Opened a Bar

[Statutory]

Sure sounds like paying full price for drinks is the way to set an example. You are after all getting "rakeback" on them anyways.

[mindflayer]

Congrats Thremp!

Some underhanded ways to get patrons to drink more;
Make those dogs Extra salty.
Turn up the heat when people start dancing.

We used to do this at my old U.
Arrange for "free nights" with college clubs that can pack a few hundred people in the club. Ie make a deal with Frat House, Theta Beta Drinkem Upa, On your weakest night .. they get X00 free tickets ( a house fund raiser to buy a new XXX for the house), to sell at their price, they collect the cover charge and you sell the drinks.
The arrangement was typical with any club that had a lot of members, or members that would typically drink a lot.

[Tupacia]

Thremp,

Although I'm not sure how much food you plan on selling, I think you should check out RestaurantOwner.com. It's got a bunch of resources (business plan templates, location checklists, etc.) that would probably be helpful if you don't have experience in the field.

[CrushinFelt]

[ QUOTE ]
Jimbo,

No vending rights. I think right now our crowd will be college kids and a dance clubby type atmosphere w/ bands DJs etc. I'm not for sure though on what all will go one. Though you do make a good point about the taxes. I'm sure there is some complicated and laborious process to go through for that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your crowd is easy.

1) Have one night per week be $1 bottles (not a primetime night). Wednesday became a big drinking night at my college because of this.

2) Have one night per week be $6 pitchers (again, not a Friday/Saturday night, and probably not Thursday either). For college characters you need to promote quantity during the weekdays.

This idea was also pulled off by a "mug night" where your first drink cost like $6 or something (because you get to keep the 20 oz mug) and the rest were like $1 a piece.

3) The previous two suggestions were for getting as many people into your bar as possible with little margin. Weekends (this could include Thursday) should basically be the opposite. For these nights, do things like live bands, or other "events" or theme-driven promos. People don't want to do "the same thing we do every night" on fridays and saturdays.

During football season Sunday and Monday should be easy. Throw up some dart boards and let people buy "buckets" ($15 and you get 5 bottles in a bucket of ice). For some reason I swear to god people LOVE buying those things even if it isn't a great deal.

[pokerpunchout]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thremp,

Awesome. What are the liquor license costs like where you set this place up, and do you have one already?

James

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I don't. ~1500. Other guy is taking care of that. He has one currently with no marks and went through the process.


All,

I just do the numbers side and have capital. I'm closer to a blind partner than a real partner (like 99% of the way there). I just do basic auditing/financial stuff to make sure we/I aren't being robbed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow that is CHEAP for a liquor license. Here in AZ a full beer/wine and distiled license (class 1) if I remember go for around $75,000. They are sold on the open market and there are only so many issued. There is a beer and wine license you can get if you are designated a restaruant that sell for $2,000 last I looked, but only 40% of total profit (or something like that) can come from alcohol sales.

A friend and I looked into opening a bar around campus a few years ago, but Arizona makes it really hard to do this.

Good Luck

[Brad1970]

I don't know if this do-able with your local ordinances but where I live 18 yr olds can get into a bar but not drink obviously, so we charged them a cover charge 4x more than a 21 yr old since we couldn't sell'em anything.

[EMc]

Thremp,

Its been a year or so since I did tax but im almost positive that an S corp just flows through to the owners. I can look it up when i get back later tonight.

[thing85]

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Thremp,

Its been a year or so since I did tax but im almost positive that an S corp just flows through to the owners. I can look it up when i get back later tonight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. This is one of the key distinguishing features between an S-Corp and a C-Corp.

[Thremp]

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Thremp,

Its been a year or so since I did tax but im almost positive that an S corp just flows through to the owners. I can look it up when i get back later tonight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Word. You're correct. I was mostly curious on the dissolving differences. I know in a partnership... If someone dies... then poof its gone. But I didn't if LLCs are any different.

[Thremp]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know if this do-able with your local ordinances but where I live 18 yr olds can get into a bar but not drink obviously, so we charged them a cover charge 4x more than a 21 yr old since we couldn't sell'em anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

We do 2x, but yes they can come in.