Best Bar Promotions Whether wine, beer, or cocktails, these promotions increased bar revenues and covers. By Susan Bard Hall
W NEW ORLEANS New Orleans
Beth Ann Brannon, Complex Marketing Manager
“When W New Orleans reopened after Hurricane Gustav (in September 2008), Zoë Lounge incorporated some local hurricane lingo into our drink specials. We went with this theme since it is relevant to the area and something with which everyone is so familiar. Although if there had been any damage, we certainly wouldn’t have made light of the situation. As a clever way to price cocktails, we used the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale in which they measure the severity of a hurricane. Our ‘Category Cocktails’ included: Category 1: Eager Evacuator Shot, $1; Category 2: Stormy Sangria, $2; Category 3: Contraflow Coronas, $3; Category 4: Windy Wines, $4; and Category 5: Gustav Guzzler, $5. The drink special did well, and the Stormy Sangria was by far the most popular. The special ran through December 1, the end of hurricane season.”
SOFITEL PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia
Emmanuel Perot, Director of F&B
“Our La Bourse lounge, which means stock market, was so named because the property was the old Philadelphia Stock Exchange building. In November of 2007, we decided to try a D.J. Night on Wednesdays to create a buzz. Since we’ve done this, we have consistently increased revenue by 15 percent on these nights. About half of our guests are local, and the others are hotel guests. On the first Wednesday of the month, we also partner with local designers to stage a fashion show. On other Wednesdays, we have partnered with purveyors such as Grey Goose and Absolut to offer promotions on special cocktails. One of the more memorable nights was during the week of July 14. In honor of Bastille Day, we had French Can-Can girls perform. The lounge faces the street, and, at one point, we probably had some 200 passers-by glued to the window enjoying the show.”
LOEWS MIAMI BEACH HOTEL Miami Beach
Wayne Malagon, F&B Director
“‘Wine Down Fridays’ was a promotion we held during the first and second quarters of 2008. Every Friday, we featured a winemaker, wine region, or grape varietal and offered a six-ounce pour for $8 and a wine flight of three, three-ounce pours for $10. The bartender talked about each wine. Guests received a good value and education at the same time. During the promotion, we had an uptick in wine sales of five to six percent. It also served us well in other facets. We were able to deplete dead stocks, and when a vendor wanted us to add a new wine to our list, it gave us the opportunity to first obtain guest feedback. We also found that people stayed around longer, increasing bar food sales, and our bartenders had the opportunity to recommend our other hotel food outlets. We will probably repeat the promotion this year.”
HYATT REGENCY DALLAS Dallas
Roxane Cunningham, EAM, F&B
“The ‘Burgers & Brews’ promotion was a huge hit that was specific to this property. We partnered with Anheuser-Busch last February through May to offer the Burgers & Brews menu with an international flair. Each of the five burger recipes, comprised of beef fajita, chicken, lamb, risotto, or Kobe, was created by Executive Chef Hermann Heimeyer and paired with a specific beer. This specialty menu ranged in price from $21 to $24. Burgers with brew pairings included Mexican Fajita Burger with Tońa Cerveza, Far East Chicken Twin Burger with Tiger Beer, Indian Tandoori Lamb Burger with Kingfisher Beer, Tuscan Risotto Burger with Michelob ULTRA Beer, and Lone Star Kobe Burger with Ziegen Bock Amber Beer. This promotion was the most popular and successful food and beverage promotion for the hotel in 2008.”
