Mobile Bar, Bar Hosting, Bar Catering, Cocktail Catering- all these terms mean the same thing.
This concept entered the Philippine soil in the early 2000. A bartender would be hired to bartend in a house for a small party. And sometimes a group of bartenders would get hired for big events. Then for more convenience, some entrepreneurial bartenders thought of bringing the whole package right at your doorstep so that all you have to do is PARTY.
Nobody can claim that they are the BEST Bar host for it’s all a matter of preference, but there are some ways for one to be successful if not the best in this type of endeavor.
Here are some tips:
1. Bar Knowledge (Basic) – This is the very foundation to make your venture in bar catering succeed. Here are some of the things that you need to know:
Fermented- which would include wines and beers
Distilled –which would include rum, gin, vodka, tequila, whisky, brandy, and liqueurs
With knowledge of these now you need to know the different brands available in the market as well as their prices. Talking about liqueurs, it’s a tricky subject since there are lots of flavors available.
Then one must learn about the different bartending tools as well as their uses and where to buy them. You don’t need to buy the whole store, just the essentials.
Afterwhich, you need to know the different type of glasswares and choose which ones you really need for your outfit. Try to innovate.
And of course you really need to know how to mix cocktails. Although there are books, it is best that you enroll in short courses so that you may know how to execute these cocktails by learning the basic mixing procedures. You can inquire with us and we will teach you the right way.
Lastly, you need to be creative, as a mixologist, your palette should be accustomed to different flavors of beverages whether alcoholic or not. With added imagination you can whip up your own original concoction.
2. Strong Network – just like any business, this is very vital. you can start with your relatives, plan a small party and let them taste your creations. Afterwhich, you can contact friends, classmates, community, co workers, and eventually if they like your concoctions, your company will spread like a virus.
3. Marketing Strategies
Just like the 4 p’s of marketing –product, place, price, promotion, all these p’s are important.
Product – you can take pictures of your creations and make a brochure or post photos on fb or other network sites on the net. Actually, aside from your products, you should polish your service, and this would mean hiring well trained individuals. Your cocktails me be exquisitely thirst quenching, but if it is not served promptly then it would be useless. Service with a smile as well as attentiveness is also a valuable asset. Having experience is an advantage of your employee but you still have to train them so all of them would be in the direction that your company would like to go to.
Place – you can target your own neighborhood or you can target everyone. The question is…are you accessible?
Price – the bar catering businesses keep popping up like mushrooms. Try to check there prices and try to match it and be competitive. but remember, before you price, you have to be sure that your PRODUCT and SERVICE are full proof. Another tip is to have a good grasp of numbers so you know your way around pricing your packages.
Putting up this type of business, you would need around P50,000 – P70,000 to get you started.
So that’s basically what you need to be a competitive bar caterer, I could add having prayers and goodluck. Again, although there are many bar caterers in the market today, there is still room for more. But please make sure that you don’t treat this business as a fly by night thin. It pays to be legal.
Why should you believe me? You don’t have to, but I know what I’m saying since I have been in this business since 2002.
