bottle service

I live in a tourist area popular for the golf courses, shopping, beaches and nightlife. I have been noticing over the years that many of the clubs that used to be “The Place to Go” have quietly closed their doors in recent years. In their place, new clubs have opened and then shut their doors as well. It made me put on my investigator hat as I wondered what it is that is causing these businesses to close, aside from the obvious answer that not enough people are going there.  Something has changed that is resulting in this trend and I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I pondered thisI also wondered if a nightclub could do something different that would enhance the club experience and bring customers back. The answer I came up with may be that a club establishes a bottle service.

I will visit some of the reasons nightclubs are closing up in a moment, but first I want to explain how bottle services function and how it can help draw in customers. Bottle services can take on many different forms, tailored to meet the style of the individual club owner/manager. The basic service should include group reservations for parties as small as two people and as large as a club can handle. For small groups the club should arrange for prime seating near the dance floor or the band. To cater to larger groups, the club may want to set aside a room with a view to the dance floor, perhaps a bar and bartender for personalized service. If the club has a cover charge at the door, a group that has purchased the bottle service would have the cover charge waived and would be met by a host or hostess and escorted past the line of customers to go to their table/booth or room.  

A bottle service will include a bottle(s) of top shelf wine or liquor and mixers of the purchaser’s choice. Once seated, the group will have a dedicated bottle server who will pour and mix drinks for the group and control the drink flow with bottle locks on each bottle. The server has a detachment key that is used to remove the bottle locks when drinks are to be poured and then the lock is replaced. This prevents someone from pouring their own servings from the bottle. The servers are instrumental in making sure the experience is successful. They MUST be well trained in providing customer service, engaging their customers and creating an enjoyable evening. An added benefit of using bottle locks is that the server can monitor whether a member of the group is becoming too intoxicated and can control the amount of alcohol being mixed into that person’s glass.

So back to my original question, “What is causing nightclubs to close?”  According to nightclub.com, in an article by Bernadette Hasson, September 29, 2015, “Millennial Impact: The Evolution of Nightclubs”, “Studies show millennials aren’t frequenting nightclubs the way the preceding Gen Y did. Slightly more than 60% of millennials go out to clubs, and among those who do, only 25% do so more than once a month (ULI and Lachman Associates).”  The writer goes on to list some of the reasons given by millennials including; throwing more house parties that cost less money, they pick venues they can post on social media, and they won’t accept watered down drinks in clubs. Some of the reasons for not going were based on their perceptions of what clubs used to be for and how they are not needed for that purpose any longer such as, “…they see a club as a place to hook up and instead use a dating app…”  If millennials have these perceptions, then there must be new strategies to address those concerns.  

Making a night out a good time, and emphasizing the music and entertainment along with a fun bottle server could remove the perception of trying to “meet or hook-up”. A waiter or waitress controlling the drinks and bottle locks can ensure drinks are properly measured and not “watered down”. Any number of décor or lighting changes can make better optics for social media posts. Other concerns such as long lines to get into a club, cover charges and rude service can all be rectified by adding a bottle service to a club.

Clubs don’t have to close because they lack appeal to a new generation. Adding bottle services and using bottle locks, along with a focus on customer service can appeal to the new clientele who may have different ideas of what they are looking for in terms of entertainment. Start a bottle service now and watch your business grow.

Get more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.   

What separates a successful nightclub from your average bar scene? You need a great location, of course. You don’t want to open a new place in a bad part of town, or you’ll never get the place filled to capacity. People want to have a good time without worrying about being mugged when they leave or having their car broken into. Next you need an awesome DJ. You can’t just hire any guy off the street to spin; it has to be someone that is well-known and talented. Live music is always a great option as well. Another thing you should consider is bottle service. Yes, this is a VIP service and yes, it can be expensive for the patrons, but is it worth it? I’ll let you decide for yourself.

Average bar or nightclub: Everybody pays the same price and waits in the same general admission line for the doors to open. The people that get there first will get tables with chairs and the rest have to just settle for what they can find. Some will get isolated tables around the perimeter that have no chairs, but at least they have somewhere to sit their drinks down. That is, of course, after they have waited at the bar, fighting to get the attention of the bartender so they could order those drinks. If it is a busy night, the drinks can vary greatly. When the bartender starts getting tired or stressed out, they may start under or over pouring the cocktails. Everybody is treated with the same level of mediocre service.  

A nightclub that offers bottle service: Whether they arrive at the time the doors open or they roll up around midnight, the group that got reservations for bottle service gets to bypass the line and go right in. They go straight to their designated table that is in a prime spot near the dance floor and has a great view of the live entertainment as well. Their table serves as their home base, so they have somewhere to put their stuff and they have seats for when they want to take a break from the dance floor. Their designated hostess brings them their prepaid top shelf liquors, mixers, ice and clean glasses right to their table, so there is no need to fight the crowd at the bar. When someone in the group is ready for a drink or a refill, the hostess comes over and removes the bottle lock and pours the drinks for them. (The bottles cannot be left unattended and open on the tables, so the bottle locks are necessary. But that keeps everyone safe.)  

Bottle service offers your patrons a chance to feel like celebrities. The group will usually be splitting the cost which includes the table, a minimum number of bottles, and usually the gratuity. So they can feel cool and look like big spenders without really having to be rich. Whether you’re there to just get out of the house or there for to celebrate a promotion: everybody just wants to have fun and feel special. You show them a good time, keep them safe, and they will become loyal to your nightclub and they won’t go to your competition. Bottle service also helps your establishment avoid serving a minor. The hostess knows who is supposed to be at the table, so if someone new joins the party, she can check their ID before she removes the bottle locks for the next round of drinks. A busy, overworked bartender is less likely to check for proof of age every time, especially if they are swamped with people on all sides of the bar.  

Get more information on Bottle Service. Contact us or call. 1.770.426.0547

Is it possible that owning and operating a nightclub could become a losing proposition?  According to an article on the website newtheory.com club patronage by millennials is on a decline. The article, “Bid Farewell: Why Millennials Are Abandoning Nightclubs”, posted October 12, 2015, contends that, “Nightclub and bar attendance has been on a steady decline for the past several years and counting.” The reason for the decline is blamed on millennials and millennials are those who fall into the age bracket between 21 and 38 and they cite this information from a report by research firm, GFK. The story lists a number of reasons given by respondents to an anonymous online survey for not attending clubs regularly. Some of the reasons listed included:

• Expensive cover charges

• High priced drinks

• Long lines

• Slow bar service

• Rude staff

Looking at these reasons for not frequenting clubs, it is clear to me that a significant part of the problem could be solved simply by starting a bottle service which also includes using bottle locks.

The bottle service is simply a group package offered by the nightclub that is purchased in advance by the client for a V.I.P. style evening out.  It may be for a party of two or more and the package price is determined by the number of people in the group, the type of reserved seating desired and the number of top shelf spirits or wines purchased (usually one or two bottles). A waiter or waitress is assigned to the group for the evening and serves as the attendant to the group for the night, including serving beverages and mixing drinks. Bottles are served with bottle locks on them to prevent someone from walking off with the party’s drinks. Bottle locks can only be removed by the waiter or waitress with a special detachment key that can be carried on their person. From a customer service perspective, this helps resolve a lot of problems before they happen. 

An expensive cover charges was the first complaint listed. What is the reason for a cover charge? Cover charges should be for special events or DJ’s, according to nightclub.com writer Marcus Colon in an October 21, 2014 article, When to Charge a Cover. “ “Cover charges can be tricky because if you charge too much you’ll turn away customers,” says Karla Ortiz, national accounts director at Wanttickets, one of the nation’s premier online ticketing services that works with some of the top nightclubs in the country.” Cover charges may add revenue, but if party goers find someplace with a lower cover fee, they may not return. Adding a bottle service will increase profit through the purchase price of a service and any additional liquor/wine purchases a party may make. Groups purchasing a service pay no cover and it would also allow the owner/manager to lower cover charges for all other patrons.  

An additional point to consider with cover charges is that it may hinder how much a customer spends in the club. A modest cover fee may be fine, but owners should recognize that patrons may not spend as much on their drinks or food. It may also mean reduced tips for staff. A bottle service can have a tip built into the price so staff will still be compensated and the customer knows up front what they will be paying. A bottle server who is customer service oriented will unlock bottles and mix drinks for his or her group and make the experience one that will entice a party to return again.  

With the decline in club attendance, it is important to find ways to grow your business, not just protect what you have. Lowering or eliminating cover charges and adding a bottle service with the benefits of bottle locks will bring the customers to your establishment time and time again.

Get more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.