How to Start a Sports Bar Business

Open Your Own Sports Bar

If you are looking for a rewarding, exciting business and you have experience in the restaurant or bar industry, you should consider starting a sports bar business. Everyone loves going to the local sports bar to grab a cold brew and watch the big game. If you can create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and you have chosen the right location, a sports bar business can be financially rewarding.

Things You'll Need

• Location
• Liquor license
• Multiple televisions
• Satellite television with full sports package
• Staff
• Advertising

Instructions

1. Choose the location of your bar. The best sports bars usually have some foot traffic in the area as well as access to major roads or intersections. Look for a location with plenty of parking and access for beer trucks to drive into. Research other sports bars in the area and take note of how busy your competition is. Go to a potential competitor's bar on a busy NFL Sunday to get an idea of what kind of traffic they are bringing in.

2. Get a liquor license to serve beer, wine and liquor. Visit your town clerk's office and find out how to go about getting a commercial liquor license. Make sure that there are no restrictions on opening a bar at your location. In some states, getting a liquor license can mean wading through a lot of red tape. Get your application in as soon as you choose your location.

3. Don't get too fancy when setting up your bar--there is no reason to spend a ton of money on an expensive bar and stools. Sports fans like it simple. The only thing you'll want to spend a lot of money on is the televisions. The more large, flat screen, LCD televisions that you can fit into your sports bar the better. Sports fans hate crowding together to squint at a little television in order to watch the game. The goal is to have different televisions showing different games and even different sports all at one time.

4. Hire a fun, hard-working staff that will help your sports bar become a success. A good staff will keep your customers to keep coming back every week. Set up interviews and allow yourself to really get to know who you are hiring. Make sure any staff that you hire has a background in the restaurant or bar industry.

5. Advertise your sports bar in your city or town with promotions like "unlimited free wings on football Sunday." These promotions may actually cost you money on the day of the event, but when you discontinue the special hopefully the customers will keep coming back. Call your local radio station to get rates on radio advertisements for your sports bar.

6. Be patient with your sports bar business. Make sure you have enough capital to pay your bar's bills for at least six months while you gain clientele. In many cases, sports bars take a while to catch on--but once they do the reward is well worth it.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish