By Elyse Glickman
Everybody loves a bargain. Which means if you build a bar promotion that touts free tastings, discounted drink specials and entertaining diversions, people will come. At least for that particular promo.
But the real question bar managers and bartenders should ask is, “How can we get those people to return, and eventually become regular customers?”
Most people are familiar with on-premise promotions financed by major brand distilleries and breweries. Reps from the companies show up at a partnering restaurant bearing gifts of branded décor items, themed party activities and a schedule of samplings, 2-for-1 specials, and happy hour pricing. For years, such promotions have given Mexican restaurants an assist with broadening their customer base.
There’s no doubt these types of promotions bring in customers. But for long-term success and loyal customers, you need to get creative and personal with your on-premise promotions.
The Basics…And How They’re Changing
“Good on-premise promotions benefit the account and the customer while brands provide the concept and activation,” explains Gustavo Guerra, Tecate brand director at Heineken USA. “They represent an opportunity to drive traffic, promote customer engagement, and boost beverage sales and profits. Good promotions secure customer loyalty to the brands that offer them and to the accounts that participate.”
Guerra cites sports-focused promotions as prime examples of how bars and brands can team up to drive customer interest—perhaps on-premise events planned around Tecate and boxing or Heineken and soccer. In Hispanic markets, for example, Guerra uses Tecate brands to help his clients tap into customers’ desire to bond over drinks, food and a Canelo PPV fight or a match featuring Mexico’s national soccer team.
But today’s customers want more than low prices and sporting events; they expect things like exclusivity (cocktail and craft beer menus with selections specific to a restaurant), food and spirit pairings, and bar programs that support the local economy (craft beers and independent regional distilleries, for example), industry experts say.
Promotions as Brand Builders
While promotions by big name companies like Tecate are not going away, restaurateurs and bar managers should consider how they can better define and use their own brands to get customers in the door.
For example, El Torito created a do-it-yourself taco bar that is the centerpiece of the chain’s “Taco Tuesday.” Margaritas offered with the tacos use premium tequilas rather than well-grade spirits, which introduces those higher-profit brands to customers.
Another example can be found at Yuyo, a contemporary Peruvian restaurant in Austin, Texas.
“We are living in a global economy, so we can get products from all over Latin America a little easier now,” says Executive Chef Maribel Rivero, who owns the restaurant with her brother, Carlos Rivero. “We can feature particular ingredients that are appreciated in their origin country, for example Peru’s exotic fruits, combined in recipes with Barsol Pisco. Whenever possible, incorporating special events that feature an educational component about the gastronomy of Peruvian cuisine increases our customer awareness and interest to return to our restaurant. Recently, we featured Master Mixologist Johnny Schuler, a bartender for over 40 years in Peru, to discuss the varieties of pisco and its flavors highlighted in cocktails.”
In March, Schuler visited Yuyo’s Pisco Happy Hour, where he led guests through a tasting of super premium piscos including Pisco Portón, La Caravedo Quebranta, La Caravedo Torontel and Portón Acholado. Guests also enjoyed menu specials, including Yuyo’s signature pisco cocktails—the Purple Drank and Pisco Punch.
Because many customers are unfamiliar with pisco, this approach builds awareness and gives Yuyo a chance to let customers sample the distilled Latin spirit without putting a big dent in their wallets, Rivero says.
Jalapeno Pete’s in Studio City, California attracts customers with unique cocktails that customers can find only there.
“Now that every bar carries many of the same spirits, people really want to know how they are using them in flights, seasonal cocktails, pairings, and the like in ways that set them apart from the competition,” says Jason Roy, the restaurant’s floor manager. “Originality is now what will actually bring people in above and beyond certain brands.”
Yet as successful as those specials have been, Roy believes the heart of on-premise promotions lies in ongoing contact with customers.
“Without good customer service, there’s no such thing as a successful promotion,” Roy says. “No matter what you offer customers, there is nothing that makes them want to try a place and then come back more than treating him or her with respect and paying attention.”
Elyse Glickman is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles, and el Restaurante’s regular At the Bar columnist.
What’s your on-premise story?
Has your restaurant or bar had an especially successful on-premise promotion—one that created a buzz and drove new business into your establishment? We’d love you to share it with our readers! Send a description of the event, along with any photos and/or customer comments you have, to Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@restmex.com. We’ll feature your story in an upcoming issue of el Restaurante.