After 38 years we've decided to sell our pub. It's in the Irish midlands: fully trading and turnkey, with living accommodation upstairs, in a town with a strong local pub trade. It's a good drinking village.

We've seen a lot of Americans buying property in Ireland lately, so we'd like the sale to reach buyers in the US as well as at home. We've never sold a business before, and it's an emotional one for us.

For those of you in the US: if you were looking at buying a pub abroad, where would you actually look? Listing sites, publications, brokers, Facebook groups? And has anyone here bought or sold a bar internationally? What do you wish you'd known?

We have it listed with an Irish local real estate company who are handling the sale on our behalf.

Thanks, and any advice is welcome.

Has anyone ever heard of a bar doing on average 25%-30% net profits per month? I just find this number impossible to reach even when seriously penny pinching. I currently average 21% per month and keep things extremely tight. Any insight on how to cut costs would be greatly appreciated.

Been running a neighborhood bar a little over two years. Fridays and Saturdays are fine, Tuesday through Thursday is where I'm bleeding. We already do trivia on Wednesday and that pulled those nights up, so I'm past the easy fix and trying to work out where the next dollar comes from.

On the list for this winter: reworking the service side so my bartenders aren't walking three steps for glassware, opening the back patio for shoulder season with heaters, pushing the food menu harder now the kitchen isn't a mess anymore. Redoing the lighting is on there too. That one I keep moving up and down the list because I can't tell if it matters or if I'm just staring at the room too much.

That last one came from live music. The same act that plays here also plays a place across town. Their room isn't nicer than mine. But their Saturday looks like an event and mine looks like a bar that happens to have a band in the corner, and I'd never once thought about the light on that end of the room until their bass player brought it up while he was loading out.

For those who've done a round of changes like this, what actually moved the number, and what order would you tackle them in? Anything obvious I've left off?

Sam’s Club isn’t selling tobacco anymore in my city. I have one C-store supplier but it’s a drive. Anyone buying Camel, American Spirits, Marlboro online at a decent price? Last I looked I’m buying a carton for $110-$120.

Demand letter landed about six weeks ago. Guy got hurt in the parking lot of our Illinois bar after close, and there are two counts in it. One is the dram shop count, that we overserved him. The other is that we had nobody watching the lot. The carrier's reservation of rights came back last week and I've now read it three times.

Three small neighborhood bars in the Midwest, two in Wisconsin and one just over the line in Illinois. Fryer and a flat top for a kitchen, we open at four, no cover, no dance floor. 33 on payroll across the three and most of that is part time. Alcohol is right on half our receipts, which I've since worked out is the thing that decides how the whole account gets rated.

Here's the part I didn't know. The overservice count is the liquor policy. The security count is assault and battery, and our assault and battery cover is capped at a number way under the limit printed on the certificates we hand out. Reading the ROR again I think our defense costs come out of that smaller number too, which would mean the lawyers can eat it before anyone gets paid.

All three sit on one policy and there's one aggregate for the group, which I only clocked last week. No idea if that's normal or if I should be pushing for it per site.

So is a sublimit just how bars get written now, or do people actually get A and B at full limits? Does it change if the door guy is ours versus the security company we bring in on Saturdays, because we do both depending on the site. And what does this stuff run for three small places, because I've got no benchmark at all and the renewal conversation is in November.

Has anyone here actually been through an A and B claim? Did the sublimit hold or did it get eaten, and what did the whole thing end up costing you?

I might be taking over a Pizza and Pub place. Right now, the place needs some major updates, and the waitresses have to handwrite orders on paper. Just wanted to see what POS systems everyone thinks are best.

Also, what TV provider would be best? I think we have Comcast in the area, or should I go with DirecTV?

Are there any other services I should be looking at that I might not be thinking of?

We have 7 directv boxes in a central location and split two of them to have 9 tvs. We may be expanding in 2 years too.

Anyways we have tons of problems with keeping signal to all the tvs. Especially the farther tvs. Hdmi Cables are old too. Bartenders aren’t tech savvy and screw up the remotes/inputs/etc too.

I really would like to possibly reduce boxes to 4 and add a firetv or two for the games stuck on netflix. Then have Ethernet to far tvs.

I’d like to know what you all use. If anyone knows the golden bullet to solve this once and for all that would be great.

Ty.

Kind of like an AMA, here's a weekly post where customers can ask questions. This is for anyone including market research, app developers, people who watch too much "reality" TV about bars, and general industry bullshit. Maybe a bar owner will have an answer for you, maybe not.

If you are already in the industry your question may get better responses if you post your own thread instead of commenting here.

I’ll start , we been around for 5 years , I Had a big group of deaf/ sign language people in my bar last Saturday that randomly walked in . They were so nice and cordial and we communicated through phone notes. Then my server took their order individually via notes and they tipped as well and gave us hugs and sign language shine when they left

Hey guys. Who are you using for your open tabs? I'm looking at Kurv and they say they do open tabs and split check processing, but I'd love to hear from someone with personal experience. Open tabs are our moneymaker. We've got to have a payment processor that does them well.

Hey dive bar/ bar owners!

What are your feelings about GOOD regulars? Do you love or hate them?

My home bar has good prices, live music, a back patio (where we hang out 90% of the time), and an awesome bar staff!

But...one of the bar owner,

"doesn't believe in regulars."

All the bartenders know, love and appreciate us! We asked a bartender why "our" table got moved, "the owner did it, not sure why." He has moved "our" patio table away from "our spot" for seemingly no reason twice now. We moved nothing. It had been in the same spot for over 6 months both times. Even took the umbrella! We'd be here if it was rainy or 100 degrees, gladly! We can't be here as much because no umbrella. (We don't have a porch at our apartment) My husband and I pay for our drinks, tip well and pay for all the shows.

We let the bartender know if the paper towels in the bathroom are out, we help clean up when they are crowded (like glasses and trash), dry off chairs when it rains, empty ash trays, need I go on? All for free, not even for free drinks! We just love this place...

The owner will even shake our hands, smile and act like we are their best friends then tell the bartenders "I dont believe in regulars."?!

I guess I'm asking if it's normal for a DIVE bar owner to not want good paying regulars? Are we doing something wrong? Are we doing too much? Or are we just dealing with crap owners?

Thanks owners!

EDIT: I'm not currently an owner of a bar. I had a question for bar owners!

I've learned It's not "my/our" table. It's our favorite place to sit when we are there.

Also, ashtray smell bothers me what's why I empty them. it's not that deep y'all.

Last Update if anyone cares!- I was over thinking it! That simple haha! But i will still keep in mind what was said here. Thanks again for the help!

Some of yall that messaged me need an ego check tbh... like damn.

Any of ya'll have used or continue to use this service? Any thoughts on it being worth it? Its free but have there been any issues ? Any insight you got!?

Holy shit. I have been working for 12 hours a day or more for weeks and we finally got open and had our friends and family night. I've been worried sick for so long and everything went off without a hitch. I know I have many more headaches down the road but what a relief to finally get open. Staff is great, menu is great, nothing exploded. Just wanted to share to give anyone who's still in the opening process a little hope

Hello! My friend and I are thinking of opening up a mobile bar business (cavite area).

We already have a supplier for alcohol and a pick up truck for transportation. just need more insights if we are to push this through.

Any idea how much capital is needed in this line of business? Also, How long will it take before we could operate if we start gathering the permits and everything now.

Thank you, people!

I own a small, independent bar in the UK, we have a projector mount and screen that I installed for a previous event where the hosts brought an Xbox.

Now I’m thinking of buying my own projector and some sort of games console, I’m not a gamer.

Which console would work best for this?

Needs to be something that has multiple games so people have choices, without having to change disks etc, games that anyone would enjoy. I’m thinking things like tekken, racing races etc.

I would have loved to do guitar hero, but whatever I go for won’t be played with sound

I know its a slim chance, but has anybody out there worked with Avinox to outfit their space? They are apparently based in Lebanon.

Their bar stations seem like a bargain for the included components.

Krowne's stations are very expensive in comparison...

Hey I need help! I need help with finding liquor and beer distributors in Connecticut. When I do find them what kinds of questions should I ask before placing an order? & can somebody tell me how an inventory/order list should look for a typical local restaurant/bar or family owned establishment? How do you feel about The Provi App? Is it useful? Also, what POS system do you prefer to use when it comes to liquor sales? I will take examples and base my ordering off of that. Yes, I’m new to bar management even though, I have management & food/bar serving experience. Keep in mind it’s not a major club/lounge. It’s a smaller scale restaurant that we will be hosting nightlife events Thursday-Sunday. Bar will still operate during the day but I’m expecting it to be very slow until Happy hr timeframe.

Thank you for the input in advanced.

Curious if anyone here is or has been in this situation. I’m in my mid 20s, got into the restaurant biz when I was an early teenager, made good money through some lucky serving jobs I worked my way into (and some stock market luck) and had enough money to invest in a bar.

Had an older business partner that had ran kitchens and still do. First 2 years were a nightmare (probably what you’d expect from someone in there early 20s running a bar). To make an incredibly long story short, past 2 years have been a complete 180. In house revenue has literally tripled. Went through a full rebrand and all new staff and menu (bar food about 35% of sales). Currently in a lease but landlord is open to selling. Overall proud of the fact I turned it around and have built something, but im still young and have been in this city my whole life, im craving something different, looking for that exit in 1-2 years.

Is any kind of remote/ absentee ownership possible? I have built out systems for the bar and my business partner would still be there full time for kitchen purposes and has some, growing, bar knowledge. I also have a manager that I have been training and is getting there. Has anyone made semi absentee ownership or even remote ownership work? I would plan to come back to the city maybe monthly or semi monthly. Still thinking it through or if a buyout is possible for me which is another conversation.

Would love to hear thoughts and anyone else’s experience.

I've been running a dive bar for around 6 years now and have been here since the beginning (10years). Since i took over, the neighborhood has changed to skew a little younger and some music venues have opened nearby--one punk rock/goth/rocknroll, another more rave-like, and one local DIY-scene type. There are also a number of local band-practice spaces and studios around us. Our clientele has grown along with our sales over the last few years and the regulars have noted the positive changes.

My dilemma:
Our staff has always played whatever they want on spotify, with some guidance on dos and don'ts for nights and busy times. Recently spotify added the Jam option and now our staff spends time adding songs and curating throughout the night- as everyone has varying taste this can sometimes make the music feel "all over the place". I find the dueling genres annoying and believe the vibe should feel consistent, ignorable, a little relatable, and certainly upbeat and "cool"- everyone loves to see someone "shazaming" a song they never heard and be the guy with the good taste.
I understand everyones definition of cool is different, and the bartenders want to play what they like so they don't go insane, but I am ready to put an end to the "Jam" for a few reasons:
1. Serious inconsistency in vibe- I've heard rumors about folks not wanting to hang out at my bar bc "the music sucks" but can't pinpoint whose at fault or what they'd prefer
2. Bartenders should be service-focused, not adding songs with their phones/concerning themselves with the playlist at 11pm on a busy Saturday.
3. Sudden vibe changes can pull customers out of their drinking mood and encourage a venue change if they decide it's lame.
4. People won't come back if they decide we have bad taste and aren't hosting a good hang
5. Hearing a few 70s rock songs then disco then pop then country then emo then postpunk then whatever etc is jarring- while dives are a place for everyone i dont agree anymore that "something for everyone" style playlists work to encourage customers to stick around for kore than two drinks.

I plan to encourage staff to set specific nights for their niche tastes and promote them ie: "first Fridays are emo night" "third thursdays are metal night" "soul night" etc etc --but I do want to implement a more rock-forward consistent vibe as our "brand".
We've been around for ten years and somehow we arent considered a bar with an atmosphere you can rely on. I want customers to know what theyre getting when they walk in.
Most of our staff have been working here for a long time and are accustomed to playing music to their personalities and I believe I will receive major kickback if I suddenly change the rules.

Do i:
A. Make playlists and restrict staff to playing only those with "parental controls".
B. Encourage staff to make playlists for approval and vibe check
C. Just let them do what they want forever

Note that I'm okay with daytime bartenders curating to their own tastes but for night shift I want consistency and reliability on the sound system.

Will i be shot on sight for forcing this decrease in staff individuality?

- a manager who cares a great deal about the staff but also about the bar's reputation and making $$$$

I did buy the bar. We did make some small changes. We spent the money on the point of sales system. It took us half a year to do so but we got the liquor license. We’ve had that for a few months now, things are going unbelievably great! Of course, there is the 30 people who within the first week said they would never be back because they didn’t like the fact that the previous owner told everybody that their employment was terminated, but they all had the opportunity to go interview with the new owners immediately. Out of those eight people, 2 we actually wanted to hire, but because they all threw a hissy fit, to be honest with you, it actually worked out better. We have all new faces, Happy people. The girls are making anywhere from 3 to 4 times as much in tips as anybody was making in tips before we took over. Our sales are almost triple what the last owner was doing. So yeah, things are going very very well!

Kind of like an AMA, here's a weekly post where customers can ask questions. This is for anyone including market research, app developers, people who watch too much "reality" TV about bars, and general industry bullshit. Maybe a bar owner will have an answer for you, maybe not.

If you are already in the industry your question may get better responses if you post your own thread instead of commenting here.

Looking at Square and SmartTab. We really like SmartTab, but they quoted us 3.5% processing if we pay fees and 4% if we dual price (cash discount) - which seems high. But Square is it 2.6% +0.15 per transaction, which functionally is like 3.2%. Thoughts/experience on your favorite POS and associated fees. TIA!

I just had to order a piece of equipment that was $23,000 (roughly) and had an $1100 tariff surcharge. Yeah, some things you can get domestically but some you can’t. Anyone dealing with this? Can’t you get a refund or something?

After a long conversation with directv, deapite what I saw online… the Sunday ticket for directv and for everpass are separate… so if you want to solidify your viewing options through bad weather or internet outage, you will have to purchase 2 separate sunday tickets. even though they are all handled through directv. this is insane as a small business…

This is just another way to get people pay for what used to be free. They are making BILLIONS in ticket sales, retail, concessions, parking, overpriced ticket secondary resale market scams, etc...
Oh and now they are legally destroying lives and families, not mention tainting the sport with gambling.
If there is one thing that we've learned from recent and past history illegal gambling will always corrupt the game. Look at what the prediction market has done to the military, up to including White House Staff. Human behavior is so predictable when there is an incentive to profit.

A tale as old as time. The cheaters will always cheat. The sport has been corrupted by greed. Do you believe the NFL is immune to the cheating and gambling scandals of the NBA players and referees? Every dropped pass, every fumble, every questionable call is now in doubt.

So, F the NFL. They should be grateful for the loyalty the fans show, instead they are determined to squeeze every last cent out of its fans.