What is a sports bar?

Only real fans know the taste of victory and defeat of the favorite at the World Cup. The unbridled thirst for victory causes a feeling of experience that is difficult to compare with anything. Whether it’s football, hockey, racing or boxing – everything that happens on the sports field on the other side of the screen matters.

 

Why are sports bars popular?

The demand for the organization of establishments has never ceased. After all, it is the atmosphere of unity of like-minded people that unites unfamiliar people in order to:

  • have a great time;
  • throw out adrenaline and emotions;
  • communicate with intellectuals who understand sports games, discuss the course of the game process;
  • Enjoy a beer or soft drink if the visitor is driving;
  • HD quality online viewing on plasma TV from the official channel;
  • Possibility to bet on the winner;
  • Decent menu prices.

What interesting things does the sports bar offer?

The atmosphere of a sports bar is the interior, often in the loft style that is common today, tournament tables, photos of popular players and teams. Visitors sit on comfortable sofas and armchairs.

Depending on the bar, there may be the following services:

  • Board games such as: dominoes, backgammon, poker.
  • Hookah for those who like to relax.
  • Paid or free parking.
  • Access to unlimited Wi-Fi

During major competitions and international games, there is a sharp influx of sports fans. If you plan to go to a sports bar, it is important to book a place in advance. Maybe even online. You should ask if the bar will offer a drink to celebrate the victory of your favorite heroes. On normal days, you can watch NHL and NBA qualifying matches, including competitions with the participation of Russian teams.

How to place bets in a sports bar?

It is easier for a fan of a certain type of competition to understand the advantages and disadvantages of teams. Some prefer to listen to the opinion of the majority, while others are guided by their own experience. Either one or the other can be right. It is noteworthy that at the beginning of the game, the odds are approximately the same. So is the experience of the participants. Otherwise, the victory of one of the participants in the championship would be too obvious and disadvantageous for bookmakers.

There are discussions and disputes about betting in a sports bar, as a result of which a large group is divided into two opposing camps. This process is fascinating because the outcome is often unpredictable. Even if the team is famous for victories in the past stages, change, improving the skills of competitors and changing the tactics of the game can play a decisive role. Therefore, the choice of one or another favorite is such a controversial argument.

If we compare traditional home gatherings before the match with beer and chips, then the sports bar is more interesting because you can 100% throw out emotions there. The crowd around sets the mood almost like on a real podium. It is this psychological surge that is often lacking in everyday life, so there is always a demand for sports bars.

How to open your own bar?

A sports bar with an exclusive interior, chilled strong drinks and hot football matches is a promising business idea. The main advantage of such a business is the rapidly growing popularity of sports events and the growing interest in sports in general in our country. During major sports matches (Olympics, World and European Championships, various Football Cups), such a bar can become a real gold mine for the owner, especially in large cities.

Not all sports matches are shown on terrestrial TV, and even if they can be watched online on the Internet, many people prefer to cheer for their favorite team outside the home, surrounded by the same fans. But opening a bar with a narrow specialization has its own nuances. We will analyze all the nuances of this business.

  • Analysis of market conditions and target audience;
  • definition of business development strategy;
  • development of a set of necessary documentation and business registration;
  • search for a place to open a bar, rent / purchase and repair;
  • development of an advertising campaign;
  • purchase of furniture, interior and equipment;
  • hiring employees.

Market analysis and sports bar business plan

To ensure the profitability of any business, you first need to study the target audience of future customers. For sports bars, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are considered typical customers. The maximum attendance of such establishments is from Friday to Sunday, as well as on the days of significant sporting events, such as football, hockey championships and the Olympic Games.

The sports bar market is poorly saturated: on average, only 20-30%. But it is important to understand that this is a specific business that will not work well everywhere. Low prices for simple meals will help ensure competitiveness: it can be simple homemade food or regular fast food, as well as alcoholic drinks. First of all, the bar should be well located.

What is the most important thing for clients? High speed of service, low prices, simple delicious food and snacks, a wide selection of quality alcoholic beverages, leisure opportunities during the general viewing of spectacular sports programs – this is almost a complete list of services provided.

Before starting a business, you need to draw up a business plan, writing down a summary of the project with an analysis of the market and competitors, an organizational and production plan, a financial and marketing plan, and risk analysis.

Place to open a sports bar

The main factors in choosing a place to build, buy or rent premises are transport accessibility and prestige of the area. This is what will provide the bar with a stable client flow. The best place to open a sports bar is considered to be the central part of the city, especially if there are no direct competitors nearby. But such places are in short supply, and if you can find them, the rental price will be very high.

Opening a sports bar is possible in a small town, but the problem of competitors will become especially urgent. If there is at least one other sports bar in your city, you need to competently rebuild from competitors. Pay attention to the quality and speed of the service staff, the exclusivity of the interior design of the premises, the assortment of alcohol and snacks. Consider additional entertainment – playing areas for table football, backgammon, darts, computer consoles, personal discounts for regular customers, comfortable secure parking, and more. Develop a system of bonuses and discounts for regular customers.

Another option is a remote sleeping area of ​​the city. It will provide good savings when buying or renting premises and land, but you may encounter another problem – it will be much more difficult to attract customers here. This can be done with the help of road billboards and signs. But first of all, such establishments are focused on residents of nearby houses.

In any case, the sports bar should be located in a place with good traffic (pedestrian or car), the sign should be clearly visible from afar and from the main road. For a sports bar in a residential area, the location is not so critical. Your task will be to gain the trust of the surrounding residents so that they become your regular customers.

Another fundamental issue is the definition of the operating mode of the institution. It is important to understand that if you plan to come home at 21.00 every day, then you should not initially plan such a business. Often fans celebrate the victories of their clubs until the morning, and this goes on for more than one day. For this reason, the mode of the establishment should be round-the-clock, and on such days you will not have to come home at all.

Room design

At this point, many aspiring entrepreneurs want to make money—they personally develop projects for arranging furniture, places for installing bar counters and plasma TVs. If you do not have a special education or an innate architectural and design talent, you should not choose your own upholstery for furniture and finishing materials for rooms. It is better to involve specialists who will help you choose the right furniture and cheap materials, taking into account all your wishes.

As for the size of the premises, in accordance with the requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological rules, there should be approximately 1.8 – 2.0 m2 of premises for each client. It is necessary to provide a separate smoking room, as well as places for board games of backgammon, football and billiards. In small bars, plasma TVs should be viewed from anywhere, and if there are several rooms in the bar, then plasma should be hung out in each of them. Every inch of space matters when decorating, but given the potential for fan brawls, tables shouldn’t be too close together.

Pay attention to all the little things that will give the sports bar the proper flavor. Decor options include shelves with won cups and prizes, T-shirts of famous athletes, fan scarves, posters, paintings, decorative panels and various lamps. Please note that all this requires maintenance, so it is necessary to choose high-strength and corrosion-resistant items.

The minimum capacity of such establishments is 50 customers. The kitchen and storage rooms should be equipped with separate entrances. The sanitary unit should be located in a place opposite to the main number of tables and racks. It is necessary to think over the concept of a sports institution in advance. The name, style, corporate clothing of the service personnel and the advertising campaign must be combined with each other. Every nuance makes it possible to stand out from the competition, so do not neglect even the smallest details.

The first thing that attracts the attention of customers is the name of the bar. It should be thought out before opening an institution, since the entire strategy for the development of a sports bar is usually based on the name. It is not necessary to develop very complex and clever names, sometimes a simple sign “Sports Bar” will work, but it must be designed very well.

Equipment for a football bar

To successfully operate a sports or football bar, you need to buy the following equipment: antenna, satellite dish, plasma TVs and tuners with all sets of cables and connectors (note that in older buildings you will have to completely change the entire cable system with a voltage of 220 V, so as the standard service life is 25 years). You will also need to sign contracts with cable TV channels, unless you buy satellite sports channel packages. You need to properly organize the places for watching matches, but your designer should also solve this problem.

As for the equipment in the kitchen, it can be very different, and its cost is determined by what kind of dishes will need to be prepared. Electric or gas stoves, grill cabinets, ovens, microwave ovens, coffee makers, etc. may be required. In addition, auxiliary equipment should be purchased—dishwashers, ventilation and exhaust units, and utility networks for water, heating, ventilation and sewerage should be sponsored. The choice and purchase of such equipment should be entrusted to qualified specialists with the appropriate education.

You will need to purchase chairs, tables, sofas and armchairs, bar counters, shop windows and shelving. The prices for these products differ, as there is a very large selection on the market from different manufacturers.

Assortment of meals and snacks

Alcoholic drinks are considered the most important part of the sports bar menu: no one comes to sports bars to eat healthy food and gourmet cuisine. First of all, such a bar should provide a wide range of beer drinks—this is the most popular type of alcoholic beverages. Wine, vodka and cognac—at the discretion of the owner of the institution. Despite this, the level of cooking should be high enough.

The most popular snacks in sports bars are cheeseburgers, hamburgers, fish, meat, cheese cuts and french fries. Snacks should be hearty, simple, cheap, and pair well with the alcoholic beverages served. When ordering alcohol without snacks, small portions of dried fish, beer nuts or chips must be included in its price. Sometimes small plates with such free food are displayed on bar counters—this is considered good form.