WHAT MAKES A FLAIRBAR WORK? (Part 1)

Sounds easy enough… Open a Flairbar with some great Flair bartenders and the money should start rolling in. Right… If only it was that simple! There is more to a successful Flairbar then just the fact that it is called a Flairbar, the Flair bartenders make the Flairbar. Hire the right people and you have a recipe for success, hire the wrong people and watch your profits melt.

You might think that every Flair bartender is the same and as long as they are Flair bartenders they can do the job. This might be true… they can simply do the job or would you rather have someone excel at that job making both themselves and more importantly your establishment more money? Too many times I have seen Flairbar after Flairbar open and some are successful and some are not. Why is that? The same reason why some bars that open are successful and some are not. Location, location, location is huge but also “putting the right people in the right places”.

A great bartender can make money for themselves and the establishment wherever they go. Why is that? They are successful because…

First off they care. They care about tips (they want to make as much money as possible), they care about sales (the more sales the more tips), they care about the guests (if the guests are happy they are tipping better) , they care about their appearance (the better they look the more professional they look) , they care about what the venue looks like (the cooler the place the more people would want to be there), they care about having the necessary tools and being efficient while they work (the more efficient they are the more drinks they can make) , they care about their craft (the more they know the more they can do) , they care about making a good drink, making the guests feel special and building repeat business to make more money.

Second, they have proven skills which they utilize to make more money. Money is a great motivational tool. Bottom line… we all work to make money. So if there was a way to make more money doing what you already are doing… don’t you think you might be interested? Accomplished professional Flair bartenders are some of the few people I know who actually practice skills for their job at home and on their own time. From learning new drink making techniques, recipes, liquor knowledge, marketing and promoting ideas, technology, entertainment, Flair bartending moves, communication techniques, etc… All better ways to service the guest. The more skills they have to utilize, the more valuable they are to themselves, the guest and your establishment.

Now that we agree that an employee who cares and has proven skills which they utilize to make more money is a good thing, shouldn’t we start by hiring these people to bartend in our Flairbar? Goes back to “putting the right people in the right places”. Now getting these people might be a little more involved then you think. Talent should be rewarded. Most of the successful Flairbars pay their Flair bartenders a higher wage then regular bartenders in the area. Why? Most of the time you pay for what you get. By paying a higher wage you attract more of these talented people to work for you and your establishment. Most of these accomplished Flair bartenders are giving something else up to work for you… you have to make it worth their wild to do so. Even paying for Flair bartending competitions and sponsoring them will in return further promote you and your establishment. The more these Flair bartenders accomplish under your sponsorship the more creditable your establishment looks and will attract not only more Flair bartenders but guests as well.

That takes us to our “5 steps towards a successful Flairbar”. So take this very seriously or it will come back and make things tremendously difficult for you later. First you have a great location and put the right people in the right places and then you can work on these…

5 STEPS TOWARDS A SUCCESFUL FLAIRBAR

Lets break these down a little more. First… “Advertising & Marketing”. This is often overlooked on how crucial it really is. Just because you simply open a Flairbar doesn’t mean it will be packed with people night after night after night. You have to get the word out and create a buzz for your place. Start in advance to build up the anticipation and energy and use all means of media and resources that you can think of. Radio, television, magazines, flyers, websites, newspapers, direct mailers, sponsorships, street teams, etc and best of all word of mouth advertising. People respond to different types of advertising differently. Once people know about your establishment (Advertising) next you have to give them a reason to go there (Marketing) .

Why should the guests come to your bar instead on the one down the street? What makes your Flairbar stand out? “Concentrate on what makes you different and promote that”. Fast friendly service, great crafted cocktails with entertainment, lively atmosphere, new place that everyone wants to check out, good looking clientele, etc… They pay the same price for their SKYY Vodka and Oj at your Flairbar as they do at the bar down the street but at your establishment they are getting free entertainment with their drink as well. A better value for their money.   Promote the Flair bartenders and some of the accomplishments and rankings. Let the guests know they have a special opportunity to have some of the best bartenders in the world make their drink for them in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Promote what your establishment is and what people can expect when they walk in the door.

Also try to educate your guests about Flair. Let them know about the Flair bartending competitions and even bring in some Flair competition DVDs to play on one of the televisions at your bar. That is a great way to spark interest and an instant conversation starter as well. This worked great at every bar I worked at. The more involved and educated the guests are the more interest they will take.

We will stop there and continue next month with “What Makes a Flairbar Work? Part 2″. Until then start working on the first steps…