9 Events You Can Host to Increase Bar Sales

9 Events You Can Host to Increase Bar Sales

Operating a successful bar requires more than a liquor license and a suitable location, especially for making sales and generating revenue.

In order to appeal to the locals in the area and keep customers coming back for more, hosting regular events is highly effective and can help to spread the word about your bar to those around town. 

Here are some popular ideas to try out as your next event in an effort to increase bar sales.

1. Karaoke Nights

Karaoke is one of the most notable pastimes of those who enjoy going out to sing with friends and loved ones. If you have the gear and adequate space available for your guests, consider hosting karaoke nights at least once a week at the bar you own or manage.

Karaoke nights can help to attract patrons from all over the area, which can help to maximize your bar’s reach, especially if they enjoy themselves and tell others about your bar’s location.

2. Host a Trivia Night

Hosting a trivia night is like hosting karaoke nights, and can help to attract a wider audience of customers who may not yet be familiar with your establishment.

Using a trivia night is also a way to provide fun entertainment, betting opportunities, and even team games for those who are visiting your bar in groups. Host themed Trivia nights based on your local sports teams or even current events in pop culture.

3. Drinking Games and Tournaments

Owning or managing a bar means that there is plenty to drink at all times. Another way to increase your bar’s sales is to host drinking games alongside tournaments for regular patrons and those who are interested in participating in the drinking challenges.

Drinking games can also encourage guests to try drink specials and unique cocktails that you are promoting at the time of the event.

4. Open Mic Night

Open mic nights are extremely entertaining for locals who enjoy amateur comedy and lighthearted fun. If you enjoy comedy, rowdy crowds, or if you simply want to provide your patrons with a platform for free self-express, you can do so with an open-mic night.

Depending on the atmosphere of your bar, you can also use an open mic night to promote drink specials while allowing others to share their poetry, written word, and other performance pieces.

5. Ladies Night/Themed Nights

Having a ladies’ night at least once a week at your bar can help to increase sales and foot traffic significantly, even if you are offering steep discounts or free drinks to female patrons.

Often, hosting a ladies’ night will cause increased foot traffic in the bar for women, which results in more men also stopping in the bar hoping to find someone new to meet. Hosting themed nights and ladies’ nights can help to appeal to a broader audience who are searching for discounts, special offers, or even themed nights for something entirely different.

6. Host DJs, Musicians

Hosting DJs and musicians at your bar (if you have the space) is not only a way to offer live entertainment, but it also provides the opportunities to work with local as well as well-known artists from all around the country and world.

If you have the space available at your bar, using a DJ on particular nights can also help to appeal to younger crowds, which can help to sell drinks and increase the overall popularity of your bar itself.

7. Hold Mini Concerts

Along the same lines as hosting musicians and DJs at your bar, you can also consider the opportunity to host mini-concerts, especially if you are managing a bar with more space or a bar with a patio area outdoors.

Hosting mini-concerts is a great way to offer live entertainment while connecting with local artists and helping to build a sense of camaraderie among the patrons who visit your bar.

8. Special Occasions, Holidays, and Events

Using your bar’s available space to celebrate special occasions, events, and holidays is a great way to appeal to the locals who enjoy traveling and stopping in bars during special times throughout the year.

Having bar space available during national holidays and events can also help to draw larger crowds while providing you with more opportunities to make positive impressions on those in your area. You can use special occasion events as an opportunity to sell tickets to your bar ahead of time or even to promote food sales, special drinks, and guests you intend to host.

9. Fundraiser or Charity Events

One of the best ways to increase sales at any bar is to host a fundraiser or a charity event for a good cause.

Whether you are hosting an event to raise money for an individual’s medical bills or to donate to a local or international charity, fundraisers are a great way to motivate and increase foot traffic. Whenever you are hosting a fundraising event at your bar, you can do so by selling tickets ahead of time with a ticketing platform, as well as by collecting donations and offering sponsoring solutions using the same platform.

Fundraiser events can help to raise awareness about a cause or an issue while also appealing to those in your community who are also fond of giving back.

Managing bar operations is not a simple task, though it can be made much easier with a system in place.

Understanding the benefits of hosting events in any bar is a way to increase foot traffic, pique the interest of locals, spread the word about your bar, while also helping to generate more drink sales and, ultimately, revenue.