Afternoon Delights

Speed Sales on Slow Days With Hit Appetizers


By Mike Phelan


There's no real trick to filling your bar on a Friday or Saturday night. Crowds flock to bar stools or dance floors looking for a good time and a cold drink on these nights. What separates a good bar from a great bar is the ability to attract patrons during downtimes, like a Tuesday afternoon.


While drink specials and trivia games are a good start to revitalizing slow times, don't forget that people like to eat, too. Offering an appetizer menu is a proven way to complement even the most extensive Happy Hour drink selection.


Afternoon Delights

Amy Bridges, corporate marketing manager for Clyde's Restaurant Group in Washington, DC, feels that appetizers play a pivotal role in Clyde's popularity. Clyde's has found success with its “Afternoon Delights” menu, a small selection of burgers, sandwiches and appetizers for around $4 for patrons at the bar only from four to seven p.m. In fact, the menu is so popular, it inspired a hit song in the late 1970s.


”Clyde's has never had a traditional Happy Hour in which we discount drinks,” Bridges says. “Clyde's has always had ‘Afternoon Delights.' Clyde's full menu is also offered at the bar at all times. Incidentally, Clyde's ‘Afternoon Delight' menu is what inspired the Starland Vocal Band to write their 1976 No. 1 hit of the same name. The gold record is hanging in the atrium dining room of Clyde's.”


Mix It Up

Popular lifestyles such as the Atkins or South Beach diets have very strict rules about what can and cannot be eaten. Instead of losing the business altogether, adapting your menu to suit their needs can not only help you keep the customers you have, but also win new customers from establishments slow to appease.


Bridges says Buffalo-style chicken wings and the crab and artichoke dip remain the most popular selections off Clyde's appetizer list.


Tom Gray, owner of Tommy's Nightclub in Seattle has found chicken tenders and quesadillas usually top his nightly list of best sellers. Every day during Happy Hour at Tommy's Nightclub, guests are entitled to a free appetizer with the purchase of a $10 pitcher of microbrew beer. Gray further increases his bar business with “Free Food Fridays,” where patrons receive a free appetizer after spending just $5 on drinks.


Gray says the benefits of that are quite obvious. “Appetizers let people drink more, because they are eating food too,” he says. “They give people a chance to come in get a quick snack with some cheap food.”


Other successful cross-promotions include pairing particular appetizers with certain drinks. Serving Margaritas with chips and salsa is a very good fit, much like hot wings and a pilsner glass of draft beer. Buy One, Get One Free appetizer promotions can also encourage larger groups, whereas loyalty cards can help build a solid customer base.


Social Food

Barry's Nightclub in Warick, R.I., offers a complementary appetizer buffet at midnight on Saturdays. Maddie's in Frazer, Pa., has found success offering the same Friday nights.


Sean Kenyon, general manager at B-52 Billiards in Denver, says chicken tenders, Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks are far and away the most popular items off his appetizer menu. He believes the lower prices associated with appetizers contributes to their popularity.


“The cost of appetizers is fairly low compared to a full order of food,” Kenyon says. “But appetizers can also help keep them here and keep them buying drinks. People are more likely to stick around and socialize with appetizers.”


Bridges feels the appetizers can sometimes serve as “impulse buys” for those patrons who initially stopped by for drinks.


“Offering our full menu to bar guests allows people who would traditionally just be having drinks to eat at the bar,” she says. “It makes the bar fill up at off-peak hours and promotes responsible drinking.”


Many states have laws in place requiring bars to offer a food menu to patrons, even if it is limited to smaller portions. For the most part, those enjoying a few after-work drinks just want to snack on something before heading home to eat.


“During Happy Hour, we rarely sell a full plate of food — it's mostly appetizers,” Gray says. “Unless people are in to eat dinner or to watch a ball game, they're probably just going to eat an appetizer.”


Appetizers may be little, but they can have a big impact on your bottom line. Higher ticket totals mean more money for both you and your servers. That translates into an elevated level of staff morale, creating a more enjoyable experience for your guests.


“Appetizers hold crowds longer and you can really see it on your bottom line,” Kenyon says. “They really help to keep your check averages up, which really benefits everybody.” NCB