When hosting an event or a privet party, one question that always pops up is, open bar vs bar tab?
This isn’t because people are greedy and want a free night all night, but these days there isn’t one ‘common practice’. It varies hugely on the type of event, number of guests etc. At Elite Bars, we see this all the time. No one option is the norm, so naturally, you need to consider your options well in advance.
The big corporate events that we do tend to have open bars, and people can often take advantage of this as ‘the top boss’ is paying – so to speak. Guests can sometimes see this as not coming out of one individual’s pocket, but from a company or sometimes multiple companies. So if you are planning on hosting a corporate event, there is certainly a level of expectation that at least a fair few rounds will be paid for.
When discussing a corporate package or solution, there are steps we can take to ensure to make sure people don’t end up taking advantage too quickly, be sure to consider what you offer from behind the bar. For instance, you can ask to not let our barmen serve doubles or individual shots. Don’t let them order more than 4 drinks at a time, to help ensure that people are just getting rounds for friends rather than stocking up themselves! This way there is a level of structure in place, and not a free for all! It sounds draconian. But we know it works.
When it comes to hosting a private, individual party it can be a bit trickier to decide. One advantage you do have is that you are likely to know your audience better, and therefore know if you have people who like particular drinks or people that can sometimes get carried away!
You can also compare your event to others that you’ve been to within the same circle. For example, if you’ve been to other friends’ weddings, birthday parties, etc, you can think back to what they did and compare it to what you thought you would do!
It is always a nice gesture to put some money behind the bar if you are hosting an event, and people will appreciate it. However if you simply can’t afford it, make sure your bar is stocked with all the drinks that you would expect to find in most common bars so that if guests are paying for their own drinks they can get exactly what they want!
Elite Bars have a great range of drinks available to stock on the night as well as some very competitive drinks packages.
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Drink Responsibly