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[FiscalFizz]

I have no idea how marketing/advertising works in Bangkok or really outside of Western Culture.

I do know that a nice poster posted up somewhere done by someone with some Photoshop/Illustrator skills can draw in some people.  Up to you to get them to return/stay.

Posters are cool because in this digital age, you can physically print them and post them up around town.  You can also take the photoshop/ilustrator file and upload your digital poster onto different websites.

Network a lot... and when you think you have a set crowd.  NETWORK SOME MORE.

Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising my friend.  And btw-  GREAT DRINK PRICES!

[KeyserSoze01]

lor, on 2012-02-03 03:32:32, said:

Yes that's right. The police are having a huge crackdown in the Jomtien area. Any bar open after 1am is being heavily fined and closed down for a time. I get very annoyed closing my bar dead on 1am and then on my way home seeing all the Thai owned places (Karaoeke etc) blasting music out, people drinking, loads of girls sitting outside etc and police just cruising past them doing nothing. Guesse they don't have enough money to pay the fines so they are ignored. Or is it one law for the Farang and another for the Thai.

No, you just haven't contributed enough to the BiB Benevolent Fund.

[IanForbes]

What do I want from a bar?

1. Good music that's not too loud that so I can't speak to the person across the table from me.
2. Attractive waitresses that are friendly but not too pushy.
3. A good pool table of a decent size, and level enough that you can finesse a ball into a pocket.
4. Reasonable prices.
5. Nobody pushing drinks on you
6. Friendly atmosphere.

Actually, I found such a bar in Chiang Mai at the foot of Loi Kroh Road. It's now an Aussie bar called the "Down Under bar". It's across from where the Guitar man used to be and not far from the one way bridge over the Ping River..

[cattoc]

Chris - good luck with the bar - I will be in Jomtien next month and will look you up (Nearly bought a house there near the boat club).  Would be great to chat.. I took over a bar last year in Sukhumvit Rd. Just opposite the Landmark ... I have read through this entire post and there are some really good suggestions - that looking back many have worked.  We are full nearly every night and I still keep shaking my head as the crowd is so diverse - Young guys, Oldies, Couples and many walk-in Toursits.  We don't have TV. Girls are there - but don't approach unless asked. Plenty of wives / couples - so the Girlie Bar stigma is not there.  We have a great live band - who sing to the crowd.. and take requests. For the live music - we find it great as there is lots of dancing and cabaret style entertainment which helps alot.  We both A4 and A3 posters for advertising and don't forget to get an email flyer going - try MailChimp  for a good free email system to track your customers - but we still find word of mouth is the best way.  When I took it over - it was losing money - so we incented the staff with 1% sales orders they take and then split profit with them open book 50% at the end of the year. "it works!!"... I have now have 34 "managers" all very focused on sales, costs and service but now I don't get a free drink!. The bar became immediately profitable & remains so as it is full most nights.  We have our own small steak restaurant - but for some items - like Kebabs no-one cooks them better then the boys near Foodland...so we are open and buy-in. We do not contribute to the BIB at all.  For me - these posts have also been very insightful and a year down the path.. still great feedback.. thanks folks.    Good luck and I am also a Chris!

[DocN]

cattoc, on 2012-02-23 20:29:33, said:

Chris - good luck with the bar - I will be in Jomtien next month and will look you up (Nearly bought a house there near the boat club).  Would be great to chat.. I took over a bar last year in Sukhumvit Rd. Just opposite the Landmark ... I have read through this entire post and there are some really good suggestions - that looking back many have worked.  We are full nearly every night and I still keep shaking my head as the crowd is so diverse - Young guys, Oldies, Couples and many walk-in Toursits.  We don't have TV. Girls are there - but don't approach unless asked. Plenty of wives / couples - so the Girlie Bar stigma is not there.  We have a great live band - who sing to the crowd.. and take requests. For the live music - we find it great as there is lots of dancing and cabaret style entertainment which helps alot.  We both A4 and A3 posters for advertising and don't forget to get an email flyer going - try MailChimp  for a good free email system to track your customers - but we still find word of mouth is the best way.  When I took it over - it was losing money - so we incented the staff with 1% sales orders they take and then split profit with them open book 50% at the end of the year. "it works!!"... I have now have 34 "managers" all very focused on sales, costs and service but now I don't get a free drink!. The bar became immediately profitable & remains so as it is full most nights.  We have our own small steak restaurant - but for some items - like Kebabs no-one cooks them better then the boys near Foodland...so we are open and buy-in. We do not contribute to the BIB at all.  For me - these posts have also been very insightful and a year down the path.. still great feedback.. thanks folks. Good luck and I am also a Chris!

...and that would be which bar????

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^^
Sounds to me like The Check Inn, Suk soi 5.
The place is a Bkk institution, a throwback to former times, a place of cultural importance.
What happened to the dwarf?

[cattoc]

You got it.. and I got flamed out of Trip advisor for self promotion...   The little guy retired about 7 years ago with poor health - it is hard to get a straight sotry even from the staff - but we understand informally he passed away recently.  In situations where demise is incorrectly discussed - I would be most happy to buy him a drink if he came in to the bar looking for me.   We posted a picture of him inside the bar - wearing his Mexican Hat.  At various stages - he was quite famous.. and even was a Blue movie star.     The other famous one is the MamaSan still there and she has been working at that bar and its predecessor Club99 for 47 years.. we put up a picture of her looking stunning it is in the dining room upstairs showing her in a very revealing pose with her then Vietnam War sweet heart.. a very very famous man.  Even to this day nearly everyone will recognise who.  ....   You will have to come inside and see for yourself.   ;-)

[cattoc]

DocN, on 2012-02-24 16:07:07, said:

cattoc, on 2012-02-23 20:29:33, said:

Chris - good luck with the bar - I will be in Jomtien next month and will look you up (Nearly bought a house there near the boat club).  Would be great to chat.. I took over a bar last year in Sukhumvit Rd. Just opposite the Landmark ... I have read through this entire post and there are some really good suggestions - that looking back many have worked.  We are full nearly every night and I still keep shaking my head as the crowd is so diverse - Young guys, Oldies, Couples and many walk-in Toursits.  We don't have TV. Girls are there - but don't approach unless asked. Plenty of wives / couples - so the Girlie Bar stigma is not there.  We have a great live band - who sing to the crowd.. and take requests. For the live music - we find it great as there is lots of dancing and cabaret style entertainment which helps alot.  We both A4 and A3 posters for advertising and don't forget to get an email flyer going - try MailChimp  for a good free email system to track your customers - but we still find word of mouth is the best way.  When I took it over - it was losing money - so we incented the staff with 1% sales orders they take and then split profit with them open book 50% at the end of the year. "it works!!"... I have now have 34 "managers" all very focused on sales, costs and service but now I don't get a free drink!. The bar became immediately profitable & remains so as it is full most nights.  We have our own small steak restaurant - but for some items - like Kebabs no-one cooks them better then the boys near Foodland...so we are open and buy-in. We do not contribute to the BIB at all.  For me - these posts have also been very insightful and a year down the path.. still great feedback.. thanks folks. Good luck and I am also a Chris!

...and that would be which bar????

Checkinn99 on Sukhumvit between sois 5 & 7.directly opposite the Landmark Hotel.. small alley way entrance... you would walk past it hundreds of times and miss it if you did not know it was there.

[tutsiwarrior]

is the Check Inn the place with the good steaks? (see previous TV thread about 'good steaks' in BKK)...

if so then I gotta go there...when in town I'm usually at the Dynasty Grande on soi 6 offa lower nana...with Foodland back in operation would be just right...('who's the falang with all the shopping?'...'dunno, some falang weirdo...'...with ham and cheese from the Foodland deli, vodka and grapefruit juice mixers and fabulous rye and grainary bread from the Foodland bakery to take back to the hotel...)

Edited by tutsiwarrior, 2012-02-28 23:32:01.

[cattoc]

Hi Tutsi  to directly answer. Yes Checkinn is the one with the good steaks.  not a cordon bleu steak house... just good mid priced home style steaks.  The 30 year old menus are still there (held together with 3 layers of brown duct tape - and the original cardboard liner long since disolved away)... new ones were made - but the old time customers complained - so both menus are offered for fear of upsetting the shellbacks..  only thing that changed is the prices now exclude VAT and service charge... 17% price drop,

[tutsiwarrior]

cattoc, on 2012-03-08 19:07:17, said:

Hi Tutsi  to directly answer. Yes Checkinn is the one with the good steaks.  not a cordon bleu steak house... just good mid priced home style steaks.  The 30 year old menus are still there (held together with 3 layers of brown duct tape - and the original cardboard liner long since disolved away)... new ones were made - but the old time customers complained - so both menus are offered for fear of upsetting the shellbacks..  only thing that changed is the prices now exclude VAT and service charge... 17% price drop,

sounds all right!...like I said in a previous post on this thread: 'a good bar is one that is convenient...'...I'll pop into the Check Inn for a steak and a pint on the way back to the hotel from Foodland with the shopping...

Edited by tutsiwarrior, 2012-03-09 02:25:51.

[Ijustwannateach]

If you want more of the 'high value' tourists- and don't care bout the seasonal swings- go for location, location, location- next to big fancy hotels and put your prices up.

If you want expat locals- volume and lower prices.

If you really want to make money - market towards THAIS!!!!

[smokie36]

FiscalFizz, on 2012-02-03 06:36:43, said:

Chris- First off, Cheers from the United States.  I have read through this entire thread and here is my 2 cents-   I surely hope that you do not take every piece of advice from every single person here and try to throw it together to form some "super bar".

That will fail very quickly-  Not all of us are looking for the same thing in a bar.  Before even asking the questions you did in this thread you created- You should have sat down with a cold beer in a quiet place and identified YOUR TARGET MARKET.  Who do you want to serve.  Surely you understand that you cannot please the masses with a bar.  Typically, different generations/ages/genders/nationalities expect/want different things out of their drinking establishment.

For example, Mr. 60 year old Sexpat probably doesn't want the latest western heavy metal screaming out of big speakers in the bar-  I wouldn't mind that one night, or any other loud music.  I am 26 and from the States.  How much of a "club" feel do you want your bar to have?  How much of a "pub" watering hole feel do you want your bar to have?

You cannot be a jack-of-all-trades and be successful because you will be peddling a mediocre service.  You might do music OK... yeah, you got pool tables, big deal.  You bring in a live band 2 nights a week, ok... fine.  Few pretty girls serving me booze, big deal..

For example, a lot of peole have said that they want no loud music or TVs to distract from conversation.  Well thats one very valid need from certain bar goers.

I for example, back in the states here, mostly go out to sports bars.  I have never had a problem "socializing" with the random guy/gal next to me about the games on television.  I don't see how a sports bar feel with lots of TVs and games going takes away from  socializing.  It just means that your patrons will likely be socializing about sports.  Hell, bring the English/Europe crowd in to watch their (dare I say Soccer?) football.  Bring us Americans in to watch our "football" ( believe you English call it Handegg lol).

I for one love live music-  You just have to study and become an expert on your target market.  Don't try to make your surroundings adapt to your business model.  You should adapt to your surroundings.  I.E-  Don't force a sports bar down the throat of a town where the obvious niche/want is Sexpats looking for bar girls.

Target Market, Target Market, Target Market.

Write yoursef a good business plan, which includes a solid marketing plan.  Thousands of templates/help if you just google- Writting a Business Plan.

Update that SOB every year too!

Hope this helps.  PM me with any questions.  I have a B.B.A in marketing with over 8 years of experience.  I am 26 years old, Male, USA

Cheers from Detroit!


Edit-  One thing that everyone however is looking for in a bar-  Cheap beer, good service, AWESOME HAPPY HOUR-  Some bars that are my favorites back here in the US are on the top of my list for one thing only-  AMAZING HAPPY HOUR PERIOD.

I want not quite alcoholics in my bar. Lots of them please.

Edited: For truth.

Edited by smokie36, 2012-03-09 02:28:35.

[IanForbes]

What do "I" want from a bar you ask? That's easy

A big enough room so I don't feel cramped.
A couple of TVs playing different sports.
Music that is pleasant but not so blaring that I can't hear and have to yell to my partner sitting 2 feet away.
At least 3 or 4 young, attractive waitresses who are somewhere between 20 and 35 years old. And, ones who are attentive but not in your face.
Reasonable prices for drinks and lady drinks not costing more than 120 baht.
A good pool table with enough room to use a cue.

Quite simple really and there are a few of them around in Chiang Mai where I spend my time. It is overly loud music competing with other overly loud music that chases me away from most locations.

[DocN]

cattoc, on 2012-02-26 03:59:56, said:

DocN, on 2012-02-24 16:07:07, said:

cattoc, on 2012-02-23 20:29:33, said:

Chris - good luck with the bar - I will be in Jomtien next month and will look you up (Nearly bought a house there near the boat club).  Would be great to chat.. I took over a bar last year in Sukhumvit Rd. Just opposite the Landmark ... I have read through this entire post and there are some really good suggestions - that looking back many have worked.  We are full nearly every night and I still keep shaking my head as the crowd is so diverse - Young guys, Oldies, Couples and many walk-in Toursits.  We don't have TV. Girls are there - but don't approach unless asked. Plenty of wives / couples - so the Girlie Bar stigma is not there.  We have a great live band - who sing to the crowd.. and take requests. For the live music - we find it great as there is lots of dancing and cabaret style entertainment which helps alot.  We both A4 and A3 posters for advertising and don't forget to get an email flyer going - try MailChimp  for a good free email system to track your customers - but we still find word of mouth is the best way.  When I took it over - it was losing money - so we incented the staff with 1% sales orders they take and then split profit with them open book 50% at the end of the year. "it works!!"... I have now have 34 "managers" all very focused on sales, costs and service but now I don't get a free drink!. The bar became immediately profitable & remains so as it is full most nights.  We have our own small steak restaurant - but for some items - like Kebabs no-one cooks them better then the boys near Foodland...so we are open and buy-in. We do not contribute to the BIB at all.  For me - these posts have also been very insightful and a year down the path.. still great feedback.. thanks folks. Good luck and I am also a Chris!

...and that would be which bar????

Checkinn99 on Sukhumvit between sois 5 & 7.directly opposite the Landmark Hotel.. small alley way entrance... you would walk past it hundreds of times and miss it if you did not know it was there.

Thanks guys.
I am more a "Silom Guy", but when I am in the area, I might give it a try.
Sounds nice and I like the "more than 1 boss"- concept!

[cattoc]

doc...if you are in on any Sat or Sun night ask for Chris or Mook..(we had a huge night last night after Makka Booka (I think he played Aussie rules for the Swans) must have been due to to pent up thirst being asked to close at Midnight on Tuesday)  place gets good after 9.30 - 10pm.  Thanks for a great thread people  I have to sigbn off here as this looks like self promotion.... Chris - Good luck with Apple Bar in Jomtien.. there are not too many places you can get good Cider - I would be real interested in how you source it,

[smokie36]

I'm checkin' in to this place...the steaks have a good rep on here and waaay cheaper than the top floor across the road.

If I'm skint can I still get the free peanuts?

Oh and are they fresh these days?

Love the filipino group...are they still in attendance?

[tutsiwarrior]

Checkinn serving girl: 'and how would you like your steak sir?...'

smokie: 'well, you know, medium rare or there abouts but with a lot o'dem peanuts...nice fresh ones...'

serving girl: 'and would you like tabasco with your peanuts, sir?...'

smokie: 'nah...ketchup will do, ta...'

meanwhile, un-noticed, tutsi slides into the next booth with his Foodland shopping bags...


a wholesome upper sukhumvit scenario...

Edited by tutsiwarrior, 2012-03-10 05:07:35.

[smokie36]

tutsiwarrior, on 2012-03-10 04:46:11, said:

Checkinn serving girl: 'and how would you like your steak sir?...'

smokie: 'well, you know, medium rare or there abouts but with a lot o'dem peanuts...nice fresh ones...'

serving girl: 'and would you like tabasco with your peanuts, sir?...'

smokie: 'nah...ketchup will do, ta...'

meanwhile, un-noticed, tutsi slides into the next booth with his Foodland shopping bags...

"I ordered two diet cokes in tall glasses just like you said tutsi...a few glugs of that voddy while they're none the wiser....

Did you get the noodle salad with extra chilli?"

[tutsiwarrior]

well...the grandson gave me some of his noodle salad last night and good it was too...but he can't speak english so I don't know where it came from...

alternating diet cokes sounds like a good idea but doubtful if from tutsi's provenance...the voddy sounds just right!...if paid for at the bar...cattoc has to know that we are good customers at the Checkinn and not lowlifes that sneak in the drink offa the street...

meanwhile on the pedestrian overpass around suk soi 5 kickin' over the small change cups with the beggars an takin' their money an' then: 'hey!, got enough fer a couple of rounds down soi nana...'...shouting: 'get back ye fraudulent scum...' at the beggars...

Edited by tutsiwarrior, 2012-03-10 06:03:53.

[smokie36]

Don't worry tutsi....cattoc knows we're big tippers...!

[cattoc]

were you there last night??,, I got in at Midnite... spent 70 minutes going through immigration coming back from Vietnam   aaarrrgh!

The steaks are still good (now 17% cheaper than the previous menu charges).... we increased the wattage of the restuarant lights from 5 to 15W!!... can see the tables now.

The Fabulous Filipino "Music of the Heart Band" is still there after 12 years (play evey night except a night off a month) and there are not many customers who walk in that Cherry can't greet by name....

[tutsiwarrior]

ah ha! with cattoc I knew that there was a Vietnam connection...maybe to open a hair dressing salon on the premises of the Checkinn...maybe to accommodate hottoc as well...'howzabout a hottoc?...'with onions and mustard?...'...'no, you silly, short back and sides...'

maybe a good addition to the menu...'chili hottoc: special grilled sausage on a home made roll with in house special chili...one way Vietnamese haircuts are allowed as a substitution...'

Edited by tutsiwarrior, 2012-03-10 22:13:20.

[cattoc]

Tutsi... you got it- they love my nickname!  !   Never had a sự cắt tócin Vietnam as I always get my การตัดผม on home turf - hmmm
I can just see it zing, zap, wham, bam, edgee, readee, go, go GOOOOOOOO. 'Hottoc99" an original Bangkok Cabaret Bar(ber Shop).  Lots of barbers chairs... but none of the lovely line-up in their cutsie LBDs (.....it does google for a meaning....) has a pair of scissors at hand...and you'll leave with the cleanest set of ears your had in years.

now .....Chris going back to the first post - maybe thats what you want from a good bar!