Please offer your advice

[Colleen]

My husband and I have been thinking of opening a night club in Ybor City, Florida. I am trying to find as much information about opening/operating/managing a night club because I have no experience. Does anyone know of a book that I could purchase that would help make me understand what I am getting myself into? A random question that I have is there is a night club for sale that was closed due to violence/underage drinking/noise complaints, and I was wondering if it would be a death wish to open a club at a location that has received negative publicity? Does anyone know of any websites that could help me get an idea of costs of furniture, lighting, liquor, liquor licenses? I am sorry in advance if the questions in this thread cause you to yell at your computer monitor. Any suggestions (even harsh suggestions) would be very helpful and appreciated.

[scott1988]

Sometimes I like to yell at my computer anyway because I get lonely but that's just me. Just kidding.

If you talk to Chris who's name on here is Excellent Bars or go to their website here: http://www.excellentbars.com/ he should be able to help get you steered in the right direction.

At the very least, they have one book that focuses on this industry. It's not the only one but definately a good place to start.

One thing I would do is recommend the same thing that others will and that is to look at a lot of the threads or comments on here already that ask the same question "how do I start a bar with no experience" and also get at least one, if not two, books on how to start a business and gain a lot of knowledge about starting a business. Although reading can suck for some, you really need to somehow cram as much knowledge into your head as possible to help you out in this industry.

Also, maybe even trying to work at a place as a server or bartender for 3 or 6 months would at least help you get an idea about some of the issues that can, and do, arise in a bar or restaurant. Experience is always better than schooling. The best "knowledge" is always gained from doing rather than reading.

Once you've got a few things down, ask some specific questions and we'll be glad to help you out. That's what this site is all about. Everybody helping everybody. Good luck with your venture no matter what. Keep a positive attitude and STAY MOTIVATED NO MATTER WHAT.

Oh yeah almost forgot, I have seen a few different businesses attempt to reopen in a club that had a bad reputation and they didn't do so well. However, I think that it had more to do with their concept, management, and money. They tried to come in and do too much of the same thing. Not so good. I definately think it's possible to change the image of a previous place and have also seen that happen as well. It's very dependant on what YOU make of the place and how YOU manage it. Manage it right, and you will be fine. Make sure it's in the right location for the type of clientelle you want as well. Sometimes no matter what you do, it's simply the wrong theme in the wrong area. There was just a thread on here a few weeks ago asking the same question about overcoming an image problem. Check it out here: http://www.nightclub-business.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5254

Hope this helps. Welcome aboard.

[walawdog]

If you want some books that are going to cover typical concepts, get Chris's book (Excellentbars) and also, there is a "Dummies Guide" to running a restaurant/bar that is very helpful. It does focus more on the restaurant aspect of things, but it has useful information on running the bar portion, as well as other things you will need to know, like staffing, stock management, accounting, things like that. If you buy a place that had a bad reputation, I think you are adding one more strike against yourself that you probably don't need.

[Oxrock]

By Allan Just Allan http://www.nightclub-business.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1180

Read from beginning to end like a book. I bought my bar around the same time. In Pensacola Fl. Just a bar. Not a nightclub. Florida Liquor license very in price by county. Around here they go for 100k. Some counties over 500k. Beer/wine only licenses are very inexpensive.

[rootsreality]

Read all you can. Talk to as many other bar owners as possible and get their take on the rewards and issues of the business (you might even find one interested in selling). Go to local bars and clubs to see what they have done. Pay attention to the brands of liquor that they are selling, price structures, how they track sales (cash register vs POS), their promotions and entertainment, etc. I did this by entering notes in my cell phone as I sipped a drink.

As for changing a bars image, it can be done but you'll need to make drastic changes in atmosphere, management, and target clientele.

Find someone with plenty of experience to help you manage the place. It is best if your entire staff has previous bar experience, at least when you first start. They can contribute helpful details on how bars that they previously worked dealt with certain situations. Take it all in, but don't be afraid to try other ideas if you think there might be a better way.


Additional Book Suggestions

Running a Bar for Dummies
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Dummies-Business-Personal-Finance/dp/0470049197/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206267673&sr=8-1

Professional Bar & Beverage Managers Handbook
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Bar-Beverage-Managers-Handbook/dp/0910627592/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3

The Upstart Guide to Owning and Managing a Bar or Tavern
http://www.amazon.com/Upstart-Guide-Owning-Managing-Tavern/dp/1419535536/ref=pd_sim_b_img_4

Start & Run a Money Making Bar
http://www.amazon.com/Start-Run-Money-Making-Bruce-Fier/dp/0830642463/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Start Your Own Bar and Club
http://www.amazon.com/Start-Your-Own-Club-Startup/dp/1599180456/ref=pd_sim_b_img_9

The Complete Idiots Guide to Starting and Running a Bar
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Starting-Running/dp/1592576966/ref=pd_sim_b_img_8

Have fun!

[scott1988]

Rootsreality,
Excellent, excellent suggestions. There are some in there that I may look into getting. Great ideas.

One other thing I would add is to watch a few of these videos on this site: http://www.trainingvideosdirect.com/

I definately recommend the one that's called "Give 'em the pickle". A great video and it's only about 15 minutes long. Also, watch "the guest". I watched about 6 videos from this site and didn't know that they had more at the time. The nice thing was that they all were not that long (between 15-25 minutes) and were very informative. Plus, the good thing is that they weren't boring like most videos.

Judging by the few videos I watched at the time, I would definately take the time to look at the categories on the right and choose a few videos that you think you might need to help you out. I definately would say they would be worth your time. I will probably go back and tryo to look at a few.

One other thing to think about is that I went to the library to use these videos for FREE. Just something to think about.

[rootsreality]

Scott1988

I am not familiar with those videos. I checked the catalog of my local library and they did not offer them. Then I tried "WorldCat" - www.worldcat.org - it is a huge compliation of catalogs from many different libraries. Lo and behold, the library in a town about 15 miles away has the series. I'll either go there myself or maybe even have my local library order it via "interlibrary loan". That's a service offered by many libraries to temporarily get material that they don't own. It is very helpful when you live in a small town with limited library facilities.

Thanks
Barbara