a non-competitive firm in the same industry (like a cookware or wine shop) or a local adult education program. You can also tie up with some of the beer brewing service providers and start providing brewing classes in your bar or restaurant as well. You just have to imagine making your footfall count rise during off-hours.
Make Your Venue Available for Special Events
The best way to make your bar or restaurant stand out is by making your venue available for special events. This might range from renting out your whole restaurant or bar for a night to a big gathering, such as a corporate networking event or company party, to reserve a private room for special occasions or banquets. You can also allow the crowd for special game nights where they can invite their friends and family to watch a sporting match.
Create Special Menus For Specific Holidays Or Seasons
A restaurant may, for instance, provide a special Father's Day menu during the week that Father's Day occurs, or it can host a special evening event where suitable cuisine and seasonal wines are served. Light pilsners for the start of summer or robust stouts for the arrival of autumn might be served at a bar's tasting session. You can create special menus out of some special seasonal vegetables or fruits that are available in a particular season. It can help your menu repertoire look stronger with many options to choose from.
Most likely, a combination of at least two of the above-mentioned suggestions will lead to success in terms of making your bar or restaurant stand out from the competition. But keep in mind that it all begins with world-class customer service. It's a lot simpler to choose the appropriate course for every other component of your bar experience when you put the consumer first.
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