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Are you thinking about opening a sports bar? Whether this is a long-held dream or you’ve already taken the first steps towards making this dream a reality, there are a few key things to consider.
Firstly, you’ve got more scope than ever before to create the type of sports bar you want: there’s no need to follow a template or do things in a certain way. Feel free to play with ideas regarding style, ambiance, menu, and vibe – as long as you’re sure there’s a market for your vision; you’re good to go.
Ready to get some crucial hints and tips to help ensure your new sports bar gets up and running as smoothly as possible and pulls in the punters? Here’s what you need to know!
Choose Your Value Proposition
There are a lot of sports bars out there: your establishment will need to work hard to stand out. This is where a solid value proposition comes into play: a value proposition means what you’re offering the customer and why they should choose you over the competition.
Your overarching concept is the starting point. Do you aspire to open the first vegan sports bar in your city? Or specialize in showing a few niche sports as well as the big hitters? Do you have an idea for an aesthetic that’ll elevate your establishment above the rest? Perhaps you’re dreaming of a rustic, cozy establishment with vintage barstools, heavy wooden restaurant chairs, and chunky tables, or maybe you’re thinking of something light, airy, and contemporary that offers traditional bar snacks with a twist. Be as clear as you can on how you want your bar to look and feel and what will make it stand out from the rest.
Whatever your value proposition is, it needs to be crystal clear. Writing a mission statement for your business is helpful and can be used to stay on track throughout the set-up process and beyond.
Consider Location
You may already have a general – or a particular – idea of where you want your sports bar to be located. You now need to find out as much as possible about the neighborhood: demographic, footfall, and other nearby businesses, to help you determine whether it really is the best option.
A great tip is to visit the location on different days of the week and at different times of day – you’ll need to get a feel for the area both in broad daylight when dusk falls and later to make an informed decision.
Menu Magic
Creating your menus is likely to be tied to creating your value proposition and to the overall theme, ambiance, or tone of the sports bar you want to open. Are you planning on serving good old-fashioned bar food or a range of tapas-style snacks? Will you be tailoring the food available with the sporting action on-screen?
If there are extensive renovations or decorating work needed to the premises before moving in, you could consider hiring a food truck to take some of your planned meals out onto the road as takeaway versions. As well as bringing in some handy revenue, this is also an excellent way to start getting the word out about the opening of your new sports bar. Plus, you’ll be able to get invaluable feedback on the food from your mobile customers, so you can make any tweaks before opening night.
Get a POS in Place
Once your sports bar’s open, you’ll need a great POS (point of sale) system in place to process your patrons’ payments. There are loads of digital options available now; this software can not only enable you to take a range of payments but also offers invaluable inventorying, reporting, and other tools that can take some of the strain of the back-office work off your shoulders.
Invest in High-Quality Entertainment Equipment
No matter the overall theme or aesthetic of your sports bar, most of your customers will be coming for one main reason: to watch sports while enjoying a drink and bar food with friends. To this end, you need to be prepared to invest in high-quality entertainment equipment to give your patrons an excellent overall experience.
It’s not just high-def you’re looking for: be sure to opt for equipment that offers the best sound quality, too. Your customers should feel as close to watching the action live as possible.
Get Marketing!
And now you’re so close to opening up; it’s time to think about some serious marketing! This doesn’t need to cost the Earth. Leverage the power of social media to tell the world about your new sports bar, and consider having an opening night party where you put on bar snacks, gratis for your visitors.
Get in touch with your local newspaper, too, which may be more than happy to cover the opening of a new business in town – this is a great way to get the word out to city residents. Opening-week discounts, competitions, and giveaways are also excellent means of encouraging punters through the door, with a view to turning them into happy, loyal customers!
