The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations

Epizódok

• Why Bad Bar Scheduling Is Driving Up Your Labor Cost 01.06.2026 8p

  High labor cost does not always mean you have too many people. Sometimes your people are just scheduled at the wrong time. In this episode, I talk about why bar labor cost is often a scheduling problem, not a headcount problem. Your sales do not move evenly through a shift. But your labor usually does. That mismatch is where labor percentage starts getting ugly. We break down how to read your sales curve, spot the ramp, peak, and tail, and schedule your team based on when the money is actuall...
• How to Raise Bar Prices Without Guest Pushback 27.05.2026 12p

  Raising prices is awkward. But not raising them can wreck your margins. In this episode, Chris talks about using a seasonal menu change as a natural pricing reset for your bar. Instead of randomly bumping prices and hoping guests do not complain, use your summer menu to rethink what stays, what gets cut, and where your margins need help. Chris breaks down sales data, P-Mix, high-volume items, seasonal cocktails, fresh ingredients, and fast builds that are easier to sell at volume. The g...
• Why Your Bar’s Instagram Reels Get Views but No Customers 25.05.2026 8p

  A lot of bar reels look great. But they do nothing. In this episode, Chris breaks down why the gap between “looks content” and “feels content” is killing your social media ROI. Pretty cocktails, neon signs, plated food, and clean bar shots can look good, but they do not always make people want to leave their house and come in. What actually works is content that captures the feeling of your bar: the crowd noise, the energy at 10 p.m., the regulars, the birthday moments, the staff having fun, ...
• From Corporate VP to Bourbon Blender with Brandon McCraney 20.05.2026 29p

  What happens when the business you planned is not the business you actually build? In this episode, I talk with Brandon McCraney, owner of Old Raleigh Distillery, about leaving corporate life, chasing whiskey, and opening a distillery during COVID. Brandon shares how Old Raleigh started as a blending vision, how a change in North Carolina law turned him into a bar owner, and what it was like opening before he could even sell his own whiskey. We also get into whiskey blending, one-off batches,...
• How One Private Event a Week Can Add $78K to Your Bar 18.05.2026 9p

  Most bars say they do private events. But most bars do not have a real system for booking them. In this episode, Chris breaks down why private events are one of the most underused revenue streams in independent bars, especially when slow nights are harder to fill. He covers what to put on a one-page event inquiry sheet, how to think about food and beverage minimums, when to take deposits, why you should not discount your minimums just to close, and how fast follow-up can make or break the boo...
• Why Experience Isn’t Enough When Hiring Bar Staff 13.05.2026 20p

  Experience does not always mean someone is a good hire. In this episode, I talk about why hiring bar staff based on experience alone can backfire. A resume may tell you they know the job. But it will not tell you if they are warm, coachable, curious, resilient, or right for your culture. And that is the part that keeps guests coming back. We break down what to screen for in interviews, why technical skills are easier to train than genuine hospitality, and how to stop hiring experience just to...
• Is Gen Z Lazy… Or Is Your Bar Management Broken? 11.05.2026 8p

  Gen Z is not impossible to manage. A lot of bars are just managing them like it is still 2005. No clear growth path. Vague schedules. Random communication. Feedback only when something goes wrong. Then owners act shocked when younger staff leave. In this episode, I talk about what actually makes Gen Z leave bar jobs and what keeps them around. It is not always more money. It is clarity. Feedback. Growth. Ownership. And a reason to care. If you keep losing younger staff, maybe it is time to st...
• How Bad Bar Design Can Cost You $1M with Tobin Ellis 06.05.2026 34p

  What if your bar was built to look good, but not to make money? That might sound harsh. But if your bartenders are walking laps, reaching too far, making a mess, or fighting the layout every shift, your design is costing you more than you think. In this episode, I talk with Tobin Ellis about how bar design impacts speed, service, bartender fatigue, and profit. We break down why every wasted step matters, why pretty bars can still be operational disasters, and why seconds behind the bar turn i...
• The Invisible Bar Loss That’s Killing Your Margins 04.05.2026 7p

  Where is your bar’s money actually going? Probably not where you think. A heavy pour. A spill nobody logs. A comp that never gets rung in. A free drink for a friend. One small thing after another. In this episode, I talk about micro loss, the tiny leaks that quietly wreck your margins without looking like a big problem. If your sales look fine but the numbers still do not add up, this is where to look. Your bar may not have a theft problem. It may have a visibility problem. 🔴 Start Here...
• The Real Reason Guests Don’t Order a Second Round 29.04.2026 15p

  Why do guests leave after one drink, even when the cocktail was good? That is usually not a drink problem. Your bar may be telling them to leave before anyone says a word. In this episode, I break down the hidden signals that kill second-round orders: empty glasses, dead room energy, awkward server check-ins, messy tables, flat lighting, bad music shifts, and staff behaviour that makes the night feel over. Because the decision to order another drink usually happens before the guest asks for o...
• Your “High-Margin” Bottles Are Quietly Killing Your Bar’s Cash Flow 27.04.2026 7p

  Most bar owners think high-margin liquor is making them money. But if the bottle barely moves, it is not profit. It is trapped cash. In this episode, I break down why obsessing over pour cost can blind you to a bigger problem: slow inventory. A premium bottle might look great on paper, but if it sits on the back bar collecting dust, it is quietly choking your cash flow. I’ll show you how to spot dead stock, when a high-end bottle is actually worth keeping, and how to price slow-moving l...
• Party of Six - The Secret Ingredient to Memorable Bar Experiences with Katalin Bene 24.04.2026 1ó 16p

  Join special guest Katalin Bene, and our normal panel: Aoife Halliday, Dave Nitzel, Minakshi Singh, Cliff Crider, and Chris Schneider as they explore the transformative power of personal evolution in the hospitality industry. Discover how Katalin overcame barriers and embraced continuous learning to create memorable guest experiences. Her story of resilience, innovation, and collaboration offers a rich tapestry of knowledge and inspiration. Gain valuable insights into balanc...
• Your Staff Controls Your Profit Why Are You Hiding the Numbers? 22.04.2026 13p

  Most bar owners think hiding financial numbers protects the business. In reality, it usually does the opposite. When your staff doesn’t understand what overpouring, waste, breakage, labor pressure, cash handling, and check averages are doing to the business, they can’t help protect profit. They just keep working blind. Instead, this episode shows you how to use the right numbers to build ownership, stronger accountability, and better decisions from the people who affect your margi...
• The Room That Secretly Decides Whether Guests Come Back 20.04.2026 9p

  How much money is your dirty bathroom costing you? Most bar owners think guests only care about drinks, service, and prices. They don’t. Guests walk into one filthy bathroom, and suddenly your whole bar feels dirty, sloppy, and untrustworthy. In this episode, we break down why bathroom conditions have a bigger impact on guest trust, repeat business, and sales than most operators want to admit. You’ll learn a simple 5-point bathroom audit that helps you catch the problems that kill perception ...
• Regulars Keep Coming In, So Why Are Your Bar Profits Still Weak? 15.04.2026 17p

  Bar marketing gets expensive fast when every promotion is aimed at strangers. The smarter move is knowing which customers already visit often, spend more than average, and quietly keep the business alive. In this episode, we break down how to identify your most profitable bar customers using POS data, guest frequency, average check size, visit patterns, and order behavior. You’ll learn why generic promotions attract weak-fit customers, how to spot your best regulars, and how to build better m...
• Your Bar Looks Busy, So Why Are You Still Not Making Money? | Understanding Bar Prime Cost 13.04.2026 10p

  Most bar owners track sales, labor, and inventory. But very few ask if they’re tracking bar prime cost the right way. In this episode, we break down bar prime cost, how to calculate it, and why it matters more than sales alone when it comes to profitability. You’ll learn how labor cost plus cost of goods sold can reveal problems earlier, from overstaffing and overpouring to waste, bad inventory numbers, and rising vendor costs. If you’re a bar owner, hospitality leader, or restaur...
• You’re the Bottleneck: Why Bar Owners Stay Stuck with Mike Dejong 08.04.2026 27p

  Why is your bar still stuck… even though you’re working nonstop? Here’s the truth most owners avoid: It’s not your staff. It’s not your marketing. It’s you. In this episode, franchise turnaround expert Mike DeJong breaks down the pattern he sees over and over again: Owners are becoming the bottleneck in their own business. You’ll hear why most bar owners stay trapped in operator mode, constantly busy but never actually moving forward, and how their own habits, decisions, and mindset are the r...
• Your Bar Is Already Outdated, Gen Z Changed the Rules 06.04.2026 11p

  What worked before… doesn’t work anymore. Same bar. Same drinks. But something’s off. The crowd is different. And they’re not drinking the way they used to. Most bar owners think it’s a traffic problem. It’s not. You’re running a bar built for the past while Gen Z is playing by new rules. In this episode, we break down how each generation actually drinks, spends, and chooses where to go and why Gen Z is shifting everything from what people order to when they show up. If your bar feels inconsi...
• Why Your Bar Is Empty on Weeknights (And How to Fix It) with Bryan Carr 01.04.2026 37p

  One night you’re busy. Next night? Dead. No pattern. No consistency. All you can do is hope that people will show up. Most bar owners think it’s a marketing problem. It’s not. You just haven’t given people a reason to come in. In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Carr from Geeks Who Drink to break down how programming, like trivia, bingo, and weekly events, actually drives consistent traffic and higher spend. If your weeknights are unpredictable and you’re tired of guessing what works...
• How to Pay Yourself as a Bar Owner (Salary vs Profit Explained) 30.03.2026 10p

  Why do so many bar owners generate decent revenue… yet still feel like they’re constantly behind on money? Most people assume the fix is pushing for more, more customers, more sales, more growth. But that approach usually just creates more pressure without solving what’s actually broken. The real problem is how your money is being managed. In this episode, we walk through how to build a forward-looking budget that gives you control, so your cash is allocated with intention and profit is plann...