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

Why are so many bar owners making good money… but still ending every month with nothing left?

Most bar owners think the answer is more sales, more customers, more volume… but that’s actually the slowest and most expensive way to fix a profit problem.

Instead, this episode focuses on building a forward-looking budget that actually controls your cash and locks in profit first.

From breaking your revenue into real categories to setting cost percentages that flex with your sales, you’ll learn how to stop reacting and start making decisions that protect your margins.

If you’re a bar owner who’s tired of working nonstop and still not seeing real profit, this will show you how to finally take control of your numbers.

📌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/ 

Why are so many restaurants busy… but still not making enough money?

In this episode, we break down a simple but overlooked strategy that can increase your revenue in as little as 48 hours without more customers, more marketing, or more traffic.

Most bar and restaurant owners are stuck chasing new customers, thinking that’s the only way to grow. But in today’s market, that’s the slowest and most expensive move you can make.

Instead, this episode focuses on a smarter approach: increasing how much each guest spends.

From optimizing your guest check average to using simple psychological triggers inside your service and menu, you’ll learn how small shifts can drive immediate profit without raising prices or changing your concept.

If you're a bar owner, restaurant operator, or hospitality professional who feels busy but underpaid, this episode will show you exactly where your money is leaking and how to fix it fast.

📌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/ 

How can a bar succeed without Instagram, social media marketing, or online promotion?

In this episode, hospitality operator Ethan Brown of Ernie’s Boondock, a multi-location bar concept, operates with no Instagram, no social media marketing, and almost no online presence.

Instead of relying on digital marketing, Ernie’s focuses on something most bar operators overlook: culture, staff, and community experience

Ernie’s started in Des Moines and expanded to Nashville while intentionally avoiding social media. The strategy focuses on creating a powerful guest experience through staff culture, lighting, music, and hospitality, turning customers into the marketing engine.

If you're a bar owner, operator, or hospitality professional trying to improve profitability and guest experience, this episode offers an entirely different perspective on marketing and operations.

📌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/ 

Most bar owners track sales, watch labor, and check their inventory.

But very few step back and ask a simple question:

Are you actually tracking your prime cost the right way?

Prime cost, the combination of labor cost and cost of goods sold, is one of the most important numbers in your bar. But many operators calculate it incorrectly or rely on inaccurate inventory numbers.

In this episode, we break down how prime cost actually works, the mistakes bar owners often make when tracking it, and how to start using it as a real management tool.

Because when you understand your bar prime cost, you can see problems earlier, whether it’s overstaffing, waste, overpouring, or rising vendor prices.

If you're a bar owner, hospitality leader, or restaurant operator, this episode will help you better understand one of the most important metrics behind bar profitability.

📌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/ 

Most bar owners spend years chasing better sales, better systems, and better data.

But very few stop and ask two uncomfortable questions:

Do you actually love your bar anymore?
And does your business still bring you joy?

In this episode we are talking about a topic most hospitality leaders avoid, the emotional side of running a bar.

Because when a bar owner stops loving their business, it shows up everywhere:
in leadership, in team culture, and in the guest experience.

This episode breaks down how mindset, leadership, and culture all start with the same foundation, whether or not you still care about the business you're building.

If you're a bar owner, hospitality leader, or restaurant manager, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership, burnout, and what it really takes to build a bar people love working in and visiting.

📌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/ 

What if the slowest hours in your bar could become some of the most profitable?

If your afternoons feel quiet and the seats sit empty until happy hour, you’re not dealing with a traffic problem, you’re dealing with unused revenue.

There’s a growing crowd of remote workers looking for a place to settle in, and your bar may already be the perfect fit.

In this episode, we break down the Work-from-Bar Pivot and show you how to turn slow afternoon hours into daytime sales and early happy hour momentum.

If you’ve been writing off the middle of the day, this episode might make you see your bar completely differently.

📌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/ 

Running a bar or restaurant right now isn’t just hard, it’s overwhelming.

Costs are up, regulations keep shifting, and somehow you’re still expected to master tech, lead a team, control inventory, and deliver unforgettable service at the same time. 

The truth? Most owners were never taught the business fundamentals before jumping in and the failure rate shows it.

In this episode, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla, hosts of the Late Night Restaurant Podcast, share what they’re seeing from the front lines of hospitality across Canada and beyond.

They break down government pressure, rising alcohol taxes, tech resistance, lack of execution, and why education (not hustle) is the real separator between operators who survive and those who shut their doors.

If you care about profitability, longevity, and building a bar or restaurant that doesn’t become another statistic, this conversation will challenge the way you think about running your business.

Connect with Jay and Domenic and check out the Late Night Restaurant Podcast 

👉 Jay Ashton – https://www.linkedin.com/in/canadasrestaurantguy/

👉 Domenic Pedulla – https://www.linkedin.com/in/domenic-pedulla-71605848/

👉 Late Night Restaurant Podcast – https://www.youtube.com/@LateNightRestaurantPodcast

📌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/ 

Your dashboard tells you what happened.
It doesn’t tell you why.

If revenue is slipping, labor is climbing, or regulars are quietly disappearing, your KPIs are showing symptoms, not causes.

In this episode, we break down The Human Audit, a simple 15-minute monthly system for bar owners to reduce staff turnover, improve guest experience, and protect profit by asking five direct questions.

You’ll learn:

• Why KPIs are lagging indicators
• The five questions to ask your team every month
• How to spot turnover risk early
• How to catch guest experience leaks before they cost you
• How to fix culture issues before they hit your numbers

If something feels off in your bar, this is how you figure out why.

📌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/ 

You’re spending money on ads… but your bar still doesn’t have real regulars.

The drinks are good. 

The vibe is solid. 

People come in once, and then you never see them again.

Because attention isn’t loyalty. And discounts don’t build attachment.

Today, we’re breaking down why a simple $50 hospitality move can outperform a $5,000 ad campaign and how to turn everyday service into moments people actually talk about.

If you’re tired of chasing new customers and ready to build the kind that stick, let’s get into 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/ 

Why are you paying for ads… but your bar isn’t getting talked about?

Your costs are controlled.
 Margins look healthy.
 The menu is optimized.

On paper, you’re doing everything right.

But great drinks aren’t marketing. They serve guests. They don’t create moments. And they won’t give people a reason to pull out their phones.

A small theatrical upgrade might increase cost.
 It might also increase perceived value, dwell time, and organic reach.

In this episode, we break down how to design a menu that markets your bar for you.

If your cocktails taste great but no one’s sharing them, this one’s for you.

📌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/