4 Tips For Running A Profitable Happy Hour
Posted on: 24 March 2020
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Happy hour is designed to help bring in customers during the slow period between your lunch and dinner rush. Happy hour is a great way to attract new customers and to turn those customers into loyal customers who enjoy patronizing your business. Ideally, your happy hour will also help your business generate profit as well.
1. Carefully Choose Your Drink Specials
You don't have to put your entire drink menu on your happy hour menu. Typically, happy hour menus feature a limited menu. You can feature a blanket discount off all your drinks, such as $2 off all beer and $3 off cocktails. Or you can offer a curated menu with a couple of special drinks that are offered at a steep discount. You can even vary the drinks you offer during happy hour, with different specials for different days of the week.
You want to choose drinks that you know people enjoy but that will also allow you to still make a little money on each drink. You don't want to lose money on the drinks that you offer.
2. Offer Discounted Upgrades
You can make more money during happy hour by discounting your upgrades. For example, someone with a refined pallet may not want a mixed drink made with the cheapest liquors; they may want a happy hour drink made with better alcohol.
For those customers, offer an upgrade to the medium or top shelf liquors for a set amount, such as an extra two or three dollars. Once again, make sure you will make a profit on each drink.
3. Always Offer Food Discounts
Happy hour is not just about drinking; it is also about eating. It is about enjoying a quick bite to eat after a long day at work. For some people, it is about putting together an affordable meal. You should offer a happy hour menu with discounted food options.
These could be general discounts on the food you regularly offer at your restaurant, they could be special foods you only serve at happy hour, or they could be smaller versions of regular offers on your happy hour menu.
4. Offer Sharable Dishes
Happy hour is best when it is shared with others. You want your happy hour to be attractive to groups. You can make your happy hour more appealing to a group by offering appetizers or drinks that are shareable. By offering some shareable dishes, you will help turn your restaurant into a group happy hour destination.
If you want to run a profitable happy hour, choose your drink specials carefully and make sure you will make a profit on the drinks. Be sure to offer food with your drink specials and consider offering sharable options as well. Just because your happy hour offers represent a deal doesn't mean you can't still make a profit.
To learn more, contact a restaurant that offers happy hour deals.