Opening­­­ and Closing Procedures for Bars and Restaurants

Opening­­­ and Closing Procedures for Bars and Restaurants

restaurants digital menu boards

While many consider the most important aspect of a bar to be the drinks, there are a variety of other factors that go into managing an F&B outlet. Coming up with processes and procedures to run a bar requires different skills than making a cocktail. Making sure your bar leaves a positive impression with patrons … Read more

25 Bar Opening and Closing Procedures [WEBINAR & CHECKLIST]

25 Bar Opening and Closing Procedures [WEBINAR & CHECKLIST]

First impressions are important. Whether it’s your handshake or your entryway, what guests see first frames their opinion of you and your business. Creating and implementing a solid opening and closing procedure will ensure that your location always looks its best when your customers come in the door. Using bar management software to streamline these procedures can … Read more

Holiday Marketing Tips for Bars and Restaurants [WEBINAR]

Holiday Marketing Tips for Bars and Restaurants [WEBINAR]

blog post about holiday marketing tips for bars and restaurants

The holiday season offers boundless opportunities for local businesses to bring in new customers, increase sales, and create momentum for the new year. As Q4 rolls in, bars and restaurants should capitalize on the increased foot traffic and restaurant spending the holidays bring.  Planning creative promotions is essential to a successful holiday season. Watch the webinar and … Read more

Tips for Running a Successful Bar

Tips for Running a Successful Bar

Manage and market your beverage program

Running a bar can be quite the challenge and there are generally more stories of failure than successful ones. Here at Evergreen, we don’t want you to fail, so we are here to help! Read through these seven quick tips to ensure your bar not only stays up and running, but also remains profitable!   … Read more

How Bars are Promoting on Instagram

How Bars are Promoting on Instagram

promoting on Instagram

Instagram made major waves a few weeks ago when it released its new video sharing feature. It was an instant hit, with 5 million uploads in just its first 24 hours live.

Media sharers everywhere quickly forgot about its predecessor, Vine, and embraced Instagram’s version which featured longer 15-second videos and allowed users to edit frames and apply one of Instagram’s beloved filters. Businesses immediately recognized the exciting potential of this expansion on an already prominent social media marketing tool.

Just this week Open Roads Films released the first ever Insta-video movie trailer for the biographical film ‘Jobs’ staring Ashton Kutcher, illustrating the new frontier of advertising possibilities that this app has opened up. Instagram video gives businesses an easy way to share in-depth, interactive, and exciting perspectives of their products with their consumers. Here at 4 ideas for how you can use Instagram video for your bar:

1. Introduce Your Employees

Literally putting a face to your name is a great way to give your business a more personable feel. Consumers love to see that the people behind their favorite places and products are genuine, friendly, hardworking, and fun people much like themselves!

If you own a bar or restaurant, make a video of your chef whipping up one of your most popular dishes, your bartender shaking up some cocktails for happy hour, or a clip of your manager inviting people in to watch the game this week. Loyal customer bases come from real connections between your employees and the guests they serve. Instagram videos are a great way to introduce your staff to all of your followers and initiate that feeling of familiarity.

[RELATED] OUR BEST INSTAGRAM TIPS FOR BARS

2. Make a How-To Video

Intsa-video is just another way to have a conversation with your consumer. Making a simple ‘How-To’ video is a fun way to engage your audience about something they might find interesting or beneficial, kind of like a visual blog.

Bar owners might try something like, “How to achieve the #perfectpour”- which is also a great way to show off what you’ve got on tap! New Belgium made their own tutorial entitled “How to make a streak plate”, which gave their followers a unique look at the microbiology aspect of craft brewing. Check it out:

3. Behind The Scenes

Taking your customers behind the scenes is an opportunity to get them interested in what’s going on with your business and what’s in-the-making that they have to look forward to. Burberry proved the power of this with their viral Instagram video featuring a behind the scenes compilation of their spring/summer 2014 fashion show in London last month that got a whopping 18,000 likes.

In the craft brewing world, Stone Brewing Company’s behind the scenes flick gave their followers a sneak peak of the bottling of it’s newest collaboration brew Drew Cutis/ Wil Wheaten/ Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tsout! to get them amped for its arrival.

This is a way for you to increase transparency between you and your consumers, making them feel more connected to your business.

[RELATED] NEW INSTAGRAM FEATURES FOR EVERGREEN CUSTOMERS

4. Special Announcements and Promotions

With Instagram video, your marketing promotions can literally come to life. Gone are the days where social media advertisements are static and 2D.

If you have a special announcement to make- happy hour deals, a new location opening, seasonal promotions that you’ve got going on- Instagram video is the perfect way to get the word out in an exciting, creative way!  The sky is the limit for the types of campaigns you can create and there are countless examples of savvy businesses that are profiting from the newest social media marketing tool!

Here’s wishing you a Happy Friday from us at Evergreen!

8 Photo Sharing Tips You Can Use for Your Bar Today

8 Photo Sharing Tips You Can Use for Your Bar Today

Creating fun content can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Using photography through Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to help promote your bar or restaurant can increase your following, credibility and customer interaction! Here are a few tips on how you can use your own, and you clients’ photos to increase your clout!

1 Facebook Photo Sharing Tips

Having a fan page on Facebook can be a great tool for your bar. Not only can you keep your customers engaged with your updates, but Facebook allows people to tag your business in their photos! Keep the customers posting:

1. Comment on photos you’re tagged in. Interacting with your fans shows you care and that you are more than a business–your people too.

2. Share photos you are tagged in on your timeline and give credit to the source/photographer.

2 Pinterest Photo Sharing Tips

Using Pinterest to market your restaurant is one of the easiest ways to bring people to your website. With a few simple tips create fun, pinnable content to your Pinterest boards:

3. Add “Pin” buttons to your food and drink menu photos for others to pin to their boards.

4. Include SEO keywords to your pins in the description area.

5. Have different boards for different parts of your menu (i.e., Desserts, Cocktails, Beer, Salads…etc.)

3 Instagram Photo Sharing Tips

Everyone is taking photos of their day-to-day life. Whether it’s going to their favorite craft beer bar and taking photos of their pints or going to their local tavern and snapping a few shots of their meal those photos are floating around in cyber space. Here’s how you can use them to your advantage:

6. With dozens of Instagram Widgets on the internet, set up a hashtag for your location or do a location specific feed. A favorite example of this is from our friends at Heritage Public House in Santa Rosa. They use a #DrinkUp and #HeritagePublicHouse hashtag to populate their Instagram feed!

7. Hold Statigram photo contests for people who come into your restaurant! (i.e., best chopstick walrus, best food photography, best beer mustache).

8. Take your own photos! A good example of this is the guys at the Lock & Key Social Drinkery in LA- they update every day!

4 Tips for Creating a Dog-Friendly Restaurant

4 Tips for Creating a Dog-Friendly Restaurant

Dog-friendly bars and restaurants are a big trend–and for good reason. It’s hard leaving furry friends at home during the week, and the last thing most pet parents want to do is leave pets at home on the weekend! Millennials are the largest pet-owning demographic, and 67% feel their pet is a part of the family. Millennials who own a dog tend to have high levels of disposable income, with the average millennial spending $1,285 per year on their furry friend.

What does that mean for today’s bar or restaurant owner? Pet-friendly establishments attract a younger, wealthier demographic, and making your bar or restaurant a dog-friendly destination could boost your sales. Let locals know that you’re a great option for a pet-friendly drink or meal!

4 Ways to Turn Your Establishment Into a Dog-Friendly Restaurant

1. Make It Inviting

Restaurants, pubs and even retail establishments often offer their pawed patrons a friendly welcome by placing water bowls near their entrance–sometimes even paired with a jar of treats. Health regulations typically do not allow dogs (excluding service dogs, of course) inside restaurants.

However, many restaurants allow dogs on their patios. Try placing water bowls near your patio entrance to show customers where the pups should enter.

 2. Offer a Dog-Friendly Menu

Places like the Lazy Dog Cafe offer special pet-friendly menus that include grilled chicken breast, ice or even flavored waters. My family used to own a bar with no kitchen and many times people would bring in their pets.

I fondly remember one customer who would come in with his ball python, my father always had a shot glass of water out for his scaly regular– gestures like this promote positive word-of-mouth buzz which spreads quickly!

[READ MORE] THE “PAWS” AND CONS OF DOGS AT THE BAR

 3. Let People Know

There are several ways to let people know about your dog-friendly establishment, so remember to not limit yourself to your website. Add “dog-friendly” to your Google My Business profile, list your establishment with BringFido.com or Dogtrekker.com and check out local dog clubs and specialty retailers in your area to let them know you allow pets.

You could even partner with a local pet shop, perhaps swapping a few Facebook posts or leaving 15% off coupons on each other’s counters. Try reaching out to community groups as well; many dog clubs have meet-ups on the weekends and are always looking for a fun place to hang out after a thirsty day at the dog park.

 4. Promote Good Behavior

Listing a code of conduct is a smart idea. Set expectations for owners and their pets when they’re on your patio. As the owner of a highly social Shiba Inu, I am set at ease by these house rules. But also remember most of your pointy-eared pals that are out on the town are well balanced–maybe more so than their parents!

At Evergreen HQ we love our fur babies! Here’s Kaya Gordon playing a round of poker.

4 Tips for Creating a Dog-Friendly Restaurant