4 Tips for Managing a Bar—Successfully
“We should buy a bar!” It’s a phrase you’ve commonly heard uttered by lifelong friends and colleagues alike; the idea of opening a bar on a whim seems too delicious not to consider. But managing a bar is more than just giving sage advice to patrons during a Thursday night lull, as frequently depicted in films and TV shows. If you currently own a bar or on your way to doing so, you’re probably already aware that it’s not as simple as it looks on the television screen. Luckily, we know a thing or two about what it takes to operate behind the counter. Here are some tips for managing a bar that you can ensure will lead to success.
Hire the Right Staff
It may seem obvious, but you can never underestimate the importance of having the right people for the job. Working in a bar environment has specific demands and requirements for employees, so everyone must be on the same page. And while you must train your team on your particular ways of doing business, of course, it’s also vital to ensure that you have staff members with good memory and interpersonal skills.
One bad interaction with an employee is all it takes to sour a customer’s experience and their impression of your bar. So, it begs the question: what can you do to reduce turnover and keep customers coming back? The most efficient thing to do is hire staff that is likely to stick around your establishment. It makes managing a bar easier for you, mainly because training new employees is less effective when people come and go. Plus, when you don’t have a reliable staff, this can reduce customer experience quality.
Stay Informed
The whole purpose of a bar is that it serves, you guessed it, alcohol. And, of course, when you’re dealing with alcohol and food, you always have to be mindful of rules, regulations, and laws. Sure, you need a solution for verifying customers’ IDs, but there are other considerations to keep in mind. Are there safety considerations that may not be law but your customers expect to be enforced? Since customer expectations constantly change and quickly, you need to ensure that you stay updated with customer concerns.
Another thing you need to stay aware of is the latest trends, specifically when it comes to popular drinks and food. Social media is a great place to start finding inspiration for managing bar menu items. Was there a drink featured in a Tik Tok video that everyone loves? Consider adding it to your menu. Or, you might have to reevaluate your current menu. What types of beverages or appetizers are selling well, and which aren’t? Across the industry, there are often surges in popularity with various recipes or types of liquor/beer/wine. When you keep your menu updated, you can maximize your sales and see an increase in revenue.
Invest in the Right Software
Because you’re managing a bar, you require technology solutions that address your particular needs. Investing in a practical but easy-to-use bar POS can help you maximize your operational efficiency and keep your customers happy, even on the busiest of nights. Your POS system should provide you:
- Quick and easy ID verification to protect your business and mitigate the risk of lawsuits
- Easy recipe look-up for your bartenders so that they can quickly slide drinks down the counter
- Ingredient and inventory monitoring helps you stay updated on what you have in stock so you don’t run out of glasses, especially when the bar gets hectic.
- The ability to have enough tabs visible for your bartenders keeping track of everyone’s ordering no matter how many people are packed at the bar.
When you have a bar POS solution with all the best features for your unique bar, management runs more smoothly, customers stay happy, sales keep growing, and the drinks keep flowing.
While managing a bar isn’t always as fun as popular media makes it out to be, that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. Having the right staff, keeping informed, and investing in bar POS software are great ways to make your bar ownership dreams a reality and not just wishful thinking.
At Focus POS, we offer the latest high-quality bar POS solutions that will adapt to all your unique needs as a bar owner. Contact us to see how Focus POS can be your one-stop shop for all your bar management needs!
