Break Away from the Competition with Four Growing Bar Trends

Posted by Ashley Calderone
 
 

Setting your business apart from other establishments means redefining your restaurant and bar as an attraction, not a destination. By embracing seasonal festivities and launching events, you can create an atmosphere people won’t want to miss out on.

See how these rising trends can help increase profits and set you apart.

Take Advantage of the Season

If you’re in an area with definitive seasons, where weather and environment is pleasurable, take advantage of it! More foot traffic and patrons staying out late will likely increase spontaneous first-time diners. Creating a themed outdoor bar or lounge that is eye-catching will entice people to stop in for a drink or dinner.

Embrace your chosen theme with specialty equipment, glassware, and similar seasonal novelties to encourage your guests to share their experience with friends. Support this activity by incorporating selfie-ready sets or generating a social hashtag (so you can easily collect prime content to redistribute on your own digital channels).

Prepare for the influx of customers by stocking up the outdoor station with essential supplies. This will reduce wait time and improve tableside service.

Culinary Essentials offers a wide range of foodservice supplies for you to select from!

Embrace the Pop-Up

A great way to keep your image fresh and drive visitors into your space without a long-term rebranding commitment is by featuring signature themes.

Create a menu with a theme based on media such as movies, tv shows or books; define your drink specials (and title them accordingly). Keep a temporary mindset, as they are meant to open and end in a short period of time.

If pop-up designing isn’t your forte, work with a specialty company to handle planning and implementation. Hosting one of these spontaneous events will draw in new customers with the goal of repeat business.

Pop-ups represent a safe way for your establishment to try new recipes, introduce activities, and experiment with mashups from other area businesses. If certain elements don’t draw interest, forego using them, and what sticks can help bolster your offerings to maintain traffic during slow seasons.

 
Male bartender with fedora pours cocktail into glass
 

Define Your Flavors

While in-house made ingredients are an unorthodox feature for any bar, these uncommon components can increase customer interest and create a ‘buzz’. Additionally, encourage your staff to talk up the beneficial flavor combinations, which will intrigue guests, leading to unplanned beverage orders when their curiosity is peaked.

An undertaking that will not only save you money but help shape the reputation of your bar. Ranging between simple syrups and bitters to grenadine and sours - batch mixing your own changes the tastes of even the most basic drink. These handmade ingredients will entice your customers to come back again just to relish in the defining flavors.

Craft an Image

Beverage presentation is almost as important as the taste. Customer only ordering water? Serve in a stemmed glass for a more luxurious image. A table ordering multiple whiskey based drinks, in addition to waters or non-alcoholic options? Use glasses from the same collection and it will make everyone at the table feel like they are getting their money’s worth.

Seasonal trends, event-driven recipes, or thematic cocktails create the best opportunity to test which drinks become fan favorites. LED ice cubes, elaborate glasses, or premium mix-ins can make higher priced cocktails more attractive—particularly if they catch the attention of other guests in the space.

By infusing these trends into your restaurant and bar, you have an opportunity to increase profits, encourage repeat patronage and set your establishment apart from the competition.


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