How to increase bar sales

Tiffany the experienced Bartender knows more than French scientists!!

October 17th, 2008

This one is for all the bartenders and bar managers and owners that want to increase sales.

Back in July, a published study by French Scientists found that increasing the volume and speed of music in a bar increased the rate of alcohol consumption. Customers were drinking more and faster.

Hundreds of news articles and blogs around the world reported on this

We have known this for years. Its industry lore. But we were curious. When did bar owners and managers first learn this and when did they first start putting it in practice?

We talked to experienced bartenders and owner/managers all over.  Most of them knew about this. Nobody could tell us when he or she learned it. Then we ran into Tiffany.

Tiffany works at an Irish sports bar in Arlington, Va. She has twenty years of experience. She told us exactly when she first learned and experienced how loud music makes customers drink faster.

In 1993 as a beginning bartender at TGIF’s in Philadelphia, Tiffany saw Friday’s suddenly make huge changes to the bar and bar lounge.  They removed some stools from the bar forcing more customers to stand.  They removed tables with seating and replaced them with stand-up small bar tables just big enough to hold a couple of drinks and appetizers. Starting around 4 PM they began to dim the lights and continued it through the night.

Then they started to work on the music.  Again at 4 in the late afternoon  they changed the music from mellower easy listening to louder faster top 40 songs. Over the night the music would get progressively louder and faster.

What happened? Tiffany and the rest of the bartenders started ringing up more sales and much better tips. She laughed when she told me this story. She said none of her co-workers changed a thing with regard to customer service. They simply benefited from the changes instituted by experienced restaurateurs.

Now, if it comes to increasing sales whom are you going to listen to; famous French academic social scientists or Tiffany the experienced bartender. I’d go with Tiffany any day of the week.