Interior of Linda’s (bar). South side of E. Pine Street about a half block west of Harvard Ave. Pike-Pine Corridor, Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington. Named after owner Linda Derschang, it was originally (1994) Linda’s Tavern before it got a full liquor license. Before that, it was a Middle Eastern restaurant called Ali Baba. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Opening a bar can be an extremely exciting experience. Anyone who has a strong love of food and drink can attest to the fact that they’ve likely dreamed of one day opening a bar or restaurant, yet there are a variety of things that can get in the way of doing so. While you might have a few great ideas on your hands, you’ve also got to have a decent amount of business-related knowledge to truly make a venture such as this work in your favor. Consider the following aspects of opening a bar that many people simply don’t think about until it’s too late, none of which should hold you back from pursuing your dream.
Getting a Liquor License
If you’re planning on opening a bar, you have no choice but to get a liquor license. A lot of people don’t realize that applying for a license to serve alcohol can be a very time-consuming experience, and is often quite stressful. If you have any prior history with the alcohol-related crimes, for example, you may run into a variety of problems obtaining a liquor license. This is not to say that obtaining a license is impossible, however, and should not stop you from trying to open a bar.
Purchasing Equipment
Running a bar can become a rather expensive venture. After all, you’ll need to purchase a variety of different types of equipment in order to keep things running well; an ammonia refrigeration system from Recco USA, for example. This is one of the main reasons why start-up costs for a bar or restaurant can be extremely high, and why a lot of people simply can’t make it happen. If you plan correctly, however, the cost of the equipment you need shouldn’t be overwhelming.
Food Costs, Management and Marketing
Once you have the license and equipment taken care of, you can expect to have to deal with a great deal with a great deal of other costs. Food and drink, for example, can be extremely costly, as can the costs involved with proper management and marketing. Each of these aspects of running a bar or restaurant is imperative to pay attention to, however; you simply won’t be able to make things work otherwise. This is one of the main reasons why you should consider writing a 5 year plan, which will help you to understand how costs such as these will affect your business.
Related articles
How to Get a Liquor License(blogs.findlaw.com)
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