Change @ SOLA BAR - needs your imput!

[jfoe]

hi, i would agree with anna here, and this is based on experience of managing everything from successful cheap bulk-sale cocktail joints to ultra-selective 50 seaters designed to illicit maximum spend per seat.

 

basically, you need to decide what market you are going for and design everything about Sola to attract that market. similarly, you need to decide who you don't want in and ensure your design selects out those people.

 

for example, in a tacky sports bar (let's take champs as an example) you will find a loads of sports TVs (volume only during major events), cheap cocktails and bottles early evening, simple but pricey no-nonsense food, and a sprinkling of footballing celebs. This effectively selects students in the early evening, wealthy-ish families in the restaurant all weekend, wannabees every night, and lots of young men and ladies (that quickly becomes self-sustaining). the same recipe selects out "weirdos", real-ale fanatics, people wanting top quality gastro, etc.

 

now take a more selective cocktails and modern-gastro joint (say arts cafe in leeds). here you will probably only find one beer on tap and it will be european and dear, you won't be able to buy a pint (halves or a pitcher to share), the food and wine will be great but expensive, but a quality cheaper lunch menu will keep the place ticking over. the coffee will be first class, the music easy on the ear but very well selected, and the staff happy (well paid and fed). this mix will attract wealthy upper-middle class trendies, lots of pink pound wielding gay couples (men and women), and professionals from 20 to 80. the same mix will de-select normal students (ie ones without trust funds), groups of lads, and families out with their kids.

 

now before you decide on your market and your business design, you need to look at what factors you can't change, eg sola is down a little backstreet, it is hard to find, it is a pleasant design (light and airy), it can hold about 70(?) seated, it is in sheffield's premier working lunch area, but is not too far off the beaten track to carve a niche in the nighttime market. my advice would be to market to quality working lunches in the day, and quality drinkers (wine, a few cocktails, good beers, no groups of lads on the hunt, gay crowd) in the evening. i could go on but this is turning into a rant. i would be happy to discuss more (cost you a meal for two though!)

 

joe