How Your Community Can Benefit from a Bar

It used to be that having a bar in your neighborhood came with lots of noise complaints and dealing with undesirables in the area late into the night. But nowadays, with the surge in craft beer breweries and eco-conscious pubs, having such an establishment in your community is, in many ways, more of a benefit. Not only do these bars offer a place to socialize, they also boost the local economy and help support artists and musicians in the neighborhood.

These are places you can go with friends after a long day at work or to meet new people if you’re new in town. If you live within walking distance, all the better, because you won’t have to contribute to the emissions problem in many cities with your car, and you’ll be able to stay safe even if you have a couple of drinks. Here are a few key ways bars can benefit a community, presented below by Great Beer Now.

Social Support

Whether you’ve just moved to a new area or like to go out with your friends now and then, having a bar right there in your neighborhood is convenient and safer than having to drive a distance to find fun. These establishments are also great for hosting parties and other events with your friends and loved ones. In a world of increasingly impersonal technology, it’s more important than ever to find ways to socialize face-to-face with the people who mean the most to us.

“Our social networks provide us with the single most important buffer against mental and physical illness. While pubs traditionally have a role as a place for community socializing, alcohol’s role appears to be in triggering the endorphin system, which promotes social bonding. Like other complex bonding systems such as dancing, singing and storytelling, it has often been adopted by large social communities as a ritual associated with bonding,” says Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University.

Stay Healthy

Many bars and breweries these days are offering run clubs and other groups that allow you to get together with friends, get in a workout, and stop in for a frosty drink afterward as a reward. This is a great opportunity to socialize with like-minded people, get some exercise, and work off some of the stress from the week.

Support the Arts

Bars often hire local bands and musicians to play on weekends, and many times you can find artwork from nearby artists on display. Many of the newer breweries have taken to hosting art shows and sometimes hire street artists to spruce up the exterior of the building, so you know that when you patronize these establishments, you’re supporting local artists as well.

Good Causes

A lot of bars support charities and hold fundraisers, especially for groups or individuals from the neighborhood. Having a business with a large customer base supporting a worthy cause can really help bring attention to it and make raising money a success. You could even organize your own charity event, such as a bar crawl, and rally your friends to spread the word. When something is for a good cause, especially when it involves the community, many people will go out of their way to come out and support it.

Opening Your Own Bar

If you’d love nothing more than to open your own neighborhood bar, getting started might be easier than you think. However, running a bar – or any business, for that matter – requires dedication and a lot of hard work. It also requires you to do some research to ensure you’re not opening your establishment in an area devoid of potential customers. So, look into the best (and worst) cities to open a business, and be sure to pay attention to details such as startup costs, taxes, and business survival rates. This will help you determine whether the area you’re considering will sustain your new neighborhood bar.

While all this information is definitely important, neighborhood bars are generally places that attract people who live nearby. As such, you need to research the area’s walk score, which ranges from “car dependent” (the lowest) to “walker’s paradise” (the highest). Picking an area with a high walk score could do wonders for your business, especially if there aren’t any other neighborhood bars within walking distance.

Bars Make a Difference

Local pubs can be a great place to spend time on the weekends or after a long day at work, and these days they have so much to offer. In addition to live music and other events, many bars offer a wide range of beers, wines, and other beverages for you to enjoy. So, kick back, relax, and enjoy a drink with your friends.

Great Beer Now is the best place for beer-lovers. Let us know if you have any questions!