Karaoke: Offer customers the chance to sing their favorite songs on a karaoke night. This gets patrons up out of their seats and could lead to a great night at your bar.
Live music: Host live music performances, such as concerts, open mic nights, or acoustic sets. Nothing creates a great atmosphere inside a bar quite like live music.
Trivia nights: Host trivia nights and encourage customers to form teams and compete against each other. If you start to get a regular crowd, consider creating a trivia league were teams can come back each week to compete.
Game nights: Offer board games, card games, or other interactive activities for customers to enjoy. Check with your video and bar game supplier to see what new options are available.
Comedy nights: Host comedy nights and bring in local or touring comedians to perform. This could also be done as an open mic night too.
Sports watch parties: Show popular sporting events on a big screen and create a sports bar atmosphere. You could drive revenue for your bar with watch parties that go beyond the Super Bowl or big game too. Regular season watch parties could be a big win for your bar.
Movie nights: Host movie nights and screen popular films or documentaries. Then turn off the music and play movie on every TV in your bar at the same time for a unique experience.
Dance parties: Host dance parties and hire a DJ to play music and get the crowd moving. You can even roll out the break-dancing mat if you get the right beat.
Art exhibitions: Host art exhibitions and showcase the work of local artists. This could be a good way to bring people into your bar who are there to support each artist.
Book clubs: Host book clubs and encourage customers to discuss a chosen book. This club could meet quietly in the back of the bar. Offer a discount on drinks or a free appetizer for the club to have their meetings in your bar.
Workshops: Offer workshops or classes on a variety of topics, such as cooking, mixology, or art. You could even talk with local business leaders about workshops they might be interested in using your bar to host.
Open mic nights: Host open mic nights and give local musicians or performers a platform to showcase their talents. Promoting open mic night on social media could also help bring in local bands with strong followings too.
Live podcasts: Host live podcast recordings and invite local or popular podcast hosts to record in front of an audience. Check with leading sports podcasts in the area who might be interested in hosting an episode in your bar while promoting it during the show.
Game tournaments: Host game tournaments, such as video game tournaments or tabletop game tournaments, and encourage customers to compete against each other. Beer pong tournaments could be a big draw too along with cornhole.
Contact Bar Consulting Services for a free strategy session to learn more.