The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations

Chris Schneider, The Bar Business Coach
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Are you spending more time stuck behind the bar than building a business that runs smoothly without you?If you're a bar owner who feels overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind of hospitality and is struggling to balance operations, marketing, and profits this show is for you. Chris Schneider, with over 20 years in the industry, created this podcast to help you overcome burnout, increase profits, and create a business you can enjoy—not just endure.Join us every Monday and Wednesday to: Get expert strategies to boost profits while attracting loyal customers.Learn bar marketing tactics, menu design hacks, and leadership tools that simplify operations.Build the bar or pub that you have always dreamt of owning. Ready to take control of your bar’s success? Start by tuning into the fan-favorite episode: 5 Strategies to Boost Bar Profits This Week: Quick Wins for Bar Owners. 

  1. 5d ago

    Are You Charging Enough at Your Bar? [menu pricing mistakes that hurt profit margins]

    Are you actually making enough money on every drink you sell? In this episode, I'm talking about why pricing your menu below the competition can hurt your profits, especially when your costs keep going up. I get into calculating your true drink costs, including mixers, garnishes, waste, and spillage, setting margins that make sense for your bar, and using menu engineering and regular price reviews to keep your pricing on track. Because being cheaper than the bar down the street doesn't help much if you're not charging enough to stay profitable. 📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  2. Oct 14

    Does Your Bar Run Differently When You're Gone? [keeping staff accountable without being there]

    Does your bar run differently the moment you walk out the door? In this episode, I'm talking about why staff performance and standards can slip when the owner isn't around, and what you can do about it without spending every waking hour at your bar. I get into using cameras for quick coaching, making unexpected check-ins, getting feedback from people you trust, and building accountability systems that keep your bar running consistently even when you're not there. Because you built your bar to have a life outside of it. It shouldn't depend on you being there every minute.  📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  3. Oct 12

    Could Smaller Cocktails Make Your Bar More Money? [the mini cocktail trend and profit margins]

    What if selling smaller cocktails could actually make your bar more money? In this episode, I'm talking about the mini cocktail trend, why guests are drinking differently, and how smaller drinks could help increase your average check without pushing customers to order another full-size cocktail. I get into the pricing and profit margins behind mini cocktails, how to build cocktail flights, and how to test them on your menu without overcomplicating your bar operations. Because sometimes the opportunity isn't selling more drinks. It's giving guests a different way to order.  📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  4. Oct 7

    Before You Fire a Bar Employee [how to give them one last chance to improve]

    What do you do when an employee keeps falling short, but you’re not ready to fire them? In this episode, I’m talking about performance improvement plans, or PIPs, and how they give bar owners another option before letting someone go. I get into when to use a PIP, how to set clear expectations and timelines, and why following through matters. Because accountability isn’t just about writing someone up. It’s about setting a clear standard and enforcing it. 📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  5. Oct 5

    Is Live Music Making Your Bar Money or Costing You?

    Is your live music night actually making you money, or does it just look successful because the bar is full? In this episode, I’m digging into the real ROI of live music and other bar programming.  We’ll look at what the event actually adds to your sales, what it really costs once you factor in the band, extra labor, comps, and other expenses, and whether there’s any real profit left. I’ll walk through the math using live music, but the same applies to DJs, trivia, and other programming.  And when the numbers don’t work, it might mean negotiating costs, changing the format, or deciding if the loyalty and repeat business are worth it.  Because a busy night and a profitable night aren’t always the same thing.  📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  6. Sep 30

    How to Improve Bar Profitability: The 50-Lever Framework

    Improving bar profitability rarely comes from one big change. More often, it comes from fixing dozens of small problems across your costs, revenue, operations, staff, and guest experience. In this episode, I break down my 50-lever framework for improving your bar, why searching for one magic fix can keep you stuck, and how small operational improvements can compound into meaningful changes in profitability. I get into finding the small levers hiding inside your pour cost, labor scheduling, guest check average, service, training, and overall guest experience; how to audit your operation to determine which changes matter most; and why trying to fix everything at once usually fails. I also walk through how I’d prioritize those improvements, tackle one or two each week, measure the results, and build accountability so the changes actually stick.  Because you probably don’t need one breakthrough to turn your bar around. You need a list, a pace, and the discipline to make small improvements that compound.  📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  7. Sep 21

    Gut Instinct vs. Data: How Bar Owners Make Better Business Decisions

    Running a successful bar requires more than trusting your gut—and more than blindly following the numbers.  In this episode, I break down how bar owners can use gut instinct and data to make better business decisions, including what experienced intuition actually is, where your instincts can mislead you, and what your bar data can and cannot tell you.  I get into using data for pricing, menu engineering, labor scheduling, inventory, marketing ROI, and performance decisions while using experience and instinct for hiring, culture, guest experience, concept decisions, and major changes.  I also explain why your gut should be treated as a hypothesis rather than a conclusion, how data can confirm or challenge what you believe, and what to do when your instincts and your numbers disagree.  Because the best bar owners don’t blindly trust their instincts or their spreadsheets. They know when to use each one, and when a major decision requires both.  📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

  8. Sep 16

    Classic Cocktail Trends: Why Simple Drinks Are Winning in Bars

    Classic cocktails are making a comeback as guests move away from overly complicated craft cocktails and toward familiar drinks like Espresso Martinis, Old Fashioneds, Martinis, and Negronis. In this episode, I break down the cocktail trends bar owners should be watching in 2026 and why simplifying your cocktail menu could improve guest confidence, consistency, speed, and profitability. I get into why classic cocktails are outperforming more complicated drinks, how decision fatigue and price sensitivity influence what guests order, and the operational advantages of simpler cocktails, from easier training and faster service to less waste and better margins.  I also explain my classic-anchor strategy for building a cocktail menu around well-executed classics while still leaving room for original drinks and creative riffs.  Because simplifying your cocktail program doesn’t mean lowering your standards. It means paying attention to what your guests are actually ordering and executing it better than anyone else. 📌Start Here Own, run, or manage a bar? Join Bar Business Nation. An EXCLUSIVE private Facebook group for bar owners and operators who want better ways to run the business. Ask questions, hear what other owners are dealing with, and get ideas you can actually use. 🔴Join here:  → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Grab a Strategy Session https://https://barbusinesscoach.com/strategy-session/  📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Are you spending more time stuck behind the bar than building a business that runs smoothly without you?If you're a bar owner who feels overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind of hospitality and is struggling to balance operations, marketing, and profits this show is for you. Chris Schneider, with over 20 years in the industry, created this podcast to help you overcome burnout, increase profits, and create a business you can enjoy—not just endure.Join us every Monday and Wednesday to: Get expert strategies to boost profits while attracting loyal customers.Learn bar marketing tactics, menu design hacks, and leadership tools that simplify operations.Build the bar or pub that you have always dreamt of owning. Ready to take control of your bar’s success? Start by tuning into the fan-favorite episode: 5 Strategies to Boost Bar Profits This Week: Quick Wins for Bar Owners. 

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