By Veronica Wallace, Contributor
Sports bars and sports-themed restaurants have been in a tough spot since the outbreak of COVID-19. Not only did they get walloped by closures and operating restrictions, but sports shutting down for a large portion of the year mean one of their biggest selling points was gone.
To stay afloat, sports bar operators need to make decisions about their budget. Does every appliance or machine really need annual maintenance?
We’ve all been there: you go to start the car after a long winter, and your engine greets you with silence. At this point, you realize that you forgot about last year’s tune-up, which, at the time, you thought would be fine. Now, it’s going to cost you a couple of thousand in repairs instead of $50-$100 for the tune-up.
This case illustrates the benefits of preventive maintenance. But it isn’t always a clear-cut decision—when your bar is tightening its budget, is it feasible to spend money on maintenance?
Some sports bar owners take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach but, as our example above illustrates, that can end up costing you more in the long run.
To help you determine the most cost-effective route, we’ll go over the main advantages and disadvantages of preventative maintenance.
Advantage: Scheduling Routine Maintenance Can Prevent Breakdowns
Do appliances ever malfunction at a convenient time? Is there even such thing as a convenient time for gear breakdown?
In sports bars, it’s more common for your refrigerator or dishwasher to stop working during happy hour rather than during a slow time. Scheduling your equipment maintenance can help make sure everything is being looked at, cleaned, and tuned-up so small issues don’t become major expenses later.
When all your assets have been recently maintained and assessed, you know that you can rely on them.
Peace of mind goes a long way for sports bar owners; managing a business is rarely an easy job, especially when you’ve got guests and staff to manage, as well. When you don’t need to worry about machines on the fritz, you can focus your energy on your business.
Disadvantage: Maintenance Can Have a High Upfront Cost
There’s a reason why people don’t schedule service for their appliances every year—it can be expensive!
Sports bars have already had their revenue streams slashed by COVID-19, and the last thing they want is another bill to pay. But a benefit of preventative maintenance is that it can save you money down the line. If you’ve ever had to pay the fee for rush service, you’ll understand why many business owners use proactive management — a reactive fix usually costs more than regular maintenance.
In addition, you bear the cost of lost sales that result from not being able to serve guests properly. Sometimes, you need to spend money to save money, as counterintuitive as that may sound. You might need to crunch some numbers to determine if preventative maintenance is saving you money.
Advantage: Sports Bars Can track Scheduled Service with CMMS Software
The point of preventative maintenance is to find problems before they cause a breakdown — not to discover that your air conditioner is faulty on game day. To do that, you need to easily track when your last service was, and when you’re due for another. CMMS software for your business can help you stay on top of it.
Does the TV need an inspection? You don’t want it to be on the blink when the biggest game of the year is on — it nearly guarantees that guests and fans won’t trust your bar.
A CMMS software keeps track of the last time your equipment was maintained and the next time service is due. Any previous repairs are tracked in the system so that future repair people can easily see the history of the machine.
Did your beer taps clog during the last football game? The repair person will know to give them a thorough cleaning next time they’re performing maintenance.
Disadvantage: There’s a Risk of Over-Maintaining Some Appliances
In most cases, preventative maintenance pays for itself when you consider how much you’ll save on repairs. It helps you avoid the disaster scenario of dealing with downtime during your business hours. But what if maintenance is costing you more than repairs? Would it be less expensive to patch problems as they arise?
The answer depends on the type of machinery you’re maintaining. One thing to consider is what will happen if the machine breaks down when you’re serving guests.
Something like a toilet might not be a big deal, as long as you have multiple bathrooms. But a wine cooler or a beer tap? Your bar will be held up altogether. There might be no such thing as over-maintenance when it comes to bar essentials, but maybe you can skip annual service on something less important.
Advantage: It Keeps Your Bar Equipment in Top Condition
Fridges, ice makers, and beer taps. These machines aren’t inexpensive. To protect your investments, you need preventative maintenance for your appliances. If your sink breaks down and the drinks stop pouring, your customers will take off and head to your competitor’s bar. That’s the last thing you want.
On the other hand, your guests will appreciate a bar that runs like a well-oiled machine. When the TV always works, the bathrooms are in service, and the drinks keep pouring, they’ll remember your bar the next time it’s game night.
COVID-19 has made operating a sports bar more challenging than ever; you need every advantage you can get to weather this storm. By scheduling preventative maintenance, your appliances will be on your side. Businesses that are looking to cut costs might be tempted to cancel their scheduled service, but this can cause an appliance breakdown.
Be on the winning team and take care of your equipment regularly.
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.