The classic Monday Night Football theme song asks, “Are you ready for some football?” It howls with way too much emotion for a rhetorical question: This is America—football comes whether you’re ready or not. It’s definitely good to be ready, though. To help you make the most out of gridiron season, here are some of the best ideas for increasing traffic at your bar.
Hire a DJ
You don’t want to be simply providing a space for a group of buddies to stare up at a television while frothing for drinks—living rooms have existed for a long while. What makes your bar space specific—and maybe good enough to bring the boys out of the living room—is the type of vibe it has. One of the easier ways to set a mood is to bring in a DJ to do so. Having someone on hand to play “All I Do Is Win” during the Sunday night game is a reliable adrenaline rush…even after hearing it the 10th time.
Cheese Snacks
Football and cheese go together like the Super Bowl and Doritos commercials. Speaking of the Super Bowl, the Nielsen Company reported that in 2017, Americans spent $277 million on cheese snacks (and nearly $1 billion on soft drinks) for related festivities. The number of lactose-intolerant Americans probably did not increase during that time, so it’s best to lean into what the consumers have been spending money on.
Football Brunch Specials
Brunch and early Sunday afternoon NFL games needn’t be competing traditions. Combine the two customs by providing brunch specials that start early enough to welcome those fanatics who watch ESPN’s Gameday analysis. The best part is they may even stay past brunch hours for the late afternoon if they enjoy themselves. Just make sure you’re well-stocked on champagne.
Monday Night Bar Crawl
This is going to take some neighborhood coordinating, but if done right, everyone eats (literally for the customers; figuratively for the collaborating bar owners). Yes, it’s a bar crawl on a Monday. However, football heads do take out four-hour blocks on that workday for 17 weeks. Might as well do something creative with it by offering some boozy deals.
Team Spirit Deals
Monday, Thursday, and Sunday night games are easy opportunities to invite ravenous fans/potential patrons. A drink deal for customers wearing their teams’ colors could work. Just make sure you tell them to behave themselves during NFC East games.
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