ADVANCED MIXOLOGY
SCREENING SPIRITS
Before Bar Rescue
Host Jon Taffer
Q&A WITH BAR RESCUE HOST JON TAFFER
Jon Taffer, one of the country’s top restaurant and bar consultants, is rescuing failing nightlife establishments and giving them one last chance at success. Bars and nightclubs all around the country are being reborn under the watchful eye of Taffer and his team of experts. With each venue, he delves into every business facet of running a bar, from creating a profitable drink/food menu, to music selection, to managing crowds and dealing with disgruntled employees. Check out our Taffer tips that’ll have your customers spending more time and money in your bar.
TAFFER TIP # 1: Beats per minute in music. If they’re too high too long you get tired and leave. Too low too long, you get bored and leave. Proper cycles are key. WHAT IS THE SCIENCE OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BAR AND “CREATING REACTIONS”? There are three main factors that
make for a successful bar. First, bars don’t usually have expense problems. The problem is with the revenue. If a bar raises its revenue by 30% all expense problems are gone.
TAFFER TIP #2: Instead of trying to save a dime in costs, make a dollar in revenue. The second factor relates to my own term “reaction management”. He or she who creates the best reactions wins. So if your sitting at a table and the plate hits the table, the food is in front of you and one of two things happens: Either you sit up and look at it and react to it, or nothing happens. The fact is, it’s not the plate of food, it’s the reaction that is the product. So, what I’ll do when you walk into a bar is steer your eyes to where I want you to look.
YOU’VE BEEN IN THE BAR AND RESTAURANT BUSINESS FOR OVER THREE DECADES, WHICH ASPECTS HAVE LED YOU TO BECOME AN AWARD WINNING INDUSTRY EXPERT AT CREATING SUCCESSFUL BARS? I actually started as a drummer and music is a large TAFFER TIP #3: Bar goers eyes are going to the brightpart of my life. I have a scientific perception of music and est spots in the room. Make sure this spot is reserved became sensitive to the energy levels created by beats per second and choices of song sets. Music programs in for your most expensive liquor bottles. an establishment define the pace and the ambience. For instance in fine dining the lights are dim and the music is low and slow, in Denny’s the lights are bright and the music is loud and fast paced. This pace also dictates the cost of your food and drinks. So, music is not just played, it creates a reaction and is critical for success. Most bars don’t know that a song preformed by a female artist should be played every third song. It creates a reaction, that’s what we are selling after all. We don’t play music, we create reactions. We just achieve it through the music.
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CHILLED MAGAZINE
Finally, the GROWS principals (Guest Reaction Opportunity Windows), are ways to help your employees create moments in time to mesh with your guests. For instance, with interactive dynamics, a customer walks into your bar and the hostess tells him/her how hot their shoes are while the waitress compliments on their great food choice and the bartender calls him/her by first name after checking their driver’s license. The customer stays in the bar because they’re more beautiful, better dressed and cooler than when they first walked in.
