Getting your venue on-trend for summer

How to take advantage of the summer months - whatever the English weather throws at us

How can you make the most of the busy summer period and get your venue in tip top shape to attract more customers, rain or shine?

It is never too early to start the preparations to ensure your outlet is ready for the months ahead. Whether that’s fresh plants and colourful flowers in the garden or a new lick of paint to make the inside of your pub a bit brighter, this is the time to make those changes.

Although we are all wishing for the hot sunshine this summer, it’s important to prepare for those summer days when the weather isn’t so glorious too. We all know that the British climate can be extremely unpredictable, so make sure to prepare for all scenarios. For example, do you have a marquee you can pop up in the garden which means that people can still sit outside without getting wet? Also consider which of your summer events can be moved inside if the heavens do open. Read on for advice on which summer events you should be running to drive your sales.

52% of visits to pubs and bars now start before 8pm. 9 out of 10 of these visits happen in just one place  – giving you a great opportunity to make your site an ‘all-in-one’ venue this summer.  

(Kantar 2019)

Suitable seating is vital to give your customers somewhere attractive to spend their afternoon and evenings in the summer. Your seating should look inviting and match your venue style. As well as looking great, it needs to be able to stand the test of time so that you don’t have to replace it every year. Upcycling materials is a growing trend and allows you to put your own personal stamp on your outdoor area. Consider spray painting your furniture to give it a new lease of life, or stamping branding onto your tables and parasols or planters. This will give your outlet a personalised and slick look.

Heaters are a great way of enticing customers as they then know they can sit outside and socialise well into the summer evenings and not have to move inside when things get a little chilly. You can use the heaters well into the colder months too and create a snug space for your customers, providing that moment of experience.

Create long summer occasions in your beer garden with J20 Spritz – effectively upsell and recommend that your customers pair their food with J20 Spritz to help drive sales

One of the biggest bug bears for customers is the need to go to the inside bar to buy a drink in the summer months – this can easily be rectified. Create an outdoor pop-up bar so that they can order food and drink without having to leave the sunshine. You could use this bar to promote your summer special menu as well as bottled beers and wine, or even a ‘burger and drink’ deal to keep it simple for them.

If your establishment doesn’t have an outdoor space, then bring the outside in. Open all of your doors and windows on sunny days to match the feel of being outside.

Customers will often visit the pub in the summer months with friends and family as a social occasion. As well as offering a fresh drinks menu and specials, offer larger format drinks that they can share as well as a sharing or tapas menu. Why not try pairing a Pimms jug including fresh garnishes and paper straws with a Mediterranean mezze board? Always cater for the designated drivers too with sharing mocktail jugs.

Providing a sharing or tapas menu for those that are spending the afternoon and evening with you will help increase dwell time, and therefore spend.  

Don't forget to remember your kids menus for the summer too. Kids holidays are six weeks long, so you can expect an increase in family visits. Kids want to feel like adults. It’s important that your you offer them some of the same items as the adult menu but just smaller portions to make them feel like they are getting the same as their parents. Offer mid-week deals to encourage visits in the week and turn your quieter days into busy ones.

If you have a TV in your venue, or are planning on installing one to take advantage of extra sales, make sure you promote this on social media and with visible signage. Making your customers aware of the matches/sports you are showing is a great way of driving footfall into your establishment this summer.

You will know your customers best, but always ask what sports they want to watch. Your customer, ultimately the sports fan, should be at the centre of any sports offering.

It may not always be events that you are putting on yourself either, but consider if there are any other local events taking place. Are you on route to a local music festival? This is a great opportunity to increase your signage outside your venue and encourage festival goers to stop on their trip for a quick drink or snack.

Is your local village having a summer fete already? Set up your portable bar and encourage people to visit your outlet either then or in the future. Be friendly and welcoming and show off the great assets that your venue has. These events are a great way of marketing your business with the locals and also being a familiar face for your regulars. Get a live band at your venue to do a set when the fete has closed for the day to keep the party going for visitors.