r/BarOwners

Hey guys, looking to buy a back bar refrigerator, probably a 2 door with glass doors. Just for sodas, NA beers, wine, etc.

We have kegerators from a brand called Micromatic that are solid and are really competitive on price.

That being said - you don’t know what you don’t know, so i’m wondering if it’s worth springing for a high-tier brand like beverage air or true for a back bar refrigerator.

Appreciate the insight!

I run a neighborhood bar with weekly drink specials. Printing cardboard inserts every Tuesday is getting stupidly expensive and wasteful.

I want to put QR codes on the tables, but I have a strict condition: zero friction for the customer. I don't want them downloading an app, I don't want them typing in an email, and I don't want a sticky 5-page PDF that takes forever to load.

I've been looking at a few lightweight options like Menuforma just to display a simple responsive web page, but before I commit, what are you guys using for your small spots? Is there any hidden drawback to web-only menus I should watch out for?

Kind of like an AMA, here's a weekly post where customers can ask questions. This is for anyone including market research, app developers, people who watch too much "reality" TV about bars, and general industry bullshit. Maybe a bar owner will have an answer for you, maybe not.

If you are already in the industry your question may get better responses if you post your own thread instead of commenting here.

So is it just impossible at this moment to get anyone from Everpass on the phone? Season starts soon and I still have no idea if they are gonna move my subscription back to directv.

that zip code did $7M in June

Does opening a joint out of spite ever work out?

Say you are in a town where almost all food is crap, and the few places which serve decend food, just decent not spectacular, are way overpriced.

Have you opened a place out of spite and frustration "to show them how its done" but also to take all their revenue and end up as the best value food place in town?

Does anyone still have the letter that Directv Sent out saying that they will have the netflix and peacock games? I am trying to navigate this horrendous merger and make sure I have every game and I cannot find that letter.

I bought my business 3 years ago, it's 1 of 3 cash only dive bars in our small town. Everyone except travelers knows we are cash only.

I need to take cards for an off premise 1 day event I'm hosting so I decided now is a good time to give cards a try.

Can anyone recommend merchant services? I'm going to stay away from the all the big companies requiring contracts.

We currently use a cash register, not a POS so I'm looking for information on that as well.

I anticipate credit card sales to be about $10,000 a month.

Not currently a bar owner but used to be a GM before I spent many years in supplier-side booze sales. Back in the late-2000s and early-2010s it felt like there was a fairly symbiotic relationship between bars and sales reps because both had an interest in moving product and reps often had budgets to finance events and giveaways (where allowed). Towards the end of my time in the booze biz (no longer working in the field by that point) I got a sense that many bar owners viewed reps as a nuisance or something to be dealt with which struck me as odd because in my experience most reps were willing to bend over backwards to get an on-prem placement. Just curious to hear it direct from the other side.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a solid/mildly affordable website designer for our bar's second location. I made our first website and it is mediocre and took me way too long. I can't do that again. I'm in the US if that makes a difference.

Our current site is on SquareSpace and I'd prefer to not pay a subscription and would like to be able to edit as we go.

What are your opinions on a designer/company that you enjoy?

I'm an experienced bartender and I have left the restaurant industry and thinking about starting a side gig bartending at event centers and possibly fitting a trailer to travel and sell drinks. Right now I don't sell product but make strips and other items. What permits or licenses do I need, if any?

Trying to close a bar deal for $197k in 20 days. Credit 829 experian but have a high DTI because of a mortgage that a family member actually pays but put me on the deed for issues they were having at the time. Have been approved for $60k cash and $44cc already. Any advice

Fucking with NUCO2 has been a pastime for me for a decade+.

https://old.reddit.com/r/BarOwners/comments/1mpu6tr/fn_nuco2

Fun fact, NUCO2 just re-added powermonitor rent to my most recent bill.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BarOwners/comments/ubvml5/who_use_nuco2_check_yo_bills

4 1/2 years ago I had them pull their nitrogen generator. At the rent I was being charged when I had them pull it I was paying $316.94 a month. I would have spent just shy of $16,480 in rent on it since then (assuming they didn't increase the price). Factoring in their historical rate increases on the bulk tank I still have from them I would have spent in excess of $20,000. That $7682.94 nitrogenerator I bought and installed sure looks pretty f'n good right now. I would probably be paying $6k in rent on it per year by now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BarOwners/comments/gi2l8y/nuco2_thats_just_rude_man/

I still have their 250lb bulk tank. Four years ago that tank cost $123.03 in rent a month Three years ago that tank cost $140.50 a month Two years ago that tank cost $159.03 a month. That tank this year costs $188.02 a month.

14 years ago the rent on that tank was $47.88. A 14 year increase of almost 300%. Meanwhile CPI/Inflation was about 45% over that same time period.

That's a 53% increase in four years. It's bullshit. It's not like that tank is a recurring cost for them. That tank was manufactured in 2004, 22 years ago. They recouped the cost of that tank in rent a very very long time ago. It costs them nothing to have it sitting on location. It's not a wear item and requires no maintenance. Them repeatedly cranking up the cost to rent it

I finally pulled the trigger and bought my own bulk CO2 (Carbomizer 450lb) and installed it last month.

I paid $3k for a 450 Carbomizer. At the current $188.02 in rent for their tank the ROI is 16 months. Assuming another 9% rent increase next year rent would jump to $204.94. ROI then drops to 13 months.

NUCO2 bulk CO2 is currently $0.71/lb. Last year it was $0.61/lb. Four years ago it was $0.47/lb. A four year increase of 51%

I can get bulk CO2 from Ozarcgas @ $0.55/lb. With the larger 450lb tank I would only need a delivery every 3 to 4 months.

Taking on 400lbs at a time:
NUCO2 = $284 Ozarc = $220

NUCO2 come get your shit off my property

So I’m in discussion to take over a bar.

It’s turnkey and in great condition and on the busiest street in the city. There is a restaurant space upstairs and a fully kitted kitchen.

My issue is how to do the menu. I intend to do a short lunch menu, soup and a sandwich type thing to cater for local office workers but alongside that I want to do a burger/taco menu too.

The issue is that I want to also use the upstairs restaurant space Wed - Sun in the evenings and offer the same menu.

How would you good folks advise on how to plan this. Should I stop serving food at the bar at 5pm to get people upstairs? Should I perhaps do a reduced menu downstairs at the bar (about a third of the restaurant menu)and finish at 5pm?

Just to add. I want to have music in the bar at night so eating a meal and live music may not mix. Also, I want young people (older teens) to be able to enjoy the food without having to sit in a bar!?

Any ideas and guidance welcome!!

(Remove if not allowed -sorry!)
Hi there 🍸
I’m helping on a design project for a restaurant/bar. I’ve been managing bars for 7+ yrs but never procured equipment or had the chance to build the set up myself. Looking for some help/advice from people who have gone through this process as we are pretty much starting with a blank canvas here.

The bar is spirit/wine forward. We’ll only have a maximum of 3 beers on tap. Cocktail list will not exceed 6. The physical length of the bar is \~13 feet/4 metres. It’s a bit overwhelming as I don’t want to look back and think of things after we purchase certain things or miss an idea where we could’ve improved the flow…
At this point we own an ice machine and a lowboy.

Any and all advice is welcome :)
Thank you in advance !!!

Does anyone have any insight on how to do a charity poker tournament in a bar with a cash prize to the top three winners without being illegal? I have a patron battling stage four cancer and his friends want to do this as a fundraiser. The bar is simply the location and not garnering anything from the game, only sales of food and drink of which we're donating a portion to the charity as well. The thought is to do a suggested donation for players to build the pot. Half the pot will go to the charity and half to the top three winners. There will also be vendors, bands, and auctions to help raise additional money. Has anyone done something like this in a manner that didn't run afoul of gambling laws?