St. Patrick’s Day presents a wonderful opportunity for bars to show what they’re made of. It is important to ensure your bar is well stocked, promotions are planned and your staff is ready to handle a crowd of eager Irishmen and Irishwomen – and of course, all of the wannabees.
In 2014, March 17th falls on a Monday. Many bars will choose to have their biggest promotions during the preceding weekend & obviously on Monday as well. This is a great time to have value added specials, great bands, and killer food and drinks to impress the large crowds. This will keep them coming back throughout the rest of the year. Not only is St. Patrick’s Day a huge revenue generating holiday for the bar industry, it also is an opportunity to gain repeat customers by showing everyone a great time!
Promote!
St. Patrick’s Day is now less than a week away, with weekend celebrations even closer! Your Facebook, Twitter & other social media accounts should be lighting up! And if your budget allows, it always helps to push your special promotions on radio and TV as well!
If you have visitors that come to your bar on a regular or semi-regular basis, be sure to tell them that they can’t afford to miss what is going on this weekend! Print a quick flyer out to remind them.
Take a look at your bar’s competition in the area. What is everybody else planning? As with any business, try and make your party and your offers more appealing!
Green Beer & Cocktails
People love green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. While I can’t speak for everyone, most love it! Be sure you have plenty of it in stock. Light beer works the best, as the darker the beer, the more food coloring that will need to be used. If a ton of coloring is used, the beer could turn the teeth of your drinkers green!
Never made green beer in a keg? I’ve got you covered. Click here for a step by step rundown of the simple process.
As we know, not everyone is a beer drinker. You’ll need some green St. Patrick’s Day cocktails as well. Here’s an extensive list of mixed drinks that should spark some ideas!
Offer Unique, Authentic Food Specials
If your kitchen has the capacity to create specialty dishes for St. Patrick’s Day, any specials you can put together with corned beef and cabbage are sure to impress. Shepherd’s Pie also goes great with a pint of Guinness.
For more detailed recipes, click here for St. Patrick’s Day dishes that are sure to bring an Irish flavor to your bar.
Whether it’s shamrock beads, necklaces, green cocktail stirrers & swizzle sticks, cardboard glasses, or other items, give patrons something GREEN this weekend! If you’ve advertised a good time and a party atmosphere, hold true to your word and have a little fun with St. Patrick’s Day party favors and giveaways!
Give Patrons an Incentive to Come Back
Hopefully, you’ll have a great crowd this year on St. Patrick’s Day. While you’ve got a full house on your hands, give them an incentive to come back to your bar. Percentage off coupons for future visits, free cover vouchers, and anything that adds value will nurture these guests to become repeat customers. Show customers a great time this weekend on St. Patrick’s Day and hopefully you can land several new regulars.
I hope these tips have been helpful and I wish you the best of luck in all St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend! Stay safe and show your patrons a great time!
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