How can you keep people in a pub?

[Silver]

I've been doing a Saturday night residency in a pub in a market town just outside Bournemouth for 4 plus years. In all the time I've been there we've always had same the same problem... People come in from say 7 o'clock and the pub fills up until about 9ish, we then start to get a mass exodus as everybody does the route around town, by 9.30 you can have just 10 people in a pub that holds 250!

We're open until 1 but you must be in by 12 as the doors shut then as laid down in the license. So from around 11.15 they all start coming back and the place fills up again and we have a great last hour or so.

So my question is how can we (the landlord and I) keep people in the pub for the 2 hours from 9 to 11? The obvious quick fix is to have a 'happy hour' reducing the price of drinks but there must something else that can be done.

I've drunk in the pub for over 10 years and it's always been the same, meet there, couple of beers and go on maneuvers and finish back there.

Has anybody on here got the same or had the same problem and resolved it? Any good gimmicks, promotions that could work on a weekly basis. Suggestions don't have to be DJ based, anything at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your input one and all.

[Vibrant Sounds]

Lock the doors from 9.

Have some different entertainment to keep them there.

Get a decent DJ in from 9-11 ???

Firebomb all other drinking places within walking distance (bit extreme)

Offer incentives to those that stay between 9-11 (earplugs perhaps?)

Have 'pole dancing' between 9-11

[Candybeatdiscos]

strippers, lapdancers, quiz, karaoke etc between 9-11 - much prefer the first two personally

[Tony Scott]

The punters that do the walkabout thing will probably keep doing that whatever you try as a DJ - that's their thing!

I think you have to get a diferent crowd in for the 9 - 11 slot.

I would try a happy hour and a quiz at 9.00, advertize it really well then you should get a fresh lot of people in at about 8-45 who will hopefully also stay there when the others come back, you never know you might get some of the deserters staying as well.

It's a bit soul destroying to see the place empty though........been there!!

[Silver]

The punters that do the walkabout thing will probably keep doing that whatever you try as a DJ - that's their thing!

I think you have to get a diferent crowd in for the 9 - 11 slot.

I would try a happy hour and a quiz at 9.00, advertize it really well then you should get a fresh lot of people in at about 8-45 who will hopefully also stay there when the others come back, you never know you might get some of the deserters staying as well.

It's a bit soul destroying to see the place empty though........been there!!

Tony, it is soul destroying, I've had nights off and the same thing happens so it can't all be down to me! (see other post). It's in Wimborne, so difficult to break everybody's habit.

[Ricesnaps]

It's been a while since I did any gigs like this and to be fair I always remember the late licence pub gig to be just like this, so I don't think it's just specific to your location.

I wonder if it's the late licence that causes the problem in a way. Is yours the only venue to have a 1am finish. To me that suggests that the punters are simply looking to drink late and your venue allows them to do that. I'm afraid that's not a great positive for you is it, so I'm sorry to suggest it. If you're venue had a normal closing time, do you think you would still loose everyone after the early bit and not get them back, or do you think they would stay and do the move on when you can't serve any more?

I always remember when i did the pub scene, it was almost always about the drink and not the music I'm afraid, so people would either go to the Cheep beer pub (Wheatherspoons have a lot to answer for!), or simply do the rounds. There was never any obvious pull to one or the other and a lot of the competition in my time had DJ's playing.

I guess you either just have to realise that this is how it is - if the venue is making a good profit from the early / late trade, why is a lul a problem? Otherwise, maybe it's time to see what the other pubs and bars have to offer. Have you been out on a night when you would normally be working and had a night out? What happens, what's on, who's where. Is there a pub serving Kababs, is there a DJ pulling in the totty - always remember that the girls wearing belts tended to attract the lads!

Hope something helped!

[CRAZY K]

I've been doing a Saturday night residency in a pub in a market town just outside Bournemouth for 4 plus years. In all the time I've been there we've always had same the same problem... People come in from say 7 o'clock and the pub fills up until about 9ish, we then start to get a mass exodus as everybody does the route around town, by 9.30 you can have just 10 people in a pub that holds 250!

We're open until 1 but you must be in by 12 as the doors shut then as laid down in the license. So from around 11.15 they all start coming back and the place fills up again and we have a great last hour or so.

So my question is how can we (the landlord and I) keep people in the pub for the 2 hours from 9 to 11? The obvious quick fix is to have a 'happy hour' reducing the price of drinks but there must something else that can be done.

I've drunk in the pub for over 10 years and it's always been the same, meet there, couple of beers and go on maneuvers and finish back there.

Has anybody on here got the same or had the same problem and resolved it? Any good gimmicks, promotions that could work on a weekly basis. Suggestions don't have to be DJ based, anything at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your input one and all.

Is it worth worrying about too much--after all if we give you a brilliant idea--all the other pubs in the area will immediately copy it

If it was that easy we could all open a pub and make a fortune

CRAZY K

[Dragonfly]

How can you keep people in a pub?

1. set up across the door
2. lock the door
3. back the van right up to the door so once open no one can get out
4. tell all the punters over the mic that a state of germ warfare has been announced and that if they do leave they will all die a horrible slow painful death bleeding from every orifice with no known antidote.


or .................................

long shot .....................

create the ultimate party atmosphere so only a total saddo would want to leave such a rip roaring party.

In all seriousness though if the pub is a "circuit" pub you probably won't keep people in it .... I used to have a residency in one the upside .... new customers in every 45 minutes so ..... only one cd needed.

[Penfold42]

Is this not all to do with how much eye candy you can get through the door??
Bit sexist but that's what drifting trade look for.

Does the bar serve all the 'In' drinks including ****tails and shooters??

Do pubs still do promotions on fun nights??

[DMX Will]

It's in Wimborne, so difficult to break everybody's habit.

Did you work New years eve last year? I was in a pub in Winbourne..... and there was a DJ....