From the Editor

Sometimes the easiest way to solve a problem is to stop participating in the problem.

– Jonathan Mead FROM THE EDITOR

We’ve got an image problem.

Google bars and COVID-19, and the first results are all about how bars are COVID-19 hot spots.

The web is full of articles with clickbaity headlines, especially surrounding advice from the US’s top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. A recent headline: “Two things Dr. Fauci Won’t Do Right Now.” One of those activities? You guessed it—eating out at restaurants and bars.

All of this media fervor is obviously having an effect on consumers. According to Zenreach, the walk-through marketing company, on July 30, national bar and nightclub traffic was at 40.7% of its 2019 norm. By the end of 2020, the bar industry is only forecast to be at 50% normal.

Behavioral research firm InsightsNow’s study, “COVID-19 Tracker on Clean Living Behavior,” released findings showing consumer confidence regarding outdoor dining has steadily increased from 44% in May to 61% in August. However, confidence around indoor dining has remained stagnant, with 35% willing to eat indoors in May and 38% in August. This could spell trouble for areas of the country unable to offer outdoor dining in the coming winter months.

To be fair, traffic is down across the board in many markets, but the bar industry has been one of the hardest hit. According to Zenreach, it lags behind the retail sector by 30% in a return to normal traffic.

But enough doom and gloom. What’s to be done about our industry’s image problem?

For one, communication remains critical. How are you interacting with and speaking to your customers—on social media, in person, in advertisements, etc.? Are you promoting your bar’s efforts to comply with COVID-19 guidelines? Are you letting customers know what you’re doing to keep them and your employees safe? Combat the negative rhetoric with positive messaging. Inspire confidence in consumers’ minds about your bar, and they will return.

And please, make sure you are actually complying with COVID-19 guidelines. Guidelines vary from state to state on masks, dining capacity, contact tracing, and cleaning protocols, so make sure you are well acquainted with the rules in your own state. This isn’t about whether you agree with the guidelines or not—it’s about staying in business. And with some states punishing bars in violation by revoking their liquor licenses, the stakes have never been higher.

Lastly, get to know your local lawmakers. Leverage your experience in our industry to have a say in the restrictions being put on bars. You have the power to institute change. For example, many lawmakers were influenced by local hospitality figures to institute to-go alcohol sales. Iowa has even made cocktails to-go permanent—making it the first state to do so. Need help getting started? Reach out to industry associations. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has been doing great work here.