How to Get Your New Beer Bar on Its Feet and Make It Stand Out From the Crowd

Starting and operating your own beer bar can be an exciting, albeit challenging business endeavor. While running your own business is never easy, statistics show that starting a bar of any type is even harder. However, don’t let that dissuade you from pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams.

There are a lot of things to consider when opening up a beer bar and it’s worth addressing each issue before your grand opening. Beyond securing capital, finding qualified staff, and of course, having a strong knowledge of beer, you’ve also got to figure out how to stand out in an over-saturated industry.

If you’ve been considering finally take the plunge into business ownership with a new beer bar, here are some things to keep in mind as you get started:

Learn What the Customer Wants

One way for your beer bar to stand out from the crowd is by appealing to the new wave of customers: Generation Z. But what appeals the most to this new generation? To summarize it in one word: sustainability.

Putting a strong focus on sustainability within your beer bar operations is a huge plus in Gen-Z’s books. That being said, you might be wondering what a sustainable-focused beer bar looks like. It’s worth noting that you likely won’t appease these crowds by putting out recycling bins and banning plastic straws alone.

Instead, what demographics like Gen Z and Millennials tend to look for are businesses that are active within their local communities, invest in eco-friendly practices and products, and use sustainably-sourced ingredients. As those at Maryville University further explain, “An environmentally aware business considers more than just profits — it considers its impact on society and the environment. Such a business is sustainable because it contributes to the health of the structure within which it operates, thereby helping construct an environment in which the business can thrive.” Being sustainable isn’t just about turning the lights off when you’re not in, it’s about operating as a whole with the environment and community in mind.

While it’s not just the younger generations who care strongly about sustainability, they certainly seem to care more about supporting green businesses than previous generations. While going green can be costly, especially for new businesses, ultimately it’s worth it when you consider how committed Gen Z and Millenials are to sustainability and what that means for your business ventures.

Some sustainable ideas worth considering with your new beer bar could be:

• Go Mobile: Putting your beer bar on wheels is one sustainable solution worth considering. Something like a beer bus tends to use fewer resources to operate and being mobile means you can bring your beer bar to customers for important occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and graduations. You also might find it cheaper to operate out of a truck or bus than a building.

• Incentivize: Going green can be costly, which can be difficult to manage when you’re first starting. If you’re not able to run as sustainably as you’d like in the beginning, incentivizing customers and staff to go green is a great solution in the meantime. Give discounts to those who bike or walk to your establishment instead of drive. Host an event once a month where you invite customers to clean up trash from the streets and give those who collect three bags or more a free drink.

• Specialize Your Menu: Having a plant-based or completely organic menu is another sustainable option to consider. Additionally, instead of wasting resources to have ingredients shipped to you from who-knows-where, support and connect with local farms to see what products of theirs you could include in your menu.

While some may argue focusing so much on sustainability isn’t necessary, it’s usually worth it to make your customer’s priorities your business’s priorities as well. And it’s easier to practice from the ground up rather than implementing after you’ve built a business. 

Make a Good “First” Impression

Another factor that could help your new beer bar take off (or potentially cause it to fall flat) is your business’s website. Oftentimes, before customers even step foot in an establishment, they peruse the business’s website to see what it’s all about. This is especially true if you’re brand new on the scene and haven’t quite established yourself yet.

Creating a website that is designed well and has engaging, unique content can be difficult and time-consuming but the investment is worth it. Plus, a wonderfully-designed website paired with good UX and UI can do wonders for attracting new customers. However, all of that being said, living in the digital era we do, there is a lot of competition online.

To really stand out, you’re going to have to prioritize not only your website design and content but the customer’s experience using the website. Luckily, it’s easier now than ever to keep tabs on the competition and even potentially learn a thing or two from them. Start by visiting several successful beer bars’ websites and doing some research. What information do they provide? How’s their UX and UI? What trends are you noticing? What’s lacking?

Switching your perspective to that of a potential customer surfing the web for a new watering hole means you don’t have to be an expert to notice what works and what doesn’t on a business’s website. This means you can potentially recreate any of the interesting and notable websites you come across with the right motivation and commitment. Lacking motivation and time? Consider outsourcing help to get your website off the ground and noticed by more customers.

Let Your Passion Shine

At the end of the day, there is no way to predict if your beer bar will be successful or not. However, if you’re passionate about your business and believe in your efforts as an entrepreneur, that often shines through and attracts customers from all walks of life. Of course, passion alone doesn’t pay the bills, but it can be the thing that helps you push through the many obstacles and difficulties businesses face. From planning your beer menu to designing your website, the opportunities to showcase what makes your business amazing and unique are endless.

Special thanks to Jori Hamilton for this Great Beer Now guest post!

Bio: Jori Hamilton is an experienced writer residing in the Northwestern U.S. She covers a wide range of topics but takes a particular interest in covering topics related to business productivity, travel, and entrepreneurship. If she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling and trying new beers. As of now, her favorite beer is Melvin Brewing’s 2×4 DIPA. To learn more about Jori, you can follow her on Twitter.