With crocus flowers starting to pop out of the ground (note to self: harvest saffron threads for paella) the arrival of spring is imminent. The sporting calendar is about to fill up faster than a pint glass on Paddy’s Day. As the sun stays out longer, guests will start flocking to your doors earlier and stay later.
Pay special attention to these upcoming events while putting your own spin on them to differentiate yourself from your neighbors.
MLB Opening Day
Thursday, March 26th | Various times & networks
There’s something purely American about the start of baseball season. No matter how disappointing things have been in the past, a fresh beginning brings with it the hope of a brighter tomorrow. Fans of teams both mighty and meek can delight in a little bit of optimism before the inevitabilities of statistical norms and small market economics leave the same half-dozen teams to fight it out in October—2015 Royals be damned.
I may have a little confirmation bias—having spent two seasons working an expo station 20 feet away from the Fenway Park batting cages—but baseball can fill a bar at consistent rate that other sports dream of. Maybe it’s the 5,000-game regular season; maybe it’s how easy it is to watch a game while still socializing, eating, and drinking; but the nation’s pastime and sports bars are a nigh-unbeatable pair.
Menu Ideas: Hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, beer, ice cream in little helmets. It’s baseball, not rocket science.
WrestleMania 36
Sunday, April 5th | 5:30 PM ET, WWE Network
Ok, so pro wrestling’s peak days of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker (wait, Undertaker’s still wrestling?) are just a speck of dust in the rearview mirror now, but the pageantry, spectacle, and sheer magnitude of WrestleMania still attract millions of viewers each year pharmacieinde.com. With familiar legends Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and Triple H appearing alongside today’s hottest up and coming stars like Rhea Ripley, Andrade, and Drew McIntyre, the biggest event in “sports entertainment” has something that appeals to fans of all ages.
Hosting a Mania watch party is marathon—last year’s card ran over seven hours—but there are so many mini-events you can run to keep your guests entertained throughout the event. Cosplay contests, pick `em pools, and sign-making can get your diners involved beyond just watching the screens.
Menu Ideas: Aleister Black-ened Chicken, New Day Pancakes, Bobby Fish Tacos, Daniel Bryan’s Meatless Burger, Nacho Man Randy Savage, Street Profits Red Cup Punch, Chicken Cesaro Salad… I can do this all day.
The Masters
Thursday, April 9th – Sunday, April 12th | Day 1: 8:00 AM ET, CBS
If you have a decent breakfast and lunch crowd, four days at August National can offer you a change of pace from the high-speed, high-intensity environment of late season NBA and NHL games. Tiger Woods’ first major win in 11 years at last year’s tournament delivered renewed interest and major ratings. As Tiger goes, so does the sport.
Be mindful that as the event progresses into the later stages of the final round, the energy and excitement in the building can grow to a crescendo if there’s a tight showdown. Make sure your bartenders have their fastest pouring hands ready as the golfers approach the 18th.
Menu Ideas: Arnold Palmers and John Dalys, Peach ice cream, Pimento cheese sandwiches, chicken biscuit breakfast sandwiches.
NFL Draft
Thursday, April 23rd – Saturday, April 25th | Round 1: 8:00 PM ET, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
The popularity of the NFL Draft defies all logic. It’s essentially three days of high stakes human resources management. And yet, viewership continues to grow year after year; it really speaks to the gargantuan following the NFL has.
Reaching out to various displaced fan groups in your area can create a draft-like feeling in your bar. Imagine a section of Bengals fans whooping and hollering as their team picks their next franchise quarterback right next to Jets fans who could land the next Tom Brady and still find a way to complain about it.
Menu ideas: Tailgate classics—ribs, steak tips, sausages, chips and dip, wings wings WINGS!
Kentucky Derby
Saturday, May 2nd | 2:30 ET, NBC
The first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown offers bar patrons their annual chance to class it up with their fanciest hats and pastel suits. It’s all a veneer, though. The Derby inevitably turns into one of the most raucous parties your bar will host all year. Hint: it’s the bourbon.
Hosting contests for the best hat, fanciest suit, even non-monetary horse picking (or monetary, depending on your local laws) turns what amounts to two minutes of nobody being that sure what’s going on into an all-day bonanza. Keeping your guests active and involved can be the difference between a fun day and a lifelong memory.
Menu ideas: Mint juleps, hot brown, burgoo, cucumber sandwiches.
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