Your bar needs an upgrade. You know it, I know and the customers who have chosen to take their business elsewhere know it. Maintenance and upkeep are hard enough with daily operations that the idea of an upgrade causes aneurysm level stress without even seeing an estimate.
OK relax. I’m not talking about that kind of upgrade. If this is your bathroom, you already know what needs to be done.
Assuming that’s not your restaurant, don’t worry. I have 2 very simple, easy and inexpensive upgrades that you can do this week, that will have serious impact on the way customers regard your business.
PROBLEM:
What does nearly every single female customer take with them into the bar? Besides a sense of pride and a need for libation, most women carry a purse. That purse contains some of the most important things in their life; a wallet, a cell phone, keys and who knows what else.
You know what they don’t want to do with that purse? They don’t want to lose it and they don’t want to put it on the dirty floor either. The same goes for men carrying bags. Bags could draped over the back of the chair, balanced them on a lap or maybe held but it’s certainly not preferred.
EASY UPGRADE 1:
Put hooks to hang bangs under the bar. Install one every other seat that way there is one hook per person seated. For less than $20 you can get 10 of these: Richohome Retro Octopus Double Prong Robe Hook,Coat and Hat Hook- Pack of 10.
While you are at it, get 10 more and make sure there is one on the back of the door in all of your bathrooms. Nobody, including you, wants to put their bag or jacket on the floor of a bathroom that isn’t in their own home.
Putting hooks on the bathroom doors and under the bars shows that you thought of the customer first. It lets them know that your customer service is a cut above the rest.
Click here and buy some hooks from Amazon.com right now.
PROBLEM:
You know who loves to eat out when they have the chance? Moms, Dads and Grandparents. You know how often they get to eat out, have a hot meal or even just be able to sit down while they eat? If you have kids then you know the answer is practically never.
Most people think Saturday and Sunday afternoons are just for boozy brunchers but that’s also when parents with young kids can get out of the house to see friends, eat lunch and blow off some steam. They might be looking for a place with a kid -friendly menu or perhaps accessible parking and if you have those, great. But you know what’s more important to new parents than anything else when choosing where to go with their kids?
EASY UPGRADE #2
A diaper changing station.
Without fail, every single time my wife and I take our baby out with us for a meal, the first thing we do is call and ask if they have a baby changing station. We might go there and the food could be amazing or they might have an unbelievable selection of craft beer but it will be totally known there forward as the place without a changing station.
For less than $2oo you can order the ECR4Kids Horizontal Commercial Baby Changing Station with 500 Disposable Liners from Amazon. Do it now.
Also, I’ve never been to a bar that had a station with liners. I didn’t even know that was a thing until I wrote this post. I guarantee if we found a bar or restaurant that not only had a changing station but was always stocked with liners, we would go there before anywhere else.
Most parents roll with other parents who have kids their age and gems like that become a quick topic of conversation. Make it easy for a parent or grandparent to take their kids out and you will make loyal customers out of them.
Want to be a real fave with parents who want to spend their money at a restaurant or bar? Put a changing station in both the women’s and men’s room. Most restaurants will put one in the women’s room but Dad’s change diapers too.
Do Mom’s a favor and click here to buy a baby changing station from Amazon right now.
CASE IN POINT
I can tell you 2 things about The Quiet Man Public House in Peekskill, NY. First of all, they have an absolutely, over the top and ridiculous Burger called the “Mad Mac.” They call it the “twisted version with all the fixings” but I call it a “food party!”
It comes topped with corned beef, Irish bacon, bacon jam, fried mac n cheese and onion rings on a brioche bun.
You know what else I remember about The Quiet Man Public House? They do not have a baby changing station in their bathrooms. I know this because on my last visit we had to change our son on a table in the corner of the restaurant. The staff was super nice about it, very accommodating and also apologetic.
The food is great and the place has a really nice vibe. But it’s burned in my head now that if we want to go there, it means there is going to baby butt in everyone’s face at some point.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Upgrade your bar or restaurant for less than $300 by installing a baby changing station and under the bar coat / bag hooks.
You could also try adding crazy toppings to your Burgers, but I would suggest trying the hooks and station first. Once you do, here is a recipe for deep fried mac n cheese from Food Republic.
