The Super Bowl has become a bona fide American holiday, with over 103 million people tuning into last year's Eagles victory. That's not the only noteworthy statistic, though. Taking a deeper look into the NRF's annual Spending Survey, which measures how people plan to celebrate the biggest drinking day of the year, the numbers are quite staggering.
- 72% of all adults will watch the Patriots take on the Rams
- Roughly 13 million people will be tuning in from a bar or restaurant
- 79% of all viewers plan to spend money on food and beverages
- Consumers will spend an estimated average of $81.17 per person
- $14.8 billion is expected to be spent for that day across the country
If you own or operate a bar, what's the underlying message here? It's imperative that you and your staff are properly prepared across the board, from generating pre-event buzz to ensuring things run smoothly on gameday. Follow these specific tips from TablelistPro, and you will be the one scoring a touchdown this Super Bowl Sunday.
Offer Irresistible Deals
Drink specials, discounts on food, and any distinct offerings that aren't typically offered at your venue will entice guests to choose your watch party and, once there, spend money all day and night. These are a few common ideas for which you may find some inspiration, depending on your personal preferences:
- Beat-the-clock deal
- Beer for $4 at 4pm
- Beer for $5 at 5pm
- Beer for $6 at 6pm
- BOGO offer
- Group discounts
- Discounted pitchers/buckets
- 50 cent wings
- Free beer with every order of two dozen wings
- Game-determined deals
- Touchdown celebration specials
- $2 beer for five minutes after a team scores a touchdown or field goal
- Halftime specials
- ½ off drinks for the entirety of the halftime
- Touchdown celebration specials
Create A Themed Menu
An event like the Super Bowl is an opportunity to up your food and drink game. Get innovative, and make it stand out by incorporating the theme of football into your bar's menu. Need a few ideas?
- Specialty cocktails
- The Touchdown from Liquor
- All-American Super Bowl Punch from Liquor
- Super (Bowl) Slushies from Bustle
- Campari With A Kick(off) from Town and Country
- Beverages inspired by the Patriots, Rams, and their respective cities
- Patriots:
- The Patriots Pass from Giggles, Gobbles, & Gulps
- Patriots Tea Party Punch from Today
- Boston Sidecar from Tailgate Master
- Beer-battered onion rings (using Sam Adams beer, an ode to the home of the Patriots!) from Epicurious
- New England Clam Chowder and Boston Cream Cupcakes from Bustle
- Rams:
- Front Seven from Liquor
- The Ram from Tailgate Master
- L.A. Cocktail from Matchup Menu
- Cucumber Margarita from Chowhound
- Rams-themed donuts and football-themed tacos from the team's former Food Truck
- Patriots:
- Food inspired by Atlanta, the big game's host city
- Southern favorites like barbecue, brisket, and mac 'n cheese from TablelistPro client, the Maxim Pregame Experience
- Georgia On My Mind from VinePair
- Generic, sports-themed menu
- Buffalo wings, burgers, pizza, ribs, nachos, and all of the classics
- When all else fails, keep it simple by sticking to everyone's favorites!
Distribute Prizes
Big or small, given to many people or just one, you don't have to dedicate much of your budget in order to captivate your guests with goodies. Plus, you can include this in your event's marketing campaign to further incentivize people to come.
- Cover someone's tab for the night
- Gift card to your bar
- Swag bag with bar-branded items
- Bottle opener, flask, sunglasses, shot glass, koozie, cork screw
- Tailgate prize pack
- Portable grill, cooler, bluetooth speaker, tailgate chair, tote bag
- NFL gift basket
- Football, hat, t-shirt, beer, beer mug, water bottle, popcorn, chips
- Sports merchandise
- Signed memorabilia
Set Up Games
Appealing to the masses on this day is key because, believe it or not, not everyone in your bar will actually be interested in watching the Super Bowl. Provided you have space for it, consider including interactive games. The non-football fans will be thanking you later!
- Beer pong
- Giant jenga
- Giant checkers
- Cornhole
- Bocce ball
- Ring toss
- Dartboards
- Trivia games
- Pool
- Ping pong
Keep The Night Going
The fun doesn't end when the game does! Hosting an after-party is perfect for guests who either want to celebrate the big win or want to drink their sorrows away after the tough loss. You'll also attract more people to your bar this way – ones who weren't necessarily there for the game but are looking for a postgame spot. Hire a DJ, crank a killer playlist, and you'll see revenue rising all the way into Monday morning.
Prepare Everyone and Everything
First thing's first: running out of beer, liquor, or food simply isn't an option. Stock up!
You shouldn't just have more staff members on the clock that day; you should also ensure that they're fully trained and equipped to handle the masses – particularly the bartenders. Have them freshen up on TablelistPro's previous blog post explaining nine simple ways to become the ultimate bartender.
Don't forget the decorations! If you're in L.A. or New England, theme parties are the way to go. Otherwise, keep it generic so you can attract fans of both teams. Balloons, streamers, party hats, party blowers – there's no such thing as too much when it comes to the Super Bowl.
Lastly, technology can be your best friend. Apps like Partender will help you quickly and accurately keep track of full bar inventory, place your orders, track your usage, and calculate your cost of goods sold, while venue management software companies like TablelistPro will help you easily keep track of reservations, inventory, staff, and pricing in real time.
Market, Market, Market
The Super Bowl might be in just over a week, but it's not too late to blast your event through ads in your local newspaper, a strong social media presence that includes creating a Facebook event page, and creative email marketing, perhaps featuring a discount or promotion. When posting, be wary that a generic flyer doesn't always build excitement or anticipation. Instead, tease a preview of what's to come in the form of your specialty food and drink items, your decorations, or your Super Bowl giveaways.
In addition, be sure to keep your website up-to-date. Many of our TablelistPro clients are currently using our software to sell tickets, tables, and packages on their own site through an interactive map widget. Once you're on board with us, setting this up is a breeze and, in just a few minutes, you'll be able to start seeing an increase in sales.
You now have the top tips to beat out the competition next weekend, so go get started – by signing on with TablelistPro, the nightlife industry's leading online reservations and venue management app. To schedule a quick, free demo with us and get all of your questions answered, fill out this form, visit our website, or send us an email at hello@tablelist.com. We'll be on the lookout for your message so you can get started immediately!