Pick the night, and stick with it
Choose your slowest reasonable evening, often Tuesday or Wednesday. Commit to at least four or six weeks. A one-off rarely tells you anything, because a regular event takes time to catch on.
Promote it to people who aren’t already customers
- Social posts with a clear time and hook: “Tuesday Night Sparks, 7 p.m., free to join.”
- Local event listings and neighborhood groups.
- A note to local singles or social groups who might want a night out.
- A sign on your door in the week before.
Keep it simple for staff
Your staff shouldn’t have to host. They need one sentence (“Scan the code, then light your flare”), and to know who’s in charge if anyone has a problem. Tell them to keep an eye out for anyone being bothered, as they do on any other night.
Keep the room right
Keep music low enough to talk over, keep some standing room near the bar, and keep the lights down. A special drink helps. A cheap one helps more. Everything else about your night can stay as it is.
Check what it’s doing for you
Compare the night’s sales with the same night in previous weeks. Check after a few weeks, not after one. Note how many people came because of the event, and whether they come back on other nights.
We can’t promise it’ll bring in customers, and neither can anyone else selling you an event format. It’s easy to test, though, and that’s the point.
Running it with Flare
One person starts the event on their iPhone and puts the live code on a screen behind the bar. Guests scan in with their own phones, answer your questions, and get introduced to someone who wants to meet them. Phones can rest on the bar with a clear glass on top, if your guests like the idea, and the light catches it nicely. Take care with phones and drinks.
It costs $79.99 for up to 50 guests, once, and you can bring back the same setup next week with Run this event again. Try a free 10-person rehearsal with your regulars first.
You remain responsible for your room, including age checks, as you are on any other night. Flare is for adults only, and it doesn’t verify anyone’s identity.