Once you already have a successful bar or nightclub, you may be considering your next move. Typically, the next logical thing that you’ll want to focus on is increasing your margins. This is a delicate dance because you don’t want to raise your prices too much. If you do, you can drive away the quality of customers that you serve on a given night! At the same time, chances are each of those guests has a little more cash in their pocket that could go in your register. So, elevating the venue just a little bit can play a huge role in growing your revenue. In the bar and nightclub industry, little touches make a big impact on profits. Here are a few little touches that the most elite clubs use to take their customer’s experience to the highest level.
Coat Check
Coat check is a very nice service to offer your guests and can take an average nightclub to a whole new level. When you offer top notch services like coat check, you can attract bigger spenders and charge more for drinks and food. You’d be surprised at how much your public perception will improve if you offer free coat check, especially if you’re in a northern state like New York or Minnesota.
Upgraded Bathrooms
There’s nothing worse than going to a nice bar or nightclub only to find a trashed and disgusting bathroom. In the nightlife industry, women are the key demographic because the men will follow wherever they go to drink and unwind. Consider offering fine bathroom accessories like clean hand towels, handmade cold process soaps, and even little breath mints or candy to make the experience as great as possible.
Visible Security
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re in danger when you’re out for a fun night on the town. So, it’s your job to make sure you provide good security at the club. Just as important is making sure that the security guards are visible and easy to spot. Ideally, this will make your patrons feel safer and spend more money. Meanwhile, it can deter any would-be offenders from trying anything violent. By simply making security’s presence known, you can reduce the chances of an incident drastically. Little touches make a big impact on profits when it comes to security.
Quality Everything
I talk a lot about perceived value, and I feel like it is once again worth touching on that subject. By simply serving a cocktail in a little nicer glass, you can easily charge and extra twenty-five or fifty cents without anyone complaining. The same thing goes for any food you happen to serve. Make sure the plates look elegant and have some good weight to them. That way, the customer will feel like they are getting a better value; even if you raise the prices a little to offset the cost of new dishes. Even the napkins need to be as high quality as possible! There is a big difference between the way a thin and inexpensive napkin feels in your hand compared to a thicker one made from quality cotton; or perhaps even fabric.
Essentially, if you want to make more money you have to give your customers a little extra. Little touches make a big impact on profits, and you need to adjust things at every level. It could be adopting take-home glassware, or upgraded garnishes like bottle sparklers. In the end, you can actually improve your margins while giving your customers a better experience. When you find that perfect ratio, it will be better for both sides of the bar.
