How to make £50k in drinks sales

Joker Poker​

Cape of Good Hope, Warwick

www.thecapeofgoodhopepub.com

@CapeWarwick

The Idea: ​Customers buy a drink and get a free raffle ticket into the Joker Poker draw. 

How it works:​

Joker Poker is run on the quiet nights of Monday and Thursday. Every drink bought between 6.30pm to 8.30pm entitles the customer to a free raffle ticket.  The person with the winning ticket gets the chance to choose one card.  If they choose the Joker they win the Jackpot. The prize jackpot starts at £250 and increases by £25 every time the Joker is not chosen.

Marketing:​

A month before the launch Joker Poker is advertised on a display board. Facebook, twitter and word of mouth are used to raise awareness.

Be prepared:​

A glass case needs to be available to pin the cards in, the deck must use only one joker and the pub needs to put on a “bit of a show” said general manager Steve Reynolds.

Pay off:​

During the first game which lasted around 25 weeks the pub turnover increased by £50,000 on drink sales. On average 25 new people attend each event and extra income is generated from food and drink sales earlier in the evening.  

Key benefits: ​

More people have visited the pub and it has given the venue a wider reach of customers. When the game prize reaches £1,000 the pub becomes busier with around 100 extra people on each event night. It has also driven business throughout the week as people coming in for Joker Poker book and come back on other evenings.

Advice: ​A glass cabinet needs to be built to present the cards and awareness needs to be driven a month before the event.

Best Outcome:  ​Generated new customers and income. It also proved popular during the quieter winter months.