Game for a profit
Euro 2008 might not feature any of the home nations, but keep sports fans well-fed and you
can still bring in healthy takings, says PubChef
With Euro 2008 ready for kick-off and despite the fact England won't be joining in the action, the competition is a great profit-making opportunity for pubs. But how do you get the football fans through the door, make them linger for longer and, more importantly, increase their spend while they watch the matches?
Tom Dewhirst has been running Additions, a café and sports bar in Fleetwood, Lancashire, for four years. His loyal customer base has seen him through many challenges over recent months, drawn in by the relaxed environment.
He hosts regular darts and pool matches and shows all the top games on big screens, but when another branded sports bar opened close by, he knew that even his most devoted fans would be inquisitive.
"The smoking ban, licensing laws and new drinking regulations didn't seem to affect us because our regulars are so loyal, but when competition opened just around the corner, I knew I would have to raise my game — and introduced a new Easy Pickings menu."
Tom sourced the products and created his new menu with the help of supplier Moy Park Foodservice, the company printing menus and providing point-of-sale (PoS) material.
Customers choose from a Pick Your Team range of sharing platters, including the Big Share with garlic mushrooms, buffalo wings, tempura mixed vegetables and chick 'n' ferno wings, served with a range of dips, or a Pick Your Own option offering burgers and wraps featuring Moy Park's battered hot and spicy chickwich steak, crunchy chick 'n' mini fillets or bean burger. All dishes can be eaten with one hand while watching the game and holding a pint in the other.
Tom says: "The menu was so perfect for my customers that selling the food was easy. To help it along, I also put a couple of free sharing platters on the bar, which really worked."
With Tom busy behind the bar and his wife running the kitchen practically single-handedly, simplicity was absolutely critical and it was essential that the menus featured easy-to-use products.
With the demand for food to share growing as a concept and hungry sports fans propping up the bar, the Easy Pickings menu complemented screened sport events at Additions and provided a greater profit opportunity than crisps and other branded snacks. The bar saw an increase in food sales of 10%, plus increased wet sales, over a three-week trial period.
"The menu has opened up a new market for me," confirms Tom. "People who would usually just come in for a drink have started ordering from the menu, and that's increased my profits. The competition doesn't seem that much of a threat any more, now that I have improved my food offering. I don't think I will lose any regulars and, as word spreads, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of new faces as well."
For more information and to download free menus and PoS, visit www.moyparkfoodservice.com.
Top tips for serving food when screening big sporting events
l Show all the top games
l Have a dedicated menu for your bar area
l Serve food that is easy to eat with your fingers and good for sharing in a group of friends
l To keep up with high demand, make sure food is easy to cook and simple to serve
l Use eye-catching menus and posters to advertise the menu
l To generate interest, promote sporting events well in advance and don't forget to mention the food at the same time
