Bar promotion ideas for a slow night
A bar promotion works best when it is short, specific and aimed at people who can walk in within the next half hour. Here are the ideas that do that, and how to tell whether they worked.
1. A drink special with an end time
"Drinks half price for the next 2 hours" gives a reason to come now. An open-ended special does not. Check your state's rules first: some states restrict or ban happy-hour pricing.
2. Give the night a reason
Trivia, a quiz, karaoke, a game on the big screen or a local band turn a dead weeknight into a plan people make with friends.
3. Industry night
Restaurant and bar staff finish late and go out on weeknights. A standing offer for them on your slowest night builds a regular crowd.
4. Late-night food
If your kitchen can run a short late menu, it keeps groups from leaving for food elsewhere.
5. Reach the people nearby, right now
When the room is empty at 8 PM, the people who can fix it are a few blocks away. Beam lets a bar send a time-limited deal to people with the Beam app inside a radius you choose, from your phone, in about two minutes. Beams start at $5 and you see the price before you launch, and you check each customer's code at the bar with the same phone. Beam takes nothing at the register.
6. Measure each one
Write down how many people a promotion reached, how many came in and what they spent. Keep the ones that bring people through the door.
See how Beam works for businesses
Questions
What are good promotions for a bar on a slow night?
Short drink specials with a clear end time, themed nights like trivia or karaoke, an industry night for hospitality staff, late-night food, and sending a time-limited deal to people nearby at the moment the room is empty.
Can a bar send a deal to people nearby?
Yes, with Beam: write the deal, set a radius and a timer, and people with the Beam app inside that circle can see it. Beams start at $5, and the exact price is shown before you launch.
More: Happy hour app: live drink deals from bars near you · Local deals app: live deals from businesses near you · Restaurant marketing ideas for slow nights · Businesses on Beam