Creative Ideas For Your Happy Hour Specials
Happy hour specials often bring patrons into a bar. But you might be tired of offering the same standard specials: a few dollars off drinks, 2 for 1 deals, and half-priced appetizers. There's nothing particularly wrong with these run-of-the-mill deals and discounts, but they're so popular that they have become a bit bland. Here are some new and creative ideas for happy hour specials that will delight your customers and perhaps earn you some new ones.
Offer food for groups
Most people come to happy hour with a group, so why not offer a special on food ordered for the whole group? For example, you could offer a whole pizza for $12 or a large basket of chicken tenders for $20. This way, your patrons can order one item for their whole crew to much on, rather than having everyone order individually.
Offer drink and snack combinations
Another option is to give patrons the option of ordering a drink and a snack together for a discount. For instance, they could order a beer and fries for $5, or a glass of wine and some cheese for $6. Patrons will be interested to see what you choose to pair together, and your kitchen staff can have fun coming up with different happy hour combinations each week. Selling items together like this also makes things easier on your bartenders and servers. They only have to remember one order, not a few.
Sell bottles of wine
Selling bottles of wine at a discount is an awesome idea during happy hour. It doesn't take your bartenders much effort to open a bottle and hand it out with glasses. They'll appreciate this when the bar is packed and busy. Groups will enjoy being able to just order one bottle and share it, whether they have 3, 4, 5, or even a few more people in their group. This is a good way to get rid of bottles of wine that aren't selling as quickly as you'd hoped.
Offer specials on desserts
Happy hour is typically a time for fried bar food, but if you offer specials on desserts, your patrons are sure to love the originality. Ice cream sundaes for $3, cookies for $1, or slices of cake for $2 will really make customers smile. Just make sure you offer drinks that go well with dessert, like port wine and ice wine.
With the creative ideas above, you can put your happy hour specials into a whole new gear. For more ideas, contact local happy hour restaurants, such as Down the Hatch Maui.