Exploring Intricacies of Opening a Sports Bar

By Hannah Butler, Contributor

Most often, those people who appreciate the excellent atmosphere when watching sports strive to open a sports bar. This is a rather interesting business niche, which can become very profitable. It is worth noting in advance that sports bars have many differences from ordinary bars and gastronomic places. We will consider the features of opening this particular case and its internal subtleties. Looking ahead, let’s say that marketing in this area is of increased importance. The niche is pretty competitive.

Should You Franchise a Sports Bar or Go Solo?

The franchise is a popular business method nowadays. In simple terms, a franchise is a transfer of rights to use branding, logos, signs, menus, drinks, and food. Under a franchise, its owner leases his brand to another businessman or entity who uses it on the basis of a contract. The deductible can be paid in several ways:

• One-time entry fee, after which you can open your bar under someone else’s signage
• The percentage of profit that you pay to the brand owner as you work
• Both methods work. In this case, the cost of the fee is lower, as well as the “rent”

In terms of sports bars, the franchise is not typically the best option. There are few clear leaders on the market with a truly strong brand. A striking example of franchise work is McDonalds. While there are sports bar franchises out there, there is no such leader in a sports bar niche on the level of McD’s.

Plus, big players usually have pretty high partner requirements. This includes the start-up costs allocated to them, the availability of their own premises and even experience in this field.

Your other option is to go open your own unique sports bar brand. The upside is that you get full control over what your bar’s brand, culture, and experience is like. The downside is that you need to come up with all the startup capitol on your own and you need to build your brand and trust with guests from the ground up. It’s a ton of work but also extremely fulfilling if and when you nail it.

Second: the question is, why does the main owner not continue to do this business?

Build Your Sports Bar’s Business Plan

To open a sports bar, you need a business plan. In addition to the guide to action, you will receive some additional features. For example, having a business plan will help you finance your startup with a bank loan or earn a grant from an organization if you cannot fund your own investment.

Your bar’s business plan should consist of several points:

• Required capital. This is the amount of money you will need to open and operate in the coming months.
• Necessary staff. Depending on your work schedule, you may need two commands. But for a start, one shift consisting of a cook, a bartender, two waiters, a kitchen worker is enough. Hire an administrator, if it is necessary. But at first, I recommend that you take this role on yourself. You will also need a security guard or a contract with a security service.
• If you rent a room that used to have a kitchen, then these costs will be lower. Again, here you need to build on the menu. But you must have the bar counter, bartender tools, beer taps, refrigerators, etc. for sure. Don’t forget to budget in bar maintenance tasks, too.
• Furniture. The amount of furniture depends on the size of the room and the possible reception of visitors. What your furniture looks like will highly depend on your budget as well as the atmosphere you’re looking to build.
• The most important thing is TV. There should be as many of them as possible. Ideally, a put monitor on each table. Then all your visitors will be able to watch their broadcasts.

Scouting Locations for Your New Sports Bar

Finding the right location for your sports bar shouldn’t be undervalued. Often, just finding a place with the right level of foot traffic can keep a bar going even during downturns and slow seasons. So put a lot of thought, time, and effort in finding the perfect location for your bar.

Let’s look at a few examples. The first option that comes to mind is the city center and high traffic. A ton of people walking by means a higher potential for random guests to come in for a drink and watch the game. But there are a few drawbacks here:

• Property rent is too high
• High competition from neighboring bars and cafes
• Lack of regulars or loyal guests

An excellent option would be places near the center, or next to the sports facilities of your city like a football stadium or a hockey arena. In addition to the natural flow of visitors, you can count on those who will drop in after or before matches.

Build the Perfect Food & Drinks Menu

The specific atmosphere of the sports bars sets them apart from other gastronomic establishments. Here the emphasis is on drinks and snacks/apps rather than main courses. But simple breakfasts should also be on your menu, especially if your locals are big European soccer fans, for example.

As for beer, here you need to focus on different varieties and countries of origin. It often happens that when watching, for example, English football matches, visitors, imbued with culture, choose exactly English or Irish varieties of beers.

Don’t oversaturate your beer menu. Owners often buy original foreign varieties that few people take. As a result, the beer turns sour and spoils quickly. Rely on the 6-7 beers you will be offering. Later, if you find there is a demand for some other brands that you do not have, you can start supplying those as well.

Fine Tune Your Marketing

Online promotion is the most relevant method of promoting your sports pub nowadays. It’s important to know what your guest personas are, but most likely they are active Internet users. And that means there you need to “catch” them. For promotion, it is better to use a set of tasks:

• Your sports bar’s website. Here you can publish your menu and beer selection, and visually show the atmosphere of the bar. Upload “photo reports” — pictures taken by your hired photographer during a major event in your bar. A high-quality website is an essential part of good marketing. I recommend you hire a professional copywriter to receive expert paper help and fill your site with remarkable content.
• You can announce scheduled broadcasts, inform users about promotions or new drinks on Instagram. Content shouldn’t loop around your bar. Post a variety of sports information, predictions, videos, and more.
• The country’s main social network is great for promoting a bar. In addition to the same photos and announcements, you can bribe potential customers with interesting information and offers. For example, articles about the best beers, drinking rules, traditions. Share information about the athletes whose achievements you plan to broadcast.

Mistakes in Opening a Sports Bar

Let’s talk about the popular mistakes that novice businessmen make in this niche:

• Lack of atmosphere & convenience. Many people think that a wall-mounted TV is responsible for the “sport” here. In fact, it is much more. Besides the screen, you need to have comfortable seating. After all, visitors expect to spend more than one hour here, and it will benefit you.
• A narrow selection of beer, or too wide. Since this is the main product of the establishment, it will not be superfluous to pay attention to it. Poor quality beer or a lack of it will hit your reputation, and too much choice will be of little interest to anyone and the beer will go to waste.
• Focus only on your interests. Many young businessmen are guilty of this. They name sports bars after their favorite team, broadcast only its matches, or decorate the interior in its colors. It scares off other fans. Strike a balance and leave your preferences at home. The same goes for the narrow range of sports. You cannot only show football or boxing. You need both, and hockey and the Olympics, etc., as well as alternative sports to keep folks interest.
• Lack of additional entertainment. People often come in advance to take their seats. And so that visitors do not get bored, organize entertainment: put on a slot machine, table football, darts.
• Don’t be limited to showing sporting events. Throw themed parties and unite people with the same interests. Beer tasting can be a good idea. This will help you shape your menu as well. You can also arrange a quick date night to attract a wider audience.

And don’t forget about marketing. Often, this is the factor that becomes the main one on the path to the ultimate success of your business.

About the Author:
Hannah Butler works as a content writer in a company that provides expert paper help for students. She likes sharing her experience in the form of articles in such spheres as Business, Self-Development, and Marketing. In her free time, Hannah enjoys rock climbing and bike riding.