Getting People in a Pub on a Friday

[flipflop104]

My mate's got a pub. He's only just taken it over and he's doing well most nights of the week except he's struggling to get people in on a Friday!!!

It's near a village centre that is VERY busy on a weekend but it's not quite close enough that people will walk to it (all the other pubs up the road are the type where you walk out of one and straight into another hence they don't bother going down to his).

His pub clientelle is couples rather than singles and it's on a Friday that all the singles tend to go out and the couples tend to go out on Saturdays and Sundays.

So, he has no probs gettng the punters in on a Saturday and Sunday BUT can anyone think of some good ideas to either lure the singles down the road to his pub on a Friday night or to lure the couples out on a Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday.

He has a disco on Fridays and Karaoke on Saturdays. Sundays he has football on in the afternoon and a singer on in the evening. Wednesday he has a quiz night. And he has darts and dominoes on a Tuesday as well.

He doesn't have a pool table as it will attract all the just-turned 18 crowd who'll turn up to play pool but buy only a couple of drinks all night.

Any ideas, people......

And thanx in advance

[naz_nomad]

Jump the gun and make it non-smoking before everybody else ...

[sophieb]

race night, Stars in their eyes, Blind Date, karaoke competition with prize money(heats to be held on a friday instead of saturday), Mr&Mrs, 70s/80s fancy dress disco, barbecues(summer obviously if there is room outside), perhaps some cheapish food (chilli, pasta etc)provided on these nights-good if the singles are heading elsewhere after. Probably not a good idea for any of these to be weekly events- once a month to start with but if you can get them in the door initially and its a fun night you can bet on some of them returning!

[Champagne]

Promote something at the pub which will entice women. Happy hour on cocktails, buy one get one free on wine or something similar. If he can entice the girls then the men will follow.

Not too helpful I know, but for the life of me I can't think what lures me and my girlfriends to certain bars!!!

[vehelpfulguy]

How about a speed dating evening.

My daughter worked for a speed dating company and they were great fun.

Give the ladies padlocks and the men keys and ask the men to go round and find the right padlock.

Have 1 minute speed interviews.

Take polaroid pictures and pin them to the wall.

All sorts of things you can do.

[BBWCHATT]

How about a drawing for a couples only weekend vacation at a B & B somewhere within driving distance.

Drawing for a fancy dinner for two delivered to their home and served to them there.

Just think of a different couples drawing every Friday night - you can make them for whatever fits your budget.

[flipflop104]

BBWCHATT - what is "drawing" (apart from a pencil on paper and doodling)???
You'll have to explain further - I don't get it. (apologies for my ignorance/stupiness).

Thanx for all the other replies - I'll suggest them to him.

[BBWCHATT]

Sorry Flip - you guys have made me so comfortable on this little website that I sometimes forget that I am in the USA and you guys are in the UK!!!

A drawing is hmmm - how to explain it.

Have everyone who comes in write their name, etc. on a piece of paper (or you can use duplicate preprinted numbers) - and put them in a box or a big bowl or any container of your choosing. At the end, you have someone close their eyes or get blindfolded - or some way to keep them from seeing a particular name or number - and reach in and pull out the winner. Such a simple thing - but more difficult to explain than I thought it would be:)

[flipflop104]

Oh thanx for the explanation - I see. :o)

in the Uk we call it a raffle - see you learn something new every day (we both have)

[BBWCHATT]

I learn lots of things here on AB Flip!!!

Here in the USA, when we say raffle, we mean the exact same thing as a drawing, except you have to pay for the opportunity to participate - usually just a dollar or two though - hey! he might like that idea even better :)

[BBWCHATT]

Flipflop - Give us an update please - did you solve your friend's Friday night problem? Curious minds need to know:) Ok, so I am just nosy:)

[flipflop104]

Update: He dropped the disco on a Friday night as it wasn't pulling loads of people in and now has Rugby showing on a big screen - it's doing really well. Occasionally he will have a singer on and that tends to pull people in as well because he does it quite rarely.