Scoping the Clientele Demographics for a Nightclub

1.    Scoping the Clientele Demographics for a Nightclub

            I have grown up in the club and restaurant industry my whole entire life.  Growing up I always dreamed about opening something up in south Florida, whether it be Fort Lauderdale or Miami.  But it was not until college that I saw and realized the great potential that Orlando has in the nightlife scene. UCF is one of the top 5 biggest colleges in the country and only growing.  After attending college in the UCF area for three years, I have noticed many trends that have been occurring among college students and the nightlife environment.  Musical trends such as House music and progressive dance beats have sworn the nightclub scene in Miami and have started making its way up north.  Clubs are now basing their design towards loud music and crazy lights for their guests. 

            There is definitely a market for nightclubs in Orlando especially close to the UCF campus.  Many college students find themselves driving a half hour away from campus or even taking busses to go downtown to get that true nightclub experience.  UCF students that choose to go out and stay local are subjected to run down dirty bars.  There are no places close to Orlando where you can dress up and go out to a club that has over the top lighting and sound fixtures a long with great acts and Dj’s.

            If maintained, and done right, there is a very lucrative potential in nightlife venues close to UCF.  There has been one other club that tried this approach and was very successful in the beginning.  Managerial issues and other factors led it to close and reopen as a bar, however I truly believe you cater to this new electronic music trend it can be quite the return on your investment.

References:

http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1685

http://nightclubpromotersguide.com/tips/nightclub-promoter-tips

choosing demographics

When designing a venue whether it be a bar or club, it is important to always remember where your location is and what you want your demographic to be.  Depending on the age groups that walk into your venue, it can have a dramatic difference in the overall look and feel for your venue.  You must always make responsible and careful decisions when choosing your demographic.  For instance, Orlando has many grungy gritty college bars out by UCF.  They attract a lot of business at night from college students from valencia and UCF.  The college bar scene in orlando can be very lucrative if done right.  There are over 65,000 students at UCF and every four years you have a flush of students.  The reason I bring this up is because though I love the idea of college bars and believe I could run one, where I wish to open my location would not be able to support a college bar.  Im looking into buying in a wealthy suburban area in south Florida.  The suburb is not filled with crazy college students, but rather middle aged wealthy families.  A grit grunge bar would fail miserably here where as in orlando be extremely lucrative and well off.
IT is very important that the research is done before you fully design the concept of your venue.  You must have a strong confidence in your place so that it does attract that target market of clientele.
There is a strategic science in bar set up as well.  It is very important after establishing your target market you design the bar in a way that will attract them into steady business.  Everything from the bar hight to the shapes of the glasses will affect your target market.  The best route is to really study and establish the industry and what different age group get out of nightlife and then carefully design your venue to fit those needs.

References
http://nightclubpros.com/

Why bars fail so quickly

There are a lot of different factors as to why bars can close within months of opening.  Like in any business, poor manage will be the death of your company.  But aside from that, there are many other factors you must consider about this industry and understand how it can destroy your company.

Inventory is one of the most important things to stay up on.  Bars are very heavily cash based.  Also, you make a substantial amount of money off of liquor sales.  It is very easy for employees to steal from you if your are not keeping a strict inventory. It is important you monitor how much your bartenders are pouring based off your liquor count sheets at the beginning and end of every night.

Your design and idea is another crucial aspect to the longevity of your bar.  It is very important that you stay on top of your entertainment.  Bars get old very quick.  You must always give an edge to your place and have something that can draw customers into your place.  Make sure the mood is appropriate for your concept and brand.  A lot of business is relied on your overall brand.

Lastly is product.  At the end of the day your product must be the overall reason why people come in.  This can range all the way from the food you serve, to how the drinks are made.  There is a science in both and mastering your food and drinks will guarantee customer satisfaction which will be the driving force for the steady business.

References:

http://www.nightclub-business.com/forum/showthread.php?2484-What-Percentage-of-bars-fail-in-first-year

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/41460