How Serving Food Can Make Your Bar or Pub Stand Out

Food is one key area where bars can successfully differentiate their offering. Though pubs are not closing at the rate they once were, many Brits are still choosing to enjoy a beverage or two at home rather than venturing out to a watering hole, so creating a strong brand identity that’s connected to a unique and appealing food offering can help you lure customers through the door.

Adding light bites, brunch, lunch deals, sharing platters or a comprehensive dinner menu means a a visit to your premises is perceived as more of an ‘experience’, and at a time when the menus of many chain pubs and bars can be difficult to distinguish from one another, even a carefully crafted bar snack menu could help give you the edge.

The bar snack revolution

Chef Laury Zioui pairs Leffe Royale with a ham tortilla and a cheese mayonnaise. #LeffeChefs http://t.co/ffOHXW9mf2 pic.twitter.com/C5xBX6o3Aw

— Leffe (@Leffe) June 11, 2014

While pickled eggs and pork scratchings will always have a place as a behind-the-bar snack, many licenced premises are upping their games and producing food that punters have no qualms picking over a packet of crisps. Some are creating a small but well-executed selection of bar snacks that can be eaten on their own or tapas-style, emulating the likes of the pinchos of Barcelona or the cicheti of Venice. Last year Belgium-owned beer brand Leffe even held the first Gastro Bite Awards, highlighting some of the gourmet bar and pub food offerings across the UK. Of course, it’s not just new bars that are serving more food; many restaurants are also adding bar areas and enhancing their drinks offering to encourage customers to extend their visits, and established bars are introducing food too. Here’s what you need to consider before you decide to branch out…

Why should your bar sell food?

Friday Lunch........... #Barfood pic.twitter.com/DtRmyRrJfT — Purnell's Bistro (@PurnellsBistro) April 24, 2015

The cost of equipment, new staff and training will all need to be factored in before you decide adopt a more foodie focus. But there are many potential rewards if you do choose to step into the food serving arena:

• Selling food can increase your visitor spend and increase your cash flow. Not only will they spend more on food, but because customers stay longer, they are likely to spend more on drinks too.
• A food offering can help you build your brand and appeal to new markets.
• Not everyone drinks – in fact, younger people are drinking less. A tip-top food offering gives people an extra reason to visit you.
• Careful positioning of your food menu can help you tap into the existing visiting patterns of your customers; for example, by offering a brunch or Sunday lunch menu on the weekend when you get the highest footfall.
• Independent businesses in particular enjoy the flexibility and freedom to adapt their offering and redesign their menu when they need to, and keep ahead of the trends.
• If you’re offering food you’ll need to find suppliers, which can prove to be useful for networking and marketing. Work with local food producers and they may just reward you with their custom, plus you’ll be able to advertise the fact you are supporting your local region too.
• Many bars rely on live music and satellite TV subscriptions to attract customers. Adding a food menu can make a great alternative or enhance what you already have to offer.

For late night & wee morning hours cravings check out these #Brooklynbars opened til late http://t.co/jIEuSAYOh2 #eat pic.twitter.com/trgQzQmeoK

— Explore Brooklyn (@explorebrooklyn) April 24, 2015

• Your food should help showcase your drinks, and complement rather than overshadow or detract from them.
• Serving food might attract a new group of clientele but you won’t want to neglect your dedicated drinkers as a result. Will you serve food throughout your bar or perhaps just in one area?
• What will your food menu’s USP be? It can be hard to compete with chain pubs on price, so you’ll need to find your niche and price accordingly.
• You’ll need to adhere to additional regulations and alcohol licensing, so can you commit to the high standards required to serve food?
• If you are open all day, offering food seems like an obvious choice but it can be hard to truly nail late night entertainment and bring in the breakfast crowd. With this in mind, consider whether you’ll restrict kitchen operation to specific times – especially as you’ll need a special licence to serve food between 11pm and 5am.

If a full-time food menu seems out of your grasp, there are other avenues you could explore that can help you offer something new and interesting without too much commitment.

Established chefs and caterers may want to visit and collaborate on specific events or occasions. Could you hold a themed night or host a tasting menu? Or perhaps offer a barbecue or mini Street Food festival? Think of ideas that will work alongside your drinks offering and speak to customers to gauge what might work for you.

And don’t forget, even if you decide to test a food offering on a temporary basis, you’ll need to check in with the local authorities if you operating outside of your current licence.

Do you think a strong food offering is a must for bars and restaurants to really make their mark? Do you serve any unusual snacks behind your bar? Share your photos with us at @BunzlLockhart or leave us a comment below.