The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations

By Chris Schneider, The Bar Business CoachBusiness Arts Marketing Food Management

The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations episodes

June 29 Why Your Bar P&L Is Not Just A Monthly Report Card
Your P&L is not a monthly report card.
It is where your bar shows you what is getting expensive.
Most owners look at net profit and think they understand the month.
They do not. Net profit tells you the result.
It does not tell you where the problem started.
In this episode, I break down how to read your P&L like an operator, including prime cost, gross profit, net profit, operating expenses, and the timing issues that make your numbers confusing.
Because strong sales do not always mean a healthy bar.
And if you only check the numbers after the month ends, you are already late.
Your P&L should not just tell you what happened.
It should show you what to fix next.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
15 min
June 24 Why Your Bar Revenue Looks Good But Your Margins Tell A Different Story
Your bar's P-Mix is where every margin problem hides.

Two bars with the same sales can earn completely different profit.

Here's how to read yours and fix it.

In this episode I break down what your P-Mix (product mix) really measures, how to pull it from your POS, and the 5 cuts that reveal the most about your margins: category mix, day parts, server performance, slow movers, and pour size.

Each one points to a decision you can make this week.

If you run your bar on revenue and gut instinct alone, you're flying blind.

The numbers behind your sales are where the profit lives.

📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
17 min
June 22 Bar Marketing That Works Without Spending a Dime
Want more bar customers without spending a dime on ads?
This is the local partnership system that fills your bar with regulars on autopilot.

In this episode, Chris Schneider breaks down how to build business-to-business partnerships that send guests your way every week.

No discounts. No contracts. No giant ad budget.

Just real relationships with the businesses already sitting in your trade area.

You will learn the 5 best partnership types for bars, how to pitch them without feeling awkward, and the simple "industry appreciation tour" that turns other bar staff into your biggest promoters.

One good hotel relationship can send you 500 guests a year. Here is how to go get it.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
10 min
June 17 How to Build a Training Program That Actually Sticks
Most bar training programs do not fail because the material is bad.
They fail because there is no system.
In this episode, Chris breaks down why handing someone a binder, recipe book, or checklist is not the same as training them.
He walks through the three biggest gaps most bars have: knowledge, product, and accountability.
Then he explains how to build a training structure around the first week, the first month, and ongoing development.
If your staff has the material but still does not know the standard, the problem is not the binder.
It is the system behind it.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
16 min
June 15 How to Fix Guest Complaints Before They Become Bad Reviews
Most unhappy guests will never complain. They will just leave.
And if your team is not paying attention, you may not know there was a problem until the review shows up or the guest never comes back.
In this episode, Chris breaks down how to spot guest issues before they are spoken and how to handle complaints in the moment.
Because a guest who complains is not always the problem.
Sometimes they are giving you one last chance to fix it.
If your team is not reading the room or asking better questions, you are probably missing patterns that cost you repeat business.
Bad nights happen. But bad nights handled well can become loyalty stories.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
9 min
June 10 How to Increase Perceived Value in Your Bar
When guests say your bar is too expensive, they may not be talking about price.
They may be talking about value.
In this episode, I talk about perceived value: the gap between what guests pay and what they feel they received.
We break down where guests form that value judgment, from your Google profile and first 90 seconds to your menu, staff language, physical touch points, table checks, and send-off.
Because price is just the number on the menu.
Value is the story your whole bar tells before, during, and after the visit.
If guests are coming in less often, spending less, or saying things feel too pricey, this episode is for you.
Your prices may not be the problem.
Your value signals might be.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
23 min
June 08 Why Google Reviews Matter for Bar Marketing
Your Google reviews are not just nice to have.
They are one of the biggest reasons new guests choose you over the bar down the street.
In this episode, I talk about why most bar owners wait for good reviews to happen instead of building a system that makes them happen.
We break down when to ask for reviews, how to train your team to ask, why personal invitations work better than QR codes, and how to respond when a bad review shows up.
If your regulars love you but your Google profile does not show it, this episode is for you.
Good reviews do not happen by accident.
You need a system.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
10 min
June 05 Party of Six: The Secret to Scaling Hospitality Brands Without Losing Their Unique Local DNA
This month, we are joined by special guest Willie Rosenthal of Gin & Luck.
Discover the incredible journey of Willie Rosenthal as he transforms a single cocktail bar into a global hospitality empire with Gin & Luck.

Learn how maintaining core values and embracing local cultures have been key to their success. Willie shares insights on leadership, innovation, and the strategic decisions that have driven their growth.

Uncover the secrets behind their unique approach to brand expansion, team building, and customer engagement. Find out how they navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the competitive hospitality industry.

Tune in to gain valuable advice for hospitality professionals and entrepreneurs looking to scale their brands while staying true to their roots.
Panelists:
Willie Rosenthal - Gin & Luck (Death & Co, Close Company)
Minakshi Singh - Sidecar, The Brook, India Bartender Show
Dave Nitzel - Dave and Dave Consulting, Barmetrix
Cliff Crider - Truck and Tap, Stinger Compliance
Chris Schneider - The Bar Business Coach, The Bar Business Podcast
Gin & Luck Website - https://www.ginandluck.com/
Gin & Luck Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ginandluck/
Death & Co Website - https://www.deathandcompany.com/
Death & Co Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/deathandcompany
Close Company Website - https://www.closecompanybar.com/
Municipal Grand Hotel Website - https://municipalgrand.com/
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
1 hr 33 min
June 03 Opened a Bar With No Staff and No Experience with Harald Plok
What happens when a regular ends up running the bar?
In this episode, I talk with Harald Plok about taking over Turtle House Sports Bar in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
He had no real bar experience.
He kept his 9-to-5.
He renovated the place himself, dealt with the legal side, rebranded the bar, opened it solo, and worked it seven days a week.
We get into what it takes to build a bar community from scratch, how he learned cocktails on the fly, why he focuses so hard on making guests feel welcome, and what changed when he finally started hiring help.
If you have ever thought, “I could run a bar,” this episode will show you what that actually looks like.
It is not cute.
It is work.

📌Connect with Harald and Turtle House Sports Bar:
Website: https://www.turtlehousebg.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtlehouseplovdiv/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584712465618
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
32 min
June 01 Why Bad Bar Scheduling Is Driving Up Your Labor Cost
High labor cost does not always mean you have too many people.
Sometimes your people are just scheduled at the wrong time.
In this episode, I talk about why bar labor cost is often a scheduling problem, not a headcount problem.
Your sales do not move evenly through a shift.
But your labor usually does.
That mismatch is where labor percentage starts getting ugly.
We break down how to read your sales curve, spot the ramp, peak, and tail, and schedule your team based on when the money is actually coming in.
If cutting staff is your only labor strategy, this episode is for you.
Because the goal is not fewer people.
It is the right people at the right time.
📌Start Here
Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation.
An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business.
Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use.
🔴Join here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

📌Additional resources
🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/
9 min

About The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations

From the publisher's feed

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