Rural pub loosing face and looking for ideas

Keephercountry

Hi guys my family own a small pub in county galway which has always had a good trade with a clientel ageing from 18-40 or there abouts, due to the oul recession the pub is gone quiet and iam afraid that the dark day of closing the door might not be too far away,
Iam always trying to throw new ideas at the place to create business ranging from family fun days to an xfactor night which were a massive success but at this stage my ideas are wearing thin so ive decided to consult you guys ' the general public' in all yere greatness for some of ur esteemed ideas to get arses on the seats in our pub!!
I appreciate all ideas that you can throw at me so the wackier the better!! Thanks guys!! Remember guys this is a rural country pub ans doesent have the volume of people of that of a city pub,, i look forward to youre replys
ReplyThank (0)Edit
Rural irish pubs loosing face

glanman

this may be of interest?

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/27411-could-free-wi-fi-save-the-i

A darts team in the pub can offer a regular stream of people as you will have games against teams every two weeks in your bar? Check out if there is a league in your area, there should be...

antoinolachtnai

There are a few things you can do here to increase the sales.

1. Attract more people to existing products.

2. Sell a wider range of products and services without pushing up fixed overheads much.

I think you have tried hard at the first. It works as far as it works. You are probably getting all or most of the money that is available from that channel.

I think the answer is the second and it lies with being at the heart of the community. You need to serve the community in a wider sense than before. An inexpensive change in decor and lighting, together with well presented tea, coffee, buns and so on could position the pub differently from what it is currently positioned, and make it into a place that people use for more purposes than at present. For example, it could be a place that people meet for business. The local kids might come in from the school and do their homework whilst they are waiting for their lift (this happens in one McDonald's I know in Dublin).

If there isn't have a shop nearby, you could sell a limited range of products. (If there is a shop nearby, you need to be very careful here. However, you should see if it might make sense to merge and consolidate the two businesses to save on overheads.)

This was actually how rural pubs traditionally operated.

ad1234

Ive heard of pubs having x box tournaments and allowing customers to watch dvd's and their soaps.. people are drinking at home so make it more homley maybe. there is also a pub near me that sells cans as the customers are not well off, its cheaper but they make the profits on the food and the high volumes of sales, if its cheaper they drink more good luck...

MidlandsM

free beer ?

bryaner

Have you tried selling some of the non mainstream beers? My local got Fosters in on tap and it's selling really well at €3.40 a pint compared to €4.50 for the regular names..

blindside88

A pub near my house has a great idea, they do a sheet of 40-50 lines, each line is €5, when all 40-50 lines are sold a draw is done and a winner picked out, is tue draw is 40 lines the winner gets 40 pints, 50 lines he gets 50 pints etc. All of the pints must be consumed In that night. Generally people drink in groups and split the winnings. It's a great idea because you sell a full keg at €5 per pint

MidlandsM

blindside88 wrote: »

A pub near my house has a great idea, they do a sheet of 40-50 lines, each line is €5, when all 40-50 lines are sold a draw is done and a winner picked out, is tue draw is 40 lines the winner gets 40 pints, 50 lines he gets 50 pints etc. All of the pints must be consumed In that night. Generally people drink in groups and split the winnings. It's a great idea because you sell a full keg at €5 per pint

nice way of upselling!

Keephercountry

MidlandsM wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

A pub near my house has a great idea, they do a sheet of 40-50 lines, each line is €5, when all 40-50 lines are sold a draw is done and a winner picked out, is tue draw is 40 lines the winner gets 40 pints, 50 lines he gets 50 pints etc. All of the pints must be consumed In that night. Generally people drink in groups and split the winnings. It's a great idea because you sell a full keg at €5 per pint

nice way of upselling!

This is a fantastic idea i think and would create a great atmosphere on the night!!
Thank you

Keephercountry

glanman wrote: »

this may be of interest?

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/27411-could-free-wi-fi-save-the-i

A darts team in the pub can offer a regular stream of people as you will have games against teams every two weeks in your bar? Check out if there is a league in your area, there should be...

Another pub in our village are big into darts and take it very seriously but il take a look thank you

mikemac1

Soup and toasted sandwiches during the day
You don't need to shell out thousands for a kitchen here, this is all very basic.
You can turn a profit here and attract a lunchtime crowd.
And the bookie racing crowd will be hanging around during the day too and they'll want food


On busy nights, it would do no harm to put out some baskets of chips and cocktail sausages.
Cost very little to buy and it's a nice touch
And your customers get thirty with the salty food

Put some newspapers behind the bar. When I go to the pub on my own I ask the barman for a paper, sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't
But it would have me hanging around longer, I might even do the crossword and have an extra drink

I know nothing about cards but maybe you could attract the local ladies away from the parish hall.
They'll buy sherry from you Ok, ok, that's a stereotype but they need to meet somewhere so may as well be your place

On a quiet night just give the few customers a bowl of stew
In Tipp this is the "Last Supper" and pubs do it on a Tuesday night
These people are keeping your pub going on a quiet night, stew costs pretty much nothing to make, so just a free bowl

Nothing there is complicated, you could set up a tiny kitchen for yourself for very little.


X-factor was a good idea. It does get a bit tired so keep it going but don't overuse it

Pub quizzes, always popular. Maybe a local business or three will throw in some vouchers? After all, you're putting out their names all night to the locals.

Film night? This is controversial and some will not like it at all.
But I've gone to a pub on my own the odd day for some food and a drink on my own and there would be a few of us watching a film.
People might bring their own films down?
This could fail and annoy people so ask around and maybe a trial some quiet Monday night.

Dart team, great idea above.
Get your team some colourful T-shirts too, it's advertising and very cheap to get T-shirts printed

Try to get in some craft beers. I'm not saying spend a lot of stock but do a trial run of a few products.
I don't know about buying in the trade but if they think you'll buy more maybe haggle hard and you'll a trial yourself.

Lastly rural pub. Transport is an issue. Might be too much stress for you to drop people home.
But do a deal with a local hackney driver and the two of you work out some deal.
You send business their way and they'll maybe knock two euro off the fare?
Not sure how to structure exactly but there could be a win-win here

puffishoes

You could always do something really outrageous.

Like lower the price of the pint.

I know, it's always the last place you look

Tabnabs

I worked in a small town in the Netherlands for a couple of years and our backstreet local used to have what were effectively choir practices on quiet nights. It was a real surprise to wander in on a dark November night to be greeted by a full house and music. Many of them inevitably stayed behind to chat and catch up with drinks and nibbles.

ravendude

A popular thing when I was in Australia that used to pack the place was 5 dollar steaks between say 6 and 7.30.
Or you could alternate with bangers and mash etc.

Basically, they'd do a low end (rump steak?) but very well prepped and marinated steak with a few spuds and 1 or 2 choices or sauce.
This was pretty much at cost price.
It needs to be cheap enough that its sticks out at being "crazy" cheap.
I reckon its possible to do it nearly as cheaply even in this country.
How much is a cheapish cut of steak? a few euro?

Idea is that you'd get the punters in, who would then have a pint or 2 in most cases, and you get a few groups in then that end up getting sloshed and staying all night.

Was always packed on fridays and saturdays and most days during the week

If steak isn't viable, - you could do bangers and mash or something instead.

Important thing, - is the food is cost price, - you make your money on other stuff, and also it draws customers in generally

And remember to put big signs out front that you do dinner for a Fiver! (or 6 euro or whatever it is)

ssbob

Have worked in quite a number of pubs in my time from the small local to the big city pub and everything in between, the main differences being the level of service ie. in one of the pubs I worked in there was a local market every thursday outside the door and guys used to come in for a couple but often people would just want a cuppa & coffee, we didn't advertise that we did that so the pub two doors down did and got the business, in other words you need to make it clear from the outside in.

Also another thing that worked was local music talent showcase night, (depending on local music of course), but what generally happened was the guys playing the music got a few free pints and the sound engineer got paid for, then there was 5/6 bands drinking pints all day along with family and friends, worked a treat as long as it was not over done.

Keephercountry

Thanks everyone for all the ideas, they are mighty and its amazing the different. Gimics people use across the country to create a buzz in the parish and get a few in,! I have taken alot of them onboard and think they will be a massive benefit to our pub, fair play folks!

Squ

One reason people pass pubs without going in, is they dont feel comfortable walking in sonewhere new.

sponsor the local kiddies team, and after their match at the weekend, lay on minerals and chips for the wee ones and tea fir the perants..

The parents will be very grateful with this, get to know you and your place, and some will come back for a pint with their mates.

mikemac1

I feel I shouldn't have to say it

And I'm not doubting your fine establishment OP

But the toilets need to be checked on an hourly basis, that's what hotels do so why not pubs

If the dryer is broken, fix it
If the lock is dodgy or the doors jam or anything wrong at all, well you'll get a handyman in easily and it won't cost much


Ever read Pub Spy article in the Sunday World?
This is a key thing they judge on and they are right

Some pubs are a disgrace

It's not make or break but it will help you keep your new customers

TheBody

Maybe an open mike night, a local comedy or singing competition.

How about some sort of daft competitions like who can iron a shirt the fastest or a series of things like that in one night.

TheBody

mikemac1 wrote: »

I feel I shouldn't have to say it

And I'm not doubting your fine establishment OP

But the toilets need to be checked on an hourly basis, that's what hotels do so why not pubs

If the dryer is broken, fix it
If the lock is dodgy or the doors jam or anything wrong at all, well you'll get a handyman in easily and it won't cost much


Ever read Pub Spy article in the Sunday World?
This is a key thing they judge on and they are right

Some pubs are a disgrace

It's not make or break but it will help you keep your new customers

Just want to add a BIG +1 to this.

ssbob

mikemac1 wrote: »

But the toilets need to be checked on an hourly basis, that's what hotels do so why not pubs

If the dryer is broken, fix it
If the lock is dodgy or the doors jam or anything wrong at all, well you'll get a handyman in easily and it won't cost much


Ever read Pub Spy article in the Sunday World?
This is a key thing they judge on and they are right

Some pubs are a disgrace

It's actually something I meant to say aswell as women especially will not go into a bar with bad toilets.

prospect

When my Mam visits a restaurant she first visits the toilets.

If they aren't kept clean, the chances are the kitchen isn't kept clean either, so she'll leave.

BailMeOut

In many small towns the local pub can be a bit like a community centre and a place for clubs and businesses to meet. You can be the place where local sports teams, book clubs, teachers and parents associations have their regular meetings or where farmers meet their accountants or local businesses meet with their vendors etc but at same time you make them feel very comfortable and welcome. Could even be a place where people work or study from if you provide wifi.

You will probably not make much money out of any of this but would make the pub look more busy and instil some good community goodwill to your establishment if you encourage it. A sports club who has its regular meetings in your pub will most likely have their celebration parties there too!

Do you have an a quiet area of the pub that customers could reserve for meetings? If you do free wifi would be a must and I would leave it open with no password so customers can connect with no hassle.

Bandara

approach your local football team, tell them you'll put on soup and sandwiches after their games for them and the opposition

you could potentially get 40 lads every saturday afternoon.

ScumLord

mikemac1 wrote: »

Soup and toasted sandwiches during the day
You don't need to shell out thousands for a kitchen here, this is all very basic.

You kind of do have to spend money. You can't just start preparing food and selling it it's against the law. My local does it and I don't mind, think it's a great thing but I don't think he's legally aloud too.

The problem with the pub is it's just a place to drink at the moment. If you don't want to drink you avoid the pub because in most places all you can do is sit there drinking.

FloatingVoter

ScumLord wrote: »

You kind of do have to spend money. You can't just start preparing food and selling it it's against the law. My local does it and I don't mind, think it's a great thing but I don't think he's legally aloud too.

The problem with the pub is it's just a place to drink at the moment. If you don't want to drink you avoid the pub because in most places all you can do is sit there drinking.

Very true - but in the long-term - the reason for food is to keep your customers thirsty. Doesn't matter if we're selling them beer in NYC or the back of beyond.
+1 to the toilets idea....even the scruffiest regular likes a nice place to rest his kingly bottom (he won't admit it though:)).

ladypip

Maybe you could run parent and toddler mornings? If the pub is safe for children you could offer good quality coffee, Free biscuits for the kids, maybe stick a kids movie on for them?

I know from experience being a stay home mother gets lonely esb with babies, and im sure in the country the loneliness only increases.

If you make your pub the heart of the community you will reap the rewards.

nacimroc

PRICE PRICE PRICE!!

People don't go to pubs in rural Ireland anymore because we are being ripped off for a pint. I know the whole vitners assoc. price fixing (cartell?) thing, but ask any person, anyone and thats their no. 1 reason.

/END RANT

Anyway, now that thats off my chest...

Wine: I would bet a massive amount of women drink wine, but yet in most pubs they usually only have 1 type of mostly piss water. Get in a few diff types and even offer tasters from full bottles. You could even promote this idea.

WIFI: Its a small thing but it costs nothing and its a nice addition to a place.

Finger food: at about 11.30. People leave to go get food and move to a new pub just before they close. Keep them there with salty food.

That guys idea of agreeing a deal with a taxi firm is genius. Even 1 euro off makes it a big deal. Pick a friendly taxi firm.

mikemac1

Good call on the wine

The ladies and even the gents like their wine but pubs have a miserable selection at rip-off prices

Change it around a bit, stick up a sign for your wine of the month
Don't spend a fortune on stock but bring in a few different types so people can check them out

edit: it's all said above ^^^^^

And maybe hand out a card and a stamp.
Someone buys 10 of the little bottles then you can give them a little book about wine Would be a nice touch, only cost a few euro

Tangled

mikemac1 wrote: »

Someone buys 10 of the little bottles then you can give them a little book about wine Would be a nice touch, only cost a few euro

Do wine and do it right - don't go near the little bottles, get a few nice full size bottles and pour glasses or offer by the bottle. Another way is to have little carafes. (250ml / 500ml serves.)

Malpaisian

Keephercountry wrote: »

Hi guys my family own a small pub in county galway...

Whereabouts in rural galway?