Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

You have two separate goals that may conflict a bit, but I think you can pull it off.

The first one is getting parents at their kids games. For this audience, don't market it as a bar or a pub. You want to focus on the family. Chuck E. Cheeses served beer so that dads would be more inclined to take their kids there, but they never called themselves a bar. If you position yourself as a bar, some parents may worry what the other moms and dads will think or say, "...who's the lush going up for a few drinks instead of watching the kids play?"

Draw the whole family upstairs with a family-focus approach to your marketing, menu, and décor (if you can). Offer kids meals and areas where kids can be themselves without causing a problem. Parents are so busy these days. If they can get a fast meal (with drinks of course) and at a reasonable price before or after the game, they will see the value and become customers and start integrating you into their plans and lifestyle.

For the second goal of being a neighborhood bar, you have to be involved with the community and plan activities and events that will attract the local community. The typical draws are entertainment, specials, and community events. As an example, I was at a bar last week less than a mile from my home that I had never been to before, but they held a local event to raise money for a child with cancer. I guarantee they picked up dozens of new customers, including me.

The two pieces of advice may seem a bit conflicting, but you can be both. TGI Friday's used to be just a pick-up bar when they first opened, now they are a family restaurant as well (of sorts).

Best of luck, Johnny B.
if you like the advice, read the blog: https://bit.ly/75KkSG

As a Pittsburgh native, the name PISA Pub may be just fine- one of the local slang pronounciations of da Burg, is Pissaburg.

Drinking and driving with kids-- especially hauling someone else's kids is often an issue. Even in Pittsburgh-- where after being gone a few years -- I forgot how popular "boiler makers" are -- at lunch. A local gal pal sent my hubbie a T Shirt-- Pittsburgh is a drinking town with a football problem".

Local liquor laws may have issues with some free beer promos. So tread softly.

Tap your beer and wine reps. They have very deep pockets and can help with promos. Their job is to sell -- and helping make you successful pulls thru sales for them.

Sell Well and Prosper tm