WHY BAR AND RESTAURANT OWNERS ARE SAYING CHEERS TO HAPPY HOUR

For many bars and restaurants, the hours after lunch and before dinner are notoriously slow. Business owners can even lose money staying open during this time. So, ‘happy hour’ was conceived to help circumvent this loss and drum up business at a time that’s as quiet as dinner in a Benedictine monastery.

The Benefits of Having a Consistent Happy Hour

A consistently good happy hour is a ticket to creating repeat business and a steady income stream. Beer o’clock gets more people through your doors during typically slow times. The right up-selling strategies also entice customers to spend more at a time of day that they wouldn’t usually be spending money in a restaurant.

Happy hour is great for launching new products and an effective way to attract new customers. Many restaurant-goers will visit a new venue because of a promotion or discount offered.

9 Tips on How to Make Happy Hour More Profitable

It’s more than just a discounted drinks menu for the business-savvy restaurant owner. If approached cleverly, your social hour can become a significant revenue stream for your establishment.

1. Your happy hour should suit your venue. It’s probably not best to promote glamorous cocktails if your specialty is craft beer.
2. To turn new into repeat customers, give them a taste of what you have to offer. Create smaller portions of some of your popular meals to combine with drinks specials.
3. Customers expect discounted prices at happy hour. If you want to be one of your area’s most popular social hour destinations, offer enticing discounts on selected drinks and food.
4. Happy hour doesn’t have to stick to half-price cocktails or dollar beers. For example, promote a wine tasting selection or a flight of whiskies at a reduced price.
5. Provide free or discounted alcohol-free beverages or ‘mocktails’ for the designated drivers.
6. Create your marketing campaign around a signature drink with a catchy name.
7. Make sure you have enough staff. Guests want quick service to make the most of limited-time special prices.
8. The kind of people attracted to the idea of happy hour is generally fun-loving. Add to the vibey atmosphere by playing great music. If it suits your establishment, consider hiring a live band or musician.
9. When live music isn’t an option, create a monthly or weekly event in tandem with your happy hour. For example, quiz evening or Monday night football.

Tip: Get in touch with your alcohol distributors. They may have some excellent happy hour ideas to share with you. And, if you’re willing to offer their brand exclusivity or put up some marketing material, they could offer reduced prices on certain products.

Solidify your Brand Identity with Signature Drinks

To strengthen your brand and add a special touch to your happy hour, why not consider making your very own vodka, tequila, whisky, or gin?

The team at Next Century Spirits can assist you with this process from start to finish. We can help you through all the phases of producing your own alcoholic beverage, from product development to flavor profiling, distilling, blending, and packaging.

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