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When summer and sports collide, they create the perfect opportunity for pubs to drive revenues harder. But these days, it’s not just a case of turning on a television in the bar. More customers desire an experience-led visit to their local to bring them closer to the onscreen action.
It is a great British pastime; a visit to the pub to watch the match with family and friends. For many, the atmosphere is better than watching it in real life, while the pub also provides the advantage of a wide drinks and food offering, as well as being a place to gather and socialise pre and post-event.
Top tips for busy periods:
- Stock up on packaged products, such as single-serve glass bottles of Pepsi MAX® and London Essence mixers, which can be sold in ice buckets with a bottle of spirits at a fixed price
- Provide bottomless refills on soft drinks or serve soft drinks in pitchers
- Take complicated drink serves and dishes off menus to speed up service
- Create meal deals for groups that consist of quick-serve dishes such as BBQ-style food and soft drinks to speed up service
- Encourage guests to book tables and spaces prior to a televised sporting event to give a better understanding of numbers to help with ordering
Expand your trading footprint
- For pubs with big gardens, hire marquees during busy sporting periods to create a new trading space
- Serve packaged drinks from fridges in temporary outdoor areas and portable bars to free up the main bar
- Hire or buy large screens or projectors and sound systems to show sports outside or in temporary structures
- Create or utilise permanent garden pods or huts by installing TVs and mini fridges to be hired out exclusively to guests at a premium
