For both pub owners and managers, opening up a new pub, or taking over management of an existing pub is an extremely exciting, but nerve wracking time.
Whilst there are still more pubs than coffee shops in UK town centres and despite the £1000 reduction in business rates bills for 90% of pubs, granted in the last budget, the balance between growth and decline for the pub market is tenuous at best.
Important decisions when opening a new pub
The following are all important considerations when planning the opening of a new pub, with top tips for pitching it right, to make the biggest and most impactful impression, giving your pub the best chance of sticking around for the long term.
Your pub’s location
Whether your pub is on a high street or a country lane, its location has big implications on the type of success it will have. For example, it’s more important to have an excellent food menu if your pub is situated somewhere that people are most often going to have to drive to.
Whilst volume and choice of drinks is a stronger consideration for a town or city centre, in the countryside where people are less likely to have a heavy night, the food is more likely to be the most effective draw.
Your pub’s local competition
Check out the local competition. If someone is already doing what you wanted to do in terms of drinks, food, décor or any other pub feature, consider whether you can realistically do it better enough to tempt away their loyal customers. Similarly, find out what people in the local area tend to like best and capitalise on that, but in a way that is fresh, new and exciting so that they take the time to check out your new pub.
Your pub’s target clientele
If there are pubs in the area that already attract a certain type of clientele, it will be harder to compete for the same people. However, if that is the majority of the local demographic, then consider what those people are going to like best in their local pub and closely target every feature; from the drinks menu to whether there are jelly beans behind the bar, to suit their tastes.
The décor for your pub
Similarly, once you have decided who you want to target, make sure that the inside and ideally outside, of your pub appeals to them. Old patterned carpets might bring in families and their dogs at the weekend, but if you want to be a ‘date night’ destination, something more classy or formal might be more appropriate.
Buying the best pub furniture
In line with the décor, if your target market is 60+ couples, they probably aren’t going to enjoy being perched on bar stools whilst they eat their fish and chips at the bar. Similarly, if you’re targeting business people who stop in for a drink on their way home, a large farmhouse table isn’t going to be appropriate for them. Consider what’s best for a range of people, according to your target location, then make sure that it fits nicely with your chosen décor, colour schemes and menu choices. Look at a variety of options – at Trent Furniture we have a whole range dedicated to pub furniture of all types, so whether you’re looking for a traditional, modern or chic approach, you will be able to find what you’re looking for.
Your choice of pub menus
Do your research on what places you want to be like already offer. If you have a great opportunity to be the place that stay at home mums go to meet other mums during the day, or for families at the weekend, then a children’s menu is going to be very important. If you’re targeting groups of women for their weekly catch up, then you might want to focus on Prosecco rather than pie, to pull them in.
Pub management
If you’re going to manage your pub yourself, then get to know the local area. What’s going on, that you can take advantage of and which groups can you get on the right side of, so that your pub is the place everyone goes to for a drink and food after the football?
If you’re getting someone in to manage your pub for you, then make sure that they know the local area and can use their initiative when it comes to planning or putting on events. Your pub might be interesting and new to start with, but unless it’s the only pub in the village, it takes constant innovation to keep it at the forefront of people’s minds.
The opening event for your pub
Plan the opening of your pub to appeal to your target market. Whatever you do for the opening is going to be an excellent vehicle
for setting the tone of how you want people to see your pub. For example, if it’s laid-back, easy going and the kind of place you can bring your dog, consider a BBQ or something very casual. On the other hand, if you’re going for a more formal approach, putting on a cocktail taster session with gourmet food will make a strong opening statement.
Pub furniture suppliers
For inspiration to help make your pub the best it can be, visit the Trent Furniture website, where our pub furniture specialists have put together a huge range of tables, chairs, stools and sofas, suited to a wide variety of pub styles.