Any bar owner will tell you that making the most out of holiday’s can make or break your bottom line at the end of the year. Capitalizing on peak periods to make anticipated spikes in revenue is essential to running any business – but especially for bars / restaurants. Many bars across the country use St. Patrick’s Day every March 17th to celebrate this cultural and religious holiday by serving pints on pints of beer to thirsty customers. But before you
can get the kegs ready, you’re going to need to let everyone know what’s on tap for St. Patty’s!
Whether or not you cater to the Irish crowd year round, your local bar can lead the St. Patrick’s day celebrations if you market it properly. We have put together 3 Simple St. Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas that will help you get people to your bar, to spend money – AND come back to your fine establishment later in the year.
The best part about these St. Patrick’s marketing ideas for your bar, is that this strategy can work year after year to grow your business. Let’s get started…
Your Bar is a Pot of Gold
You don’t need to look very far to find your most valuable marketing real estate – the front of your bar! Our first St. Patrick’s Day marketing idea is to print a vinyl banner advertising that you celebrate with drink specials on March 17th to hang in front of your business. Our “pro tip” is to avoid using a specific day of the week, or year so that you can you use the same banner for years to come.
The second St. Patrick’s Day marketing idea is to make the most of printed tent cards. Don’t print the same thing on both sides of your tent cards – use one side to advertise your St. Patty’s drink specials, and the other to encourage patrons to come back. Highlight your daily happy hour, weekly trivia or monthly food specials – even your upcoming Cinco de Mayo party!
Go Beyond Green Beer
We’ll leave the pouring and serving up to you, but we do have one more suggestion to make the most out of the holiday. Our third St. Patrick’s Day marketing idea is to send your guests home with a take away gift. We recommend custom magnets or stickers as a simple gift that last a long time, and are likely to be seen daily if stuck to the fridge or personal item – great for Branding!
Bonus Tip
Once you have them in your bar, you want to keep them there on St. Patrick’s Day night. Hold a raffle or drawing for a Gift Certificate to your bar that they have to be present to win. Bring them back on the house so that they can introduce other friends to your bar as well!