BURNT OUT OR BRAND NEW & LOST ?
From a ten year
General Manager of a Sports Bar, who refuses to accept and embrace
"CHANGE".
" Need help, am getting killed
by bigger club/bar with better night time ambiance. I'm a sports bar
that changes over at night to bar/club atmosphere, and need
different ideas to pull people in. Thanks."
Yet, when I made some
insightful suggestions, this General Manager was in major denial and
placed their ego over the
ability to "REBRAND".
The web site for this "Sports Bar" had
their "SUPER BOWL PROMOTION" all the way down at the bottom of their
home page.
It was comingled with other events such
as Valentine's Day.
The "SUPER BOWL" for any Sports Bar
should have been a "SUPER FOOD & BEVERAGE DAY & NIGHT".
This "SUPER BOWL" was the most watched TV
Program in TV History.
Over 100 million viewers, and this
General Manager minimizes his "SUPER BOWL" PARTY.
This was Not a cheap wings and cheap beer
everyday same old specials. There are far too many General Managers
who are not working in the best interest of the "Sports Bar" they
manage, but rather in their own comfort zone of just going through
the motions.
Unfortunately, this management style
costs these "SPORTS BARS", revenue, customers, image and longevity.
Once "MARCH MADNESS" is over, that's
when the real money begins to roll in, providing you implement
"PARTY HOURS". THE KEY IS EMPLOYING A GENERAL MANAGER WHO IS WILLING
TO THINK BEYOND THE GAME AND EMBRACE THE "PARTY HOURS" WHERE "The
Fun" and "The Wow Factors" dominate the entire Sports Bar.
It's not about a business plan, it's all
about a "PROMOTIONS PATH", absent of beer/drink specials, but all
focused on attracting Women, Women and Spenders.
You've been in the business way too long
and just can't get creative anymore, you brand new to the business,
yet everything you try, fails.
WANT A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON, JUST EMAIL
PLEASE club promoters, don't call, We
Appreciate it.
YOUR OWN WEB SITE IS IMPERATIVE
Far too many bars, Clubs, Sports Bars
and Lounges rely solely on a my space or face book or both to reach
out and market their establishment.
But without your own main web site you
are just one of a million different food and beverage establishments
playing the same game, the same way.
Way too many bars, clubs, sports bars
and lounges, simply let their content sit and do not update their
'FUN" or their "WOW" when they offer it.
Now is not the time to become
complacent in any facet of your overall operation.
Quite the opposite.
Let me elaborate on a "GENERAL
MANAGER":
When drinks are waiting to be served
and the Server is busy, the General Manager should jump right in and
expedite the order.
When a table needs clearing and the
Server is taking an order at another table, the General Manager
should clear that table ASAP.
There is no job too big or too small
for a General Manager to assume.
When the DJ calls in sick, the General
Manager should spin, mix and mc.
When the Service Bartender is
overwhelmed, the General Manager should hop behind that bar and fill
those drink orders.
When the Host at the Door does not show
up, the General Manager should Greet, ID and Welcome in the
customers.
It's the "ANYWHERE ANYTIME ANYTHING"
General Manager that is worth his weight in gold, it's the "lame,
lazy, lack of regard" General Manager who should be bye bye.
Your "GM" should be in charge of every
web site, all of your web presence, your "GM" should be the "GO TO
WEB PERSON" who keeps the sites updated and upgraded.
The worse case scenario is going to a
club or bar or sports bar site and seeing events posted that are
days, weeks even months old.
Why would you let your site get behind
the times?
Once a visitor knows you don't keep
your site current, they stop clicking on to it.
In this age of Superior Technological
Advances, it seriously defies logic to print up, hand out
flyers......................................
Can you think of any other cheap,
ineffective waste of time as paying someone to hand out flyers?
Yet, out there in the food and beverage
World are Owners who swear by "flyers".
I remember once at a hot club in Times
Square, we were featuring a special concept, the Owner would not
listen to me, and insisted on handing out flyers to every person for
about 5,000 people who walked past his club, who the "Street Team"
thought were his target demographics.
Well, we were very picky and chose only
those women and men that fit the profile.
The night of the event, the place was
dead.
I felt bad for the Owner, but I knew
the attempt was wasted and worthless.
The Owner bolted, knowing he was wrong,
so I was left to do damage control.
Don't you just love when the Person in
Charge leaves, so that they don't have to face the fire?
No Problem, you deal with adversity and
you move on.
You learn from adversity, so that you
never do it again.
YOUR WEB SITE IS YOUR PRIMARY INTERNET
PRESENCE.
___________________________________________________________________/
JUST BEING A MUSIC VENUE CAN'T
MAKE IT ANYMORE
EVEN "THE HOUSE OF BLUES" AND
"B.B. KING'S BLUES CLUBS" OFFER MORE THAN JUST LIVE BLUES THESE
DAYS.
THEY HAVE EXPANDED TO OFFERING
"PREMIER PROMOTIONS" , "THE FUN" AND OF COURSE "THE WOW FACTORS",
BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT SIMPLY OFFERING LIVE MUSIC IS NOT GOING TO
PACK THE PLACE NIGHTLY.
THEY ALSO REALIZE THAT TIMES
HAVE CHANGED, WHILE THEY MAY SING "THE BLUES", THEY WANT "THE
GREEN."
BY SIGNIFICANTLY REACHING OUT
BEYOND THEIR CORE CUSTOMERS, THEY ALSO BRING IN NEW FACES FROM OTHER
PLACES WHO THEN ALSO MAY BECOME FANS OF THE BLUES.
IT'S A WIN WIN FORMAT.
NO LONGER CAN A CLUB FRAME
ITSELF INTO A SQUARE WITH JUST ONE GENRE OF MUSIC, WITH JUST ONE
FOCUSED FORMAT.
THOSE DAYS ARE GONE
FOREVER..........................................
TO BE PROFITABLE, LIVE VENUE
CLUBS HAVE TO DIVERSIFY.
BANDS HAVE TO ACCEPT LESS AND
PLAY MORE, CLUBS HAVE TO HAVE A ONE ON ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH BANDS,
SO THAT MIDDLE MEN ARE NOT ADDING TO THE COST OF A BAND.
WHEN A BAND SAYS THEY HAVE A
"HUGE" FOLLOWING, LET THEM PUT UP OR PLAY FOR FREE.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE, IF THEY HAVE
SUCH A HUGE FAN BASE AND LOYAL LOVERS OF THEIR BAND, THEN THEY
SHOULD TAKE THE DOOR, DO THE ADVERTISING AND PROVE IT.
IF THEY HAVE A DATA BASE OF A
FEW THOUSAND FANS LOCALLY, THEY HAVE A WEB PAGE AND NOT JUST A LAME
MYSPACE PAGE, THEN LET THEM IN CONCERT WITH YOUR WEB PRESENCE MAKE
A HIGH IMPACT ENTICING APPEAL
FOR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO ATTEND THEIR GIG AT YOUR BAR OR CLUB.
THE WEB IS THE MOST POWERFUL
FREE MARKETING TOOL THAT EVERY BAR AND CLUB SHOULD USE, ONLY 75% OF
ALL BARS AND CLUBS IGNORE THE WEB, PAY TOO LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE
WEB , AND SADLY DO NOT REALIZE THE REACH THE WEB HAS WHEN YOU
IMPLEMENT ALL OF IT'S RESOURCES.
THE " S I SWIMSUIT EDITION" IS OUT
TURN YOUR BAR OR CLUB INTO WALL TO
WALL PATRONS, BY TURNING TO "THE SWIMSUITS OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"
ISSUE AND TURN MORE THAN JUST PAGES.
I HAVE FOR YEARS AND YEARS HOSTED A
CONCEPT DEDICATED TO "THE SWIMSUITS OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED".
WITH MR. RODDICK'S WIFE, BROOKLYN
DECKER ON THE COVER OF THE 2010 ISSUE, HOW CAN YOU NOT TIE IN THE
ISSUE WITH YOUR BAR OR CLUB?
I HAVE PRESENTED " S I SWIMSUIT
EVENTS" SINCE THE 80S.
ALWAYS PACKING THE CLUB WITH A LINE
OUTSIDE.
YOU DON'T NEED THEIR MODELS.
ALL YOU NEED IS THE "CONCEPT".
RESTAURANTS, STOP
TRYING TO COPY THE ONE PRICE TWO ENTREE CONCEPT AND RAISE ABOVE THAT
MARKETING MOVE.
I CREATED A "HALF
PORTION" AND "SHARING PORTION" CONCEPT THAT
PATRONS ARE ECSTATIC
OVER.
THE BASICS ARE FROM THE
PATRON WHO WANTS TO SEE HIS PLATE COVERED WITH MORE THAN JUST HIGH
PROFILE GARNISH, OR THE PATRON WHO WANTS TO TASTE FROM OTHERS AT THE
TABLE'S PLATES, IT'S ALL IN THE PRESENTATION.
THE BEST "OUTBACK
STEAKHOUSE" MANAGING PARTNER, HANDS ON, INCREDIBLE CONSISTENCY,
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP, SMOOTH RUNNING NIGHTLY IS "TIM WONG".
HIS FATHER IS A LEGEND
IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, AND TIM IS
THE EPITOME OF HOW TO,
CAN DO, WHATEVER IT TAKES, RELENTLESS,
FEARLESS AND SUPERIOR.
NO WONDER "OSI" GAVE
HIM THE HONOR OF OPERATING THEIR FIRST NEW PROTOTYPE "OUTBACK
STEAKHOUSE".
HE IS KICKIN KANGAROO
AND TAKIN NAMES.
DON'T JUST BUILD IT, BUT PACK
IT!
I have never seen so many new
Owners, and groups of Partners pour all their money into building,
renovating, and remodeling to make their bar, club, lounge,
restaurant be the #1 establishment when it comes to decor,
atmosphere and ambiance, but yet, they never ever create a "WAR
CHEST" of specific marketing dollars to generate "BUZZ" and "ENERGY"
about their new or newly renovated or just remodeled venue.
How can Owners spend tens of
thousands of dollars, be romanced by Architects, General
Contractors, Decorators,yet have zero funds to launch their dream
come true?
What were they thinking?
Customers were just going to
flock and find them?
WRONG.
ASK RICH UNGER WHY YOUR SLOW
AND NOT ON THE "GO" DURING THESE "THE MONEY MONTHS", GOING ON RIGHT
NOW?
CALL RICH UNGER @ 931-921-7027
OR EMAIL
YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH CAN'T
YOU ?
HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE:
FIVE CONCEPTS UNDER ONE
HOTEL ROOF
BUT WITH JUST ONE
LOOSELY SO CALLED "ATMOSPHERE OR ATTITUDE":
Some Partners from across "The
Pond" come to Florida, acquire a highway located former Ramada Inn.
They throw out it's former name.
They transform it, by throwing way
too much money inside the interior, yet leaving the same sign and
outside appearance.( light bulbs inside the sign were still burnt
out and never replaced at their Grand Opening, I kid you not )
They give each different so called
Night Life Room, a unique name, but truth be told, they all look
exactly alike.
The different Theme Rooms in
reality all are an identical copy of the others. The Theme
Rooms have way too much white walls and no decor, have only a
projector that uses a wall as a screen, have plenty of leather
couches,( I would have loved to have been the leather couch salesman
who made this sale) but nowhere near enough seating, NO wall stand
up bars for patrons to even put down their drinks on.
They have a dance floor with
zero lighting or atmosphere, they have a menu that is way over
priced, they have beautiful bars, but zero distinction between each
different room.
The only concept they got right was
the pool area and the long tiki bar.
They seem to be totally out of
their element.
They announce their Grand Opening
in a free throw away Neighborhood weekly newspaper, when they are
miles and miles away from the Neighborhood, this publication caters
to.
For their Grand Opening they erect
a huge trailer sign, but fail to even put lights on it, when tens of
thousands of cars pass by their Hotel every night.
They have the potential to
dominate, but they are a destination location, so they have to give
serious thought as to what demographics they want to target.
At their two night Grand Opening,
they attracted primarily Men 50 and up very, very, few women, not
one hot Cougar, and the sparse crowd came for the wine tasting and
did not spend.
But why would anybody spend?
NO LIQUOR BRANDS WERE REPRESENTED
The nights were erratic with no
Host, no Hostess, no Branding of any kind.
Their web site simply mentions all
these different clubs under one roof, when seriously they are not
clubs, they are not diverse rooms they are just rooms with a bar and
couch, over and over and over.
It will be a major challenge to
draw customers to these liquor serving lounges, the hotel guests
will certainly visit, but as for locals, there is no path of
Promotions to follow.
They opened over Valentine's Day
and did not have a single decoration up.
They totally ignored Mardi Gras,
and they the Owners, have no clue what beers they even have on tap.
Never ever delegate all this
authority to order liquor and beer, to determine what is on tap, to
set up Promotions, without the Two Partners who put up all the
Capital even involved in this process.
Yes, they may be hands on regarding
the room reservations, but appear like fish out of water when it
comes to overseeing the details of their serious money invested,
from their potential liquor serving rooms.
They must create MARKETPLACE
RELEVANCE.
Their dinner menu has no "VALUE" of
any kind and in these "FOOD FIGHT FOR FINANCIAL GAIN TIMES", you
must have value in your menu.
People have changed their spending
habits and are now living far more within their means.
The key is to give dining patrons a
deal and still make money.
This hotel's restaurant does
neither.
THEY need both style and substance,
yet lack both,unfortunately.
They should have designed one of
their Theme Rooms as a Stylish Sports Bar, they are in an area that
thrives on watching Sports. But they missed this format completely.
Their Banquet Manager appears to be
totally out of his league, but this is why so many Ventures fail,
the total lack of anyone with Years of Expertise, with hands on
knowledge of what atmosphere is demanded, with a complete insight of
today's music, culture, fashion, lifestyles.
Someone who knows the local media
and marketing inside out, is whom they should have seeked.
They have their business cards on
their hotel registration counter, but no title under anyone's name,
a Partner's card is sitting next to the banquets manager's card, but
you would never know whom is which, because there is no designation
under their name/
Totally defies common hospitality
sense.
SO, these two partners will spend
needlessly on unproductive marketing, book the same local bands that
play everywhere and never learn new material, never dress
appropriately and just go through the motions of another gig.
The outside Pool Bar has the
greatest potential, but if they let the crowd at their bar, that is
currently going to an outside dive bar near by,
they will totally destroy any
potential for quality patrons and a superior atmosphere, besides
scaring their Guests.
New Owners often wait too long to
stop, look and listen to those in the know.
These two partners opened with no
GAME PLAN of any kind.
One Partner was wearing jeans and a
sweatshirt to his own Grand Opening, I mean his own customers were
dressed better than he was.
What was he thinking?
Once again, EGO and ARROGANCE
overtake common sense and industry insight.
This Property, ( Hotel and Bars)
has been through the ringer, from Owner to Owner to Owner, the
success rate for taking such a Complex and succeeding after one
dismal failure after another are one out of hundred.
I wish them much success, but I see
a nightmare in the making.
If your in the same position with
your establishment, or planning to remodel an establishment, or take
over an existing or dormant establishment, email RichUnger@promotingnightclubs.com
or call Rich Unger @ 941-921-7027
With 40 years, hands on years in
this food and hospitality industry, Unger will give it to you
straight with no
holds barred.
THE MORNING FAST FOOD ODD
COUPLE
BURGER KING HAS SIGNED A LONG TERM
AGREEMENT
WITH "STARBUCKS" TO SERVE THEIR
COFFEE, "SEATTLE'S BEST COFFEE
" FROM NOW ON IN ALL "BURGER KING"
UNITS.
VERY WISE STRATEGY, CONSIDERING
"MCDONALDS" IS FRYING "BURGER KING" IN BREAKFAST SALES.
"T G I FRIDAYS" HAS ONCE AGAIN
LOWERED THE PRICE AND RAISED THE QUANTITY AND SELECTION WITH THEIR
NEW $12.99 APPETIZER, MAIN DISH, AND DESSERT" AGAIN ALL FOR $12.99
THAT IS A "WOW" IN MENU STRATEGIES.
PSSSST, THEY ARE STILL MAKING MONEY
ON EACH ORDER AT $12.00
THEN ALONG COMES "CHILI'S" WHICH I
THINK IS STREET WISE AND DOES NOT SIMPLY THROW IN THEIR '"BABY BACK
RIBS", BUT COMES RIGHT BACK WITH THEIR OWN APPETIZER & ENTREE $9.99
SPECIAL, AND
PSSST, THEY ARE STILL MAKING MONEY
EACH ORDER AT $9.99
THAT IS WHY YOU CANNOT KEEP YOUR MENU
PRICES SKY HIGH OR EVEN TELEPHONE POLE HIGH WHEN YOU ARE COMPETING
AGAINST SUCH MAJOR PLAYERS IN CASUAL DINING.
I HAVE GONE UP AGAINST THE BIG BOYS
BEFORE AND THE ONLY WAY TO PLAY THEIR GAME IS TO GO ON THE OFFENSE.
YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR
PRICES, PATRONS SHOULD BE EMBRACING THEM.
LOOK AT YOUR MENU, I MEAN LOOK LONG
AND HARD AT YOUR PRICING AND YOUR SERVINGS.
IT'S 2010 AND IN YOU NEED TO START
AGAIN.
HAVE YOU NOTICED YOUR KARAOKE CROWDS
ARE NOW JUST SOME CUSTOMERS?
AT ONE TIME KARAOKE RULED.
BUT THE DAYS OF STANDING UP AND SINGING
FROM A SCREEN WITH LYRICS OVER A TAPED SOUNDTRACK ARE OVER.
R.I.P.
IT'S TIME TO BREAK OUT FROM THE USUAL
AND ROLL OUT THE UNIQUE.
DON'T WAIT TILL IT'S TOO LATE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PREMIER PROMOTIONS,
THEMES, EVENTS, PARTIES, CONCEPTS, CONTESTS, HAPPENINGS,
CELEBRATIONS, GATHERINGS, and UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT THAT ARE ABOVE
AND BEYOND WHAT YOUR COMPETITION IS DOING RIGHT NOW, WHY NOT BURY
THEM AND TAKE BACK YOUR NIGHTS?
BUT HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WHO,
WHAT?
YOU'VE TRIED IT YOUR WAY, NOW DO IT
THE RIGHT WAY.
_____________/
YOU
JUST SPENT $500 TO ATTEND THE VEGAS BAR SHOW, AND THAT'S JUST FOR
SITTING IN THE SAME SEMINARS, WALKING YOU NOTICED THE MAJOR LACKING
EXHIBIT AREA, YOU EVEN ATTENDED A PARTY THAT DID NOT MEET YOUR
EXPECTATIONS EITHER.
SO PLEASE, TELL ME ONE FRESH
NEW CONCEPT, ONE INNOVATIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUE,
ONE FORMAT OF "FUN" OR "WOW"
THAT YOU TOOK AWAY FROM SPENDING ON AIRFARE, HOTEL, MEALS,
SITTING, LISTENING, WALKING,
TALKING, NAME ONE OF ANY OF THE ABOVE THAT WAS WORTH YOUR TIME, YOUR
ENERGY, YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR MONEY?
WHEN YOU COMBINE THREE SHOWS
INTO ONE, YOU ARE CREATING A "TOSS SALAD" OF EVERY KIND OF VEGGIE,
JUST TO TRY, TO ATTRACT ATTENDEES.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMIN'S
TO THOSE IN CHARGE.
YOU DRANK FOR FREE, YOU SAW
GOOD LOOKING WOMEN, BUT BOTTOM LINE, WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM
ATTENDING THIS VEGAS DEBACLE, THAT JUSTIFIED EVEN GOING?
ARE YOU GOING TO REBRAND NOW,
FROM WHAT YOU LEARNED?
ARE YOU GOING TO APPROACH
YOUR MARKETING WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW STRATEGY?
ARE YOU GOING TO MINIMIZE
DRINK SPECIALS WHILE MAXIMIZING "THE FUN" AND "THE WOW FACTORS".
DID YOU EVEN LEARN WHAT "THE
FUN" AND "THE WOW FACTORS" REALLY ARE?
WAS IT REALLY WORTH IT.
THESE ARE THE MONEY MONTHS,
DID YOU COME BACK READY TO FULLY CASH IN?
CALL RICH UNGER @
941-921-7027 OR EMAIL
FEEL FREE TO TELL HIM POSITIVE OR
NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK.
