Despite their attractive pricing, many bar owners struggle to attract customers due to their unflattering decor or stuffy atmosphere. Creating a bar environment that makes your guests comfortable takes time and effort to accomplish. You want people to be able to relax, consume more, and keep coming back. Here is how to improve their mood and make them more comfortable at your establishment.
Keep the Air Fresh
When the weather is pleasant enough, most people enjoy sipping their drinks and socializing outside much more than being stuck in a closed bar. So, if you have the means to do it, it’s a good idea to offer them outside seating as an option. If you are limited to indoor entertainment only, ensure you keep the space well aired at all times. Nothing will chase away your clients faster than a stale odor permeating the place. You can prevent this from ever occurring by creating a relaxed atmosphere with a signature smell that emanates from strategically placed essential oil diffusers.
Improve Your Decor
Your decor should always reflect the taste of your target clientele. Older generations appreciate a more simplistic yet classy bar to reminisce in. On the other hand, millennials want bold colors and trendy vibes they can post on social media. Plants will put everyone in a better mood, and they also create a healthier environment. Plus, living walls look great in the pictures your patrons could share with their friends, who will be happy to check it out themselves as well. You can even make small changes to your decor with each season, paying particular attention to holiday seasons.
Install Appropriate Lighting
Slightly dimmed bulbs create a warm glow that softens the atmosphere. However, to keep your lighting functional, it’s recommended to go with a layered strategy. This means having one main source for ambient lighting, focused task lights to make your bartenders work easier, and a couple of accent lights at the bar to highlight your drink selection. With this concept in mind, it will be much easier to install an appropriate lighting design in a commercial environment, regardless of the vibe of your place. Whether you opt for industrial pendant lights or some classy recessed option, the key is to make people feel safe and relaxed.
Have a Good Music Selection
Many bar owners have no idea how much creating a better atmosphere with the best bar songs can improve their sales. In fact, patrons who can relax with slow and discreet music, in a not too busy bar, will consume nearly twice as much as they would’ve with loud beats. When your bar becomes packed, feel free to turn up the music and switch to a faster tempo. This will make your clients’ adrenaline levels rise, and they will begin to drink faster and drink more. As with the decor, the type of music you play should also cater to your target customer group.
Offer Comfortable Seating
Most regular bar goers indeed enjoy a packed house. However, for people who want to sit down to talk and consume their drinks and snacks at a leisurely pace, you will need to offer some space. Who could be comfortable catching up with an old friend while touching shoulders with strangers anyways? Create specific seating rules by spacing out some of the tables, and provide seats with medium hardness. Stools with leather upholstery won’t make your patrons go numb, and don’t forget about back support either. You want them to be able to sit back and relax while consuming drink after drink.
Try Other Entertainment Options
Having great entertainment is another secret of this industry. Nowadays, people don’t just want a drink and music when socializing. Digital entertainment experiences, for example, are on the rise and are a sure way to attract more customers. Touchscreen tablets running trivia quizzes or any other popular games will bring out your guest’s competitive side and connect people at the same time. By having a great time, they will consume more, further increasing your revenue. They will also be sure to rave about your bar to their friends and family.
As you can see, in order to run a successful bar, you will need to take some very intentional steps towards improving the atmosphere. With the help of this article, you can cater to all your guests’ needs and make their experience more enjoyable. You can also ask their opinion about the possible improvements you can make, so you can provide even better service for them. Soon you will have a much larger number of regular patrons who will be happy to spend their money at your establishment.