How Are Bars & Clubs Surviving During COVID-19?

Since the pandemic struck, the hospitality industry has been in decline, uprooting our way of meeting, connecting, and simply being. In an industry with already razor-thin margins, shelter-in-place restrictions hinder restaurants from getting anywhere near the volume required to justify their costs. Bars (especially those that cater to the underprivileged) are bound to follow. While most of us know how our favorite bars are doing, we may be unaware of how bars, breweries, and vineyards are doing. Because more people are stocking up at home, overall liquor sales are up significantly compared to the same period last year. That isn’t to say that some bars if they have the resources, aren’t doing everything they can to reach out to their regulars.

However, the changes in response to the epidemic cannot obscure the fact that the hospitality business, which is the backbone of our communities, is at risk and, at the end of it, will be unrecognizable. During the epidemic, some arcade bar owners were forced to get inventive, such as offering table service in the front to comply with physical distancing requirements and capacity limits.

Limitations on Bars during COVID

COVID-19 is a virus that spreads through the air. The virus is spread mainly through airborne transmission and contaminated surfaces. COVID-19 transmission is more likely in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Some limitations are applied to reduce the risk of being affected by COVID.

• Social Distancing

When feasible, all people must keep a social distance of at least six feet from people who are not from their own homes. Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands as often as possible, use hand sanitizer, and observe basic respiratory etiquette (including coughing into the elbow).

• Only SEATED Service are Allowed

Patrons are not permitted to stand near the bar counter. Only seated guests will be served food and drinks; patrons must be placed at designated bar seats or a set table.

• Capacity

Please limit the number of customers in the establishment to seventy-five percent (75%) of its standard capacity. To preserve physical and social distance, the total number of patrons inside or outside is limited.

• Live Entertainment and music

While performing, the entertainer must be 10 feet away from the personnel and patrons. No one, including employees, is allowed to dance inside or outside the facility. Entertainment or live music is permitted after midnight. By midnight bars must be closed.

• Pool Tables, Darts, and other Recreational Games

After each game, the pool sticks, other game materials, and surrounding areas must is disinfected. Everyone, including employees, must wear Face covering masks that cover the nose and mouth.

All players must maintain a social distance of 6 feet between themselves.

And all players must have access to hand sanitizer.

Strategies During COVID-19

Some bars have reopened to have to close them down again. Many have yet to be allowed to open their doors. Reopening demands several costly upgrades, including air ionization and filtration systems, Plexiglas partitions, cleaning and disinfecting, and reworking for touch-less transactions.

Following strategies are developed to survive during COVID-19

• Reach your Customer

The ability to meet clients where they are is the key to reaching customers during the COVID age. You must develop creative digital models that make interaction with your brand more comfortable and convenient. Third-party delivery, ordering ahead of time, and app-based promotions for our rewards members are some of the ways to reach your customer where they are. Bar owners have been facing since COVID.

• Social Media Marketing

Some of the bars have adopted social media marketing which helped them to survive in the global pandemic. The significance of social media marketing has also shifted as a result of Covid-19. Consumers are spending more time on their phones and scrolling through social media, which has resulted in an exponential increase in traffic. It’s now more important than ever to connect with your audience in a genuine, honest, and empathic manner.

• Takeaway Delivery

Sign up for takeout delivery services right away! Many benefits suspend their back-office administration during city-wide lockdowns, so if you sign up too late, your request will be ignored. On the packaging, collaborate with your designer. Many freelance designers will continue to work from home, which is an excellent way to differentiate your product.

Use biodegradable materials whenever possible, and because most people have cutlery at home, there is no need for extra disposable cutlery. Please respect the Earth.

• Adding Food Options

The concept of running a food program is unappealing to many bar owners. Kitchens can efficiently squander hard-won revenues due to many perishables, pricey equipment, and hefty labor requirements. However, for many bars, expanding or renovating kitchens has been a survival strategy and a prerequisite for reopening in many states.

• Create chat groups with your regulars

Try to build a bond of trust with your regulars by engaging them in your services. Share articles of your products with them and offer them your services on time.

• Tip your Delivery People

Be very gentle to employees, as they are the foundation of your company. Your products will never reach anyone if they stop working. Ascertain that they are willing and happy to accept delivery orders from your establishment over others.

• Execution – A Building Block

You must outperform your competitors in the market. Everyone will be making deliveries, so you must be faster than them and provide a far superior product and story.