Understanding the Bar and Restaurant Business
Bachelor's
Congratulations! You’ve entered the ivy halls of discovering how to open a successful craft beer bar, wine bar business, or restaurant that sells adult beverages. Classes begin right away, so there’s no time to sit back and socialize on campus. Instead, you’ll want to dig into the books and start planning!
It doesn’t matter what kind of bar you want to open. You’re going to have to go through the basic steps that almost all successful business owners follow. From site visits to design decisions, our curriculum has you covered. Read on to begin developing the framework for your area’s next big bar, and download our checklist below to learn how to successfully get started when opening a self-pour venue!
Opening a self-pour venue checklist
Site visits and inspiration
This is perhaps the most fun homework assignment you’re going to have as you uncover how to open a bar. Basically, you need to hang out at as many bars and restaurants, as you can, to gather inspiration and information.
You don’t have to stick to any special type of bar or taproom, and you shouldn’t limit yourself to the ones in your town. Go on road trips and check out other eateries and bars to see what they’re doing well and what they’re not.
When you’re on these inspirational visits, make notes of how customers respond to different elements of the bar. Do they seem to be annoyed by lagging server effectiveness? Do they love using amenities like an old-fashioned jukebox or air hockey table? Try to find at least one place with a self-pour beer wall, just to see how it works in action.
