Improve Profitability in Your Pub with these Ten Top Tips
Running a pub can be a challenge. According to the Morning Advertiser, more than 500 pubs closed in 2023. Whether you’re struggling in the current climate, looking to boost your bottom line or just want to make some quick improvements, here are ten practical tips to help you improve profitability and ensure your pub thrives.
- Optimise Your Menu
Streamline Offerings: Focus on popular and high-margin items. Reduce the variety to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Yes, it is time to get rid of those low-selling dishes and focus on what sells!
Seasonal Specials: Introduce time-limited offers and seasonal dishes to keep the menu exciting and capitalise on fresh, local produce. It is time to think wider than curries on a Monday using Sunday left-over roasts!
- Enhance Customer Experience
Friendly Service: Train your staff to provide exceptional service. Happy customers are more likely to return and recommend your pub. Are they as good as you think when you are not there? Use a mystery shopper to give you true feedback.
Ambiance: Create a welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating, good lighting, and appropriate music.
- Effective Marketing
Social Media Presence: Engage with your community on social media platforms. Post regularly about events, specials, and behind-the-scenes content. Video content is much more engaging so a reel explaining the dish of the day or going live during an event will get you many clicks!
Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and events to increase your pub’s visibility and attract new customers. If you are a community pub – get involved with your community – be visible and engaged in your local area.
- Host Events and Promotions
Themed Nights: Organise themed nights such as live music or bingo to draw in crowds on quieter days. With the right quizmaster – quizzes can be great fun and can build a great following over time.
Off Peak Discounts: Offer discounts during off-peak hours to attract more patrons. Remember though – Happy hours need to be longer than an hour (several hours) and should never encourage irresponsible drinking.
- Improve Efficiency
Inventory Management: Use inventory management software to keep track of stock and reduce waste. Make sure the staff utilise it fully. How many pints go down the sink because of poor pouring skills?
Staff Scheduling: Optimise staff schedules to ensure you have the right number of employees during peak and off-peak times.
- Upsell and Cross-Sell
Training Staff: Train your staff to suggest complementary items, like pairing drinks with food. This is often massively underused – but if every staff member sold 20 extra portions of onion rings per week, the extra pennies will soon mount up.
Special Offers: Create bundled deals that encourage customers to spend more, such as a meal and drink combo.
- Enhance Online Reviews
Encourage Feedback: Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews online. Respond to all reviews professionally and don’t be defensive if they are critical! There should be no place for sarcasm with professional on-line reviews.
Address Complaints: Use negative feedback constructively to improve your services and show potential customers that you care about their experience.
- Utilise Technology
Online Reservations: Implement an online booking system to make it easy for customers to reserve tables. If you are a busy food-led pub, it might pay to put ordering points in or pay for an ordering app – these can save labour and reduce queuing times for customers.
Mobile Payments: Offer mobile payment options for convenience and to speed up the checkout process.
- Maximise Space
Optimise Layout: Arrange seating to maximize capacity while maintaining comfort. Every potential cover could be additional income so don’t waste space. However, nobody wants to be crammed in so design your space wisely.
Outdoor Seating: If possible, create or improve an outdoor seating area to accommodate more customers, especially in good weather.
- Cost Control
Supplier Negotiations: Regularly review and negotiate with suppliers to get the best prices for your ingredients and supplies. Remember, loyalty does not always pay!
Energy Efficiency: Invest in energy-efficient appliances and practices to reduce utility costs. Proximity switches for lighting, for example, can help to save money and reduces the need to rely on customers turning off lights.
Conclusion
Improving profits in your pub doesn’t have to be a daunting task but you should take time to look at your operation deliberately and not be blinded by complacency because you stop seeing the flaws like a new set of eyes would. By focusing on these quick and actionable strategies, you can enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and ultimately boost your bottom line. Implementing these tips will not only help you see immediate improvements but also set your pub up for long-term success.
Think you have already implemented all these tips? Why not go through each one again and make sure – after all making profit is what business is all about.
Want someone to do this for you? At Pub Doctors we help pubs like yours increase profits through coaching and mentoring, audits and other services. Take a peek at the details by clicking here.
