Mardi Gras Has Grown and So Has the Potential for Profit

By Taylor Rau

Beads, booze and bon temps add up to big business for bar owners. Centuries of revelry have only enhanced, not exhausted, the relationship between these festive fun factors and the celebration of Mardi Gras.

Just ask those owners across the country that make the most of Mardi Gras through promotions, marketing and having an outright party atmosphere for patrons before Lent. Chances are, they'll attest that of all the celebrations, Mardi Gras can be the largest, most profitable and best of the year.

Every Day

“Our saying is, ‘115 Bourbon Street is where Mardi Gras is every day,'” says Theresa O'Rourke, director of community relations and special events for 115 Bourbon Street in Chicago, Ill. Though the family-owned, 40,000-square-foot entertainment complex's theme and reputation revolve around the time-tested tradition of Mardi Gras 365 days a year (its interior design places patrons quite realistically on New Orleans' Bourbon Street), O'Rourke says its revenue-earning potential for staff truly peaks when Fat Tuesday arrives. Crowds of 3,000 are typical in the days building up to the event, O'Rourke says, and through special planning, which usually begins at the end of October, there is something there for everyone.

For the entire month of November, 115's staff participates in Anheuser-Busch/Budweiser's Party Gras promotion, wherein the atmosphere is kicked up a notch through decoration and giveaways are abundant. O'Rourke says one good example is “Deeds for Beads.” When customers perform a special DJ-announced act, such as quoting their best pickup line, serenading a staff member, improvising a cheer with Bud Light in it, or dancing like their favorite boy band, they're rewarded with special beads to collect in preparation for Mardi Gras time.

To date, O'Rourke says traffic has increased and the promotion has been a great success.

“It just fits in totally with our theme,” she says.

Contagious Creole Promotion

This Creole celebration is made more contagious through events that bridge age gaps among guests, such as hosting a free-to-the-public parade and party the weekend before Fat Tuesday. Clowns, costumes, stilt walkers and caricature artists can be found at the club then, in addition to pony rides, a food buffet and goodie bags for kids. An important element, O'Rourke says, is including families in the festivities and broadening the bar's horizons –– the more, the merrier.

“Because of where we're set up (in Chicago),” she says, “we give back to the community.”   And who says giving back has to be boring? 115 Bourbon Street's staff all dress up in ornate costumes to heighten the atmosphere, which also is something O'Rourke says garners repeat guests who look forward to seeing the next year's production or whose kids delight in the authentic atmosphere.

The ensuing Fat Tuesday also entices crowds in excess of 3,000 (who pay an average $5 cover) throughout the day and night. O'Rourke says their No. 1-selling Hurricanes are prepared on Monday in 25-gallon jugs and put into the pour taps as well as the frozen machines. Typically, 4,000 Hurricanes are sold.

Perhaps a close second in sales is Jim Beam Gator Juice, a green concoction she says creates quite a buzz among patrons. Miller Lite and Corona also sell well then, in part because of their logoed beads. The reps are always anxious come Mardi Gras, she says.

“Not only do they want to contribute to our parties, but they want to come in and participate."

O'Rourke also brings in a local high school Jazz band and they perform "Dixie Land" music and bring in their own masks.  

“People cheer and follow them around … from there, we'll bring in another band or DJ to keep the kids dancing.” The pre-Fat Tuesday festivities for all typically last four to five hours, she says.

Ripple Effects

In New Orleans, the epicenter of all that is Mardi Gras, veteran revelers also have been emphasizing the beneficial ripple effects of including families in the fun. Laura Claverie, editor of neworleansonline.com and media relations for New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., says she has seen a movement back to the roots of the festival, and club and bar owners would be wise to consider opening their doors a little wider.

“Mardi Gras is a time of year when you can basically find whatever you want in terms of fun,” Claverie says. One trend she observes is more outdoor activity around venues rather than inside them necessarily –– people barbecuing, coordinating costumes in groups –– even constructing eight- to 10-foot ladders with seats on top so children can catch more beads from their elevated position.

Of course, the hardcore Bourbon Street crowds are always present too, she says.

While New Orleans has hosted this tradition for more than 300 years, Claverie says attention to detail and enthusiasm for Zydeco, debutante balls, floats, costumes and accessories such as King Cakes is alive more than ever. The good news for owners is that they can capture the essence of this and bring it to their doorstep, she says.

In terms of giveaways, Claverie also says she now sees more creative “throws” distributed to crowds and venue guests, such as Frisbees, stuffed animals in the form of parade icons –– even panties. Additionally, while beads are a given, their complementary gold doubloons are giving way to logoed cups and Moon Pies in popularity.

“People are really into these creative throws (here),” she says.

Piquing Profit

At another Bourbon Street, roughly 1,200 miles from the one in New Orleans, owner Jason Gelfand says his New York City venue is successful because of Mardi Gras and mostly because it is different.

“We've been established as maybe one of four (Mardi Gras-themed) bars in New York City, out of, what, maybe thousands (of bars)?” Gelfand says. “And I'd say we're definitely the longest running. We've been here for eight years.” And in “bar years”, the benefits of Mardi Gras from an owner's perspective have become overwhelmingly lucrative in terms of revenue and reputation, he says. The extensive collection of women's undergarments behind and around the bar is an example of the festive popularity in the Big Apple.

Each year, Gelfand says the time period leading up to Fat Tuesday builds heavy traffic, and the heavyweight holiday itself runs with the best breaks.

“It ranks up there with New Year's Eve, Halloween and St. Paddy's Day.”

Although Bourbon Street's legal capacity is 165, Gelfand says chairs, tables and stools are removed for Fat Tuesday, and even before 3 p.m. hopeful guests are lined out the door. Throughout the day, staff has counted crowds numbering 800-1,000.

Admission is free before 8 p.m. to encourage early arrivals, and then a cover charge ensures cost maximization from crowds and covers costs of beads, decorations, etc.  

Popular sellers are Bacardi-prepared signature Hurricanes, Bud Light and –– especially around the peak of Fat Tuesday –– Abita labels, which Gelfand says are authentic New Orleans products ideal for piquing local New Yorkers' interest.

For the Masses

What about the demographics? Gelfand supports Claverie's observations that Mardi Gras is becoming much more popular among an older clientele.

“It's almost like the Jazzfest crowd has embraced Mardi Gars,” he says. “…It's definitely been a learning curve, but Mardi Gras has grown. It's not so much of an obscure holiday anymore –– practiced by college kids. Now you can see everyone enjoying it.”