Canadians are die-hard sports fans. From the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Super Bowl to Winter and Summer Olympics, there are many major sporting events Canadians like to follow throughout the year. And one place where they love to gather to watch them is at bars and restaurants—often over some munchies and liquid refreshments.
Big games can mean big business for bars and restaurants in Canada. With 15.5 million people following the National Hockey League (NHL), and three in five tracking either all or more than half of the games throughout the season, that’s a lot of pints to sling and tables to set! If you have televisions in your bar or restaurant, you can tap into the 40% of NHL followers who catch games on TV, not to mention followers of other sports.
For example, Canada’s match vs. Croatia during 2022’s FIFA World Cup was the second most-watched sports broadcast in the country, attracting an average viewership of 4.4 million people. And during the 2023 FIFA Woman’s World Cup, where games aired early in the morning, bars and restaurants on Ontario were allowed to open as early as 7:00 AM providing a nice boost to their business.
Preparing your bar or restaurant for upcoming major sporting events
No matter the sport, you can turn major sporting events into an opportunity to skyrocket your sales. All it takes is the right preparation. Here are some things to consider before hosting the next big game.
Step 1: Create offers to attract customers
Special sports events provide the perfect opportunity to let your creativity run wild. Reimagine your menu, host themed activities and create deals that attract new customers to your establishment.
Consider activities before and after the game to increase the time customers spend at your venue. These can be products you sell, themed contests, raffles, karaoke or even arranging for a DJ at half-time to create a great atmosphere. During the game, consider offering a menu of appetizers that don’t require silverware or plates, that are easy to serve and consume, and bottled drinks (if you’re worried about overly excited customers, you can always opt for recyclable plastic cups).
With customer relationship management (CRM) software like Square Customer Directory, you can make the event known to your customers through email marketing campaigns with Square Marketing. Don’t underestimate the importance of social networks to promote the latest news and events of your establishment on the websites and apps that your target audience visits the most.
Step 2: Prepare your employees in advance
First things first: know the game time. Be sure to check what time it starts so you can have plenty of time to prepare your business. Schedule the staff to be there in advance to get everything ready before the crowds arrive. Consider assigning someone to answer calls for reservations and customer questions, such as when the game begins, if the restaurant is busy, how long wait times are, directions for getting to the restaurant and more. You might also create a FAQ page with this information on your website that can be socialized through email campaigns and your social sites to make it easier for staff.
During the game, take advantage of the Square POS software and streamline your service so that the fun flows without interruptions. With Square for Restaurants, you can reduce queues and accept self-service orders placed via mobile. Although some people may still opt to watch the game at home, or your bar may already be fully booked, you can still take orders for pickup, takeout, and, if you offer it, delivery on your free online ordering page.
Step 3: Prepare your space to accommodate customers
A few of the things fans love the most when they watch matches at a public venue are the people, the atmosphere and the food and drinks.
What changes and investments can you make to your establishment in anticipation of customers on game days? Are you going to enhance the interior by investing in a bigger television or in additional screens to offer better seats from which to watch the game? Are you going to acclimate the exterior with covered areas and heaters? Consider what opportunities are easily available to your business and make the most of them. Don’t forget to place banners and pennants, change the signs and hang posters in visible places to animate the atmosphere.
Step 4: Incentivize Customers to Return
There’s nothing like feeling appreciated to make a customer want to do repeat business with you. And there’s nothing like having a repeat customer become your brand ambassador and recommend your establishment to others either by word of mouth or via their social media channels.
Honour your faithful, long-term customers and encourage new customers to return by offering special bonuses, rewards and incentives through your loyalty program with Square Loyalty. Did you know that customers enrolled Square Loyalty spend 53% more and visit 40% more often?
The Square Loyalty program lets you maximize your customer incentive program and keep long-term customers coming back and get new ones to make return visits. Boost your loyalty engagement by creating limited-time or recurring promotions, or bring customers back with bonus points every time they spend money. Take your program up a notch by making it easy and seamless for them to redeem their rewards.
Once your program is up and running, track your customer activity over time, see what’s working best with your customers and optimize where needed. Finally, ensure your loyalty program is covering all bases by inviting customers to provide feedback through periodic online surveys or questionnaires.
If you take care of your bar or restaurant strategy as if it were that top-scoring hockey team it will be easier for you to achieve your goals, increase sales and retain new customers so that they visit you again and again, even in the off-season.