hen we were in college, partying was one of our favorite (okay, number one) pastimes—like it or not, Mom and Dad. Bryan Kay, F&B director of Holiday Inn, Blacksburg (home of the Virginia Tech Hokies), says though times and trends are always changing that sentiment is still beating strong in the hearts of today’s college kids. For this reason, the hotel’s Attitudes Bar and Café beckons this diverse, young, and often broke clientele by providing them an everchanging stomping ground with meal deals and drink specials to boot.

DIFFERENT NIGHTLY THEME
“The first key to customer retention and success for a bar in a college town,” says Kay, “is the willingness to adapt to the ever-changing and growing tastes of clientele that rotate every four years.” Each night of the week at Attitudes represents the opportunity to draw a crowd, and a different theme each night appeals to a variety of young bar goers, including: a sports night (Mondays in the fall); an open mic or Battle of the Bands night on Tuesdays (live music aficionados and would-be rock stars are in full attendance); a Comedy Club on Wednesdays (attracting the young and old from all over the region); College Night on Thursdays (a dance club scene with live broadcasts through a local radio station); Full Band Fridays (hosting local, regional, and national bands), and Sin-sational Saturdays, a dance club night similar to Thursdays, but geared more to pop, Top 40, and requests.

For Attitudes, diversity also includes distinguishing itself from the myriad other college bars in several ways. The biggest diversification strategy, according to Kay, involves service and quality levels. Attitudes borrows the servers and the culinary talents of the executive chef from Latitudes International Grille, the hotel’s fine dining establishment, assets that none of the town’s other bars can offer, claims Kay.

“Our service levels are unparalleled, and are a huge factor in guests returning to enjoy our food and beverage offerings.”

CALCULATED RISK TAKING
In addition, Kay explains that most of the other bars have made the mistake of excluding the under- 21 crowd. Kay recalls his own college days when freshmen and upperclassmen were always commingling, and feels that including the 18 and older crowd is crucial to the success of a college bar.

“This means increased risk of underage drinking, so heightened awareness and security (including ten bouncers) is required, but the pay-off has been tremendous in actual patronage and retention of these ‘unders’ throughout their college careers,” says Kay. He believes calculated risk taking, or innovation, is a recipe for distinction in college towns, which is why Attitudes has been the venue for many firsts in Blacksburg, including hosting yearly Miss Hawaiian Tropic regional competitions, having house DJs go live with the local radio station, and hosting tailgate parties in the parking lot with local vendors and military members, as well as offering games for guests and patrons.

“Additional ways we distinguish ourselves from the competition are our methods of advertising and involvement with the community,” says Kay.

“A lot of hotel lounges end up resigning themselves to being an amenity as opposed to a profit center, focusing strictly on hotel guests and ignoring local clientele and the potential revenue and profitability that comes with them.”

To this end, Attitudes teamed with a radio station, Hot 100.7, which was just launching and needed a venue to base promotional events. The radio station has since flourished, and Attitudes naturally benefits from that success. Alternative forms of advertising such as the bar’s website, www.attitudesbar.com, lends to its popularity; the site is constantly updated with media, including movies, pictures, sound clips, and news.

“In a college town especially, where students are always online, a professional, flashy, and content-filled website is a must,” says Kay. In addition, Attitudes has advertised on Facebook and Myspace, two extremely popular social networking websites, which has proven a low-cost, highly effective coup against the competition.

BUILT-IN ADVERTISING
The Holiday Inn’s involvement with the community earns them built-in advertising with local residents as well as the University staff and students.

“My management staff and I regularly attend Chamber of Commerce functions, Virginia Tech Athletics functions, and Town Council meetings. We sponsor a spot for the hotel in Lane Stadium, have catered events for the University and football team, and in general, maintain relationships with department heads, coaches, and decision makers. This relationship extends to student groups, sororities, fraternities, and professional groups, as well as athletic teams. Attitudes has gained a reputation as a place where you can regularly see members of both the football and basketball teams, who are widely regarded as celebrities in this town.”

All of the aforementioned aspects are important to a college bar’s success, but for most students, a watering hole’s worth is often defined by how much they can offer them to eat and drink for the few measly dollars they have in their wallets. Attitudes has this crucial need pretty well met; pocket change would just about cover the $2.75 for 22-ounce Bud Light bottles offered on College Night and the 22-ounce Corona bottles on Comedy Club Night. Food specials also vary by the night: Mondays offer $.30 hot wings; Tuesdays feature $2.25 mozzarella sticks; Wednesdays have $2.25 taquitos (bean wraps); Thursdays are popular for $3.50 half racks of ribs; $3.00 chicken tenders are served on Fridays; and on Saturdays, guests enjoy $.50 potato skins. Prices like these justify spending those laundry quarters on College Night and bringing the laundry home to Mom and Dad. After all, boys and girls, you’re only young once, and change is inevitable.

Ashley Brown Allen is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B EXECUTIVE.