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

Епизоде

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  Classic Cocktail Trends: Why Simple Drinks Are Winning in Bars 16.09.2026 14мин

  Classic cocktails are making a comeback as guests move away from overly complicated craft cocktails and toward familiar drinks like Espresso Martinis, Old Fashioneds, Martinis, and Negronis. In this episode, I break down the cocktail trends bar owners should be watching in 2026 and why simplifying your cocktail menu could improve guest confidence, consistency, speed, and profitability. I get into why classic cocktails are outperforming more complicated drinks, how decision fatigue and price s...
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  Generational Drinking Trends Every Bar Owner Should Know in 2026 14.09.2026 11мин

  Gen Z drinking trends are changing what customers expect from bars in 2026 but Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers are drinking very differently. In this episode, I break down the latest generational drinking trends and what they mean for bar owners trying to build a beverage program that matches how their customers actually drink. I get into Gen Z’s growing interest in mini cocktails, moderation, mocktails, functional beverages, and earlier drinking occasions; why Millennials are spending o...
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  Chris Schneider & Brian Haan: How We Adapted Our Bar After the Smoking Ban 09.09.2026 43мин

  Last week, Brian Haan and I started telling the story of how we ended up running 86th Street Pub together. About 15 months into owning the bar, we hit the first major change that forced us to rethink what the business could become: the smoking ban. In this episode, I break down how Brian and I responded, not by fighting the change, but by using it as an opportunity to up our game. I get into how we cleaned up the bar, expanded the craft beer program, improved the food, built a faster l...
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  Chris Schneider & Brian Haan: Buying, Managing, and Learning to Run a Bar 02.09.2026 23мин

  After more than 260 episodes talking about the bar business, there’s one story I probably should have told a long time ago: how I actually became a bar owner and learned to run one. In this episode, I sit down with Brian Haan, my longtime friend, former roommate, and the GM who was there throughout my journey in the bar business, to finally start telling that story from the beginning. We get into how Brian and I met at Purdue, why I bought an established neighborhood pub at 22, how Brian ende...
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  How to Increase Restaurant and Bar Revenue Without More Customers 31.08.2026 13мин

  When revenue drops, I know the first instinct is usually to get more customers through the door. But what if you’re trying to market your way out of the wrong problem? In this episode, I break down why increasing your guest check average can be one of the fastest ways to grow revenue without spending more money on traffic or marketing. I get into how to benchmark your check average, when your team should prompt the second round, how menu price anchoring can influence what guests spend,...
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  How to Open a Restaurant From Idea to Opening Night with Adam Weisblatt 26.08.2026 32мин

  Opening a great restaurant takes more than great food, hospitality, or a good business plan. Everything matters. In this episode, I sit down with Adam Weisblatt, co-founder of Last Word Hospitality and author of For the Love of Restaurants, to talk about what really happens between having a restaurant idea and opening the doors. We get into choosing the right size and space, finding partners, raising money, design and permitting, building a concept you can actually execute, and why the best r...
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  How to Set Clear Staff Expectations and Build a Better Bar Team 24.08.2026 13мин

  Bad attitudes, inconsistent service, and employees ignoring standards may all have the same root cause: unclear expectations. In this episode, I break down the 20-minute conversation every bar owner should have with a new hire during their first week. We’ll cover what great performance looks like, how decisions get made, what you actually care about, what employees should expect from you, and why understanding their goals can improve buy-in and retention. Because sett...
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  Po6: What a Female-Led Bar Team Taught Hong Kong About Hospitality with Beckaly Franks 21.08.2026 1ч 38мин

  On this episode of Party of Six, we have a wide-ranging panel conversation on hospitality, focusing on Beckaly Franks tracing her path from Idaho and Portland to Hong Kong, building community, and the pitfalls in international hospitality. Sarah Dawn Mars talks about breaking down the finance side of bar ownership, and Menakshi Singh shares a fresh update on opening a new bar in southern India. Key topics In this episode, Beckaly Franks shares how growing up around a family bar i...
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  From $200 to Shark Tank and Building an Event Bartending Business with Nelson Brooks 19.08.2026 33мин

  Nelson Brooks started Cabana Boys with around $200 and eventually took the business to Shark Tank, where he landed an investment from Kendra Scott. In this episode, I’m joined by Nelson to break down how he built and scaled an event bartending business without the overhead of opening a traditional bar. We get into hiring for personality, creating a consistent guest experience, building accountability across multiple markets, marketing the experience instead of just the service, and what...
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  Happy Hour Profitability and How to Know If Your Bar’s Specials Actually Work 17.08.2026 9мин

  Good drinks aren’t the only thing that can make or break a happy hour. A packed bar can still be losing money. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to tell if your happy hour is actually creating new business or just discounting drinks for people who would have come in anyway. We’ll talk about cover count, check average, discounted sales, guest behavior, and the numbers you need to look at before deciding whether your happy hour is really working. Because a busy bar looks good. But if the p...
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  Bar Loans, Business Credit, and Getting Approved with Matt Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca 12.08.2026 30мин

  Most bar owners don't think about financing until they need money—and by then, the decisions they've already made can determine whether a lender says yes or no. In this episode, I'm joined by Matt Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca to break down what actually makes a bar or restaurant lendable, why your financial foundation matters long before you apply, and where owners get themselves into trouble with the wrong types of financing. We get into clean books, business structure, bank accou...
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  Signature Cocktails: Turn One Drink Into a Word-of-Mouth Marketing Asset 10.08.2026 10мин

  Having a bestselling cocktail does not mean you have a signature drink. A bestseller moves units. A signature moves people. In this episode, I’m breaking down what turns an ordinary cocktail into something guests photograph, talk about, recommend to friends, and associate specifically with your bar. We’ll cover the five things a signature drink needs, how to identify a potential signature using your PMIX, how to create one if you don't already have it, and how to use your staff, menu, pricing...
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  The Pour Cost System: Calculate It, Track It, and Protect Your Margins 05.08.2026 15мин

  Most bar owners don't have a pour cost problem. They have a tracking problem. In this episode, I'm breaking down how to calculate pour cost correctly, why monthly reports are too late, and how to build a weekly system that catches profit leaks before they become expensive. We'll cover inventory, actual versus theoretical costs, category benchmarks, variance tracking, staff accountability, and operational controls that help you protect your margins every single week. Because you can't fix the ...
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  How to Spot the Signs Before Your Regulars Leave 03.08.2026 10мин

  Most unhappy customers never tell you something is wrong. They simply stop showing up. In this episode, I'm breaking down why silence is one of the most dangerous signals in the bar business and how to recognize the subtle behavior changes your regulars make before they disappear. We'll talk about visit frequency, ordering habits, dwell time, body language, referrals, and how to build a simple system that helps you notice these patterns before they become lost revenue...
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  Bar Marketing Strategy: How to Avoid Slow Nights Before They Happen 29.07.2026 12мин

  Bar owners who avoid slow nights are not just lucky. They planned better. In this episode, I’m breaking down my Anchor Rhythm Tactical Marketing System and how it helps you plan your year, your week, and tonight. We’ll talk about anchor events, weekly rhythm programming, and tactical promotions you can use when you need a short-term revenue bump. Because if you are only posting when the bar is already slow, your marketing is late. The goal is to stop reinventing your marketing every week. Bui...
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  Bar Breakeven Formula: How Turn Dollar Goals Into Guest Count 27.07.2026 7мин

  Looking at breakeven in dollars does not help you run your bar. A dollar target sounds important, but it does not tell you what to do. In this episode, I’m breaking down a better way to look at breakeven: turning the number into guest count. We’ll talk about fixed costs, contribution margin, average check, and how to figure out how many more people you actually need in the seats. Because saying you need another $1,500 a week is abstract. Saying you need 75 more guests is something you an...
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  Bar Vendor Relationships: How to Get Better Pricing, Support, and Training 22.07.2026 15мин

  Most bar owners treat vendors like a delivery service. That means they are probably leaving pricing, support, training, product knowledge, and market data on the table. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to turn your vendor relationships into real business partnerships instead of simple order-taking conversations. We’ll talk about what reps can actually provide, how to ask for better support, how to use supplier training with your team, and how to negotiate better terms when your state al...
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  AI for Bar Owners: How to Save Hours Without Trusting It Too Much 20.07.2026 12мин

  AI is not coming for your bar. It is already here. In this episode, I’m breaking down where AI can actually help bar owners save time, and where you absolutely should not trust it. We’ll talk menu ideas, menu descriptions, training materials, quizzes, vendor emails, review responses, social media, and how to prompt AI so it gives you something useful instead of generic slop. AI is not here to replace your judgment. It is here to help you draft faster, think clearer, and spend less time stuck ...
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  How to Build a Bar Experience Guests Actually Remember 15.07.2026 16мин

  Good drinks are not enough to make people come back anymore. Bars that are winning right now are not just winning on product. They are winning on feeling. In this episode, I’m breaking down why guest experience has become the real differentiator in the bar business, and how to make that experience intentional instead of leaving it up to chance. We’ll talk about music, lighting, smell, touch, menu stories, bartender presence, consistency, and the small details guests actually remember. You do ...
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  How to Control Bar Labor Costs Without Hurting Service 14.07.2026 9мин

  Labor costs can quietly drain your bar’s profit if you are not watching the right numbers. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to analyze and control your labor costs without cutting service quality or making your team miserable. We’ll talk about labor cost percentage, sales per labor hour, front-of-house versus back-of-house costs, overtime, cross-training, and how to schedule based on real volume instead of guessing. The goal is not to run short-staffed. The goal is to put the right peop...