The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations
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.
Episodes
281 episodes
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...
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 fram...
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 ...
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 tren...
Generational Drinking Trends Every Bar Owner Should Know in 2026
Gen Z drinking trends are changing what customers expect from bars in 2026 but Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers are drinking very differently.In this episode, I break down the latest generational drinking trends and what they mean fo...
Chris Schneider & Brian Haan: How We Adapted Our Bar After the Smoking Ban
Last week, Brian Haan and I started telling the story of how we ended up running 86th Street Pub together. About 15 months into owning the bar, we hit the first major change that forced us to rethink what the business could become:...
Chris Schneider & Brian Haan: Buying, Managing, and Learning to Run a Bar
After more than 260 episodes talking about the bar business, there’s one story I probably should have told a long time ago: how I actually became a bar owner and learned to run one.In this episode, I sit down with Brian Haan, my longtime...
How to Increase Restaurant and Bar Revenue Without More Customers
When revenue drops, I know the first instinct is usually to get more customers through the door. But what if you’re trying to market your way out of the wrong problem?In this episode, I break down why increasing your guest c...
How to Open a Restaurant From Idea to Opening Night with Adam Weisblatt
Opening a great restaurant takes more than great food, hospitality, or a good business plan. Everything matters.In this episode, I sit down with Adam Weisblatt, co-founder of Last Word Hospitality and author of For the Love of Restau...
How to Set Clear Staff Expectations and Build a Better Bar Team
Bad attitudes, inconsistent service, and employees ignoring standards may all have the same root cause: unclear expectations. In this episode, I break down the 20-minute conversation every bar owner should have with a n...
Po6: What a Female-Led Bar Team Taught Hong Kong About Hospitality with Beckaly Franks
On this episode of Party of Six, we have a wide-ranging panel conversation on hospitality, focusing on Beckaly Franks tracing her path from Idaho and Portland to Hong Kong, building community, and the pitfalls in international hospitality. ...
From $200 to Shark Tank and Building an Event Bartending Business with Nelson Brooks
Nelson Brooks started Cabana Boys with around $200 and eventually took the business to Shark Tank, where he landed an investment from Kendra Scott. In this episode, I’m joined by Nelson to break down how he built and scaled an event...
Happy Hour Profitability and How to Know If Your Bar’s Specials Actually Work
Good drinks aren’t the only thing that can make or break a happy hour.A packed bar can still be losing money.In this episode, I’m breaking down how to tell if your happy hour is actually creating new business or just discounting d...
Bar Loans, Business Credit, and Getting Approved with Matt Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca
Most bar owners don't think about financing until they need money—and by then, the decisions they've already made can determine whether a lender says yes or no. In this episode, I'm joined by Matt Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca to brea...
Signature Cocktails: Turn One Drink Into a Word-of-Mouth Marketing Asset
Having a bestselling cocktail does not mean you have a signature drink.A bestseller moves units. A signature moves people.In this episode, I’m breaking down what turns an ordinary cocktail into something guests photograph, talk ab...
The Pour Cost System: Calculate It, Track It, and Protect Your Margins
Most bar owners don't have a pour cost problem.They have a tracking problem.In this episode, I'm breaking down how to calculate pour cost correctly, why monthly reports are too late, and how to build a weekly system that catches p...
How to Spot the Signs Before Your Regulars Leave
Most unhappy customers never tell you something is wrong. They simply stop showing up. In this episode, I'm breaking down why silence is one of the most dangerous signals in the bar business and how to recog...
Bar Marketing Strategy: How to Avoid Slow Nights Before They Happen
Bar owners who avoid slow nights are not just lucky.They planned better.In this episode, I’m breaking down my Anchor Rhythm Tactical Marketing System and how it helps you plan your year, your week, and tonight.We’ll talk ab...
Bar Breakeven Formula: How Turn Dollar Goals Into Guest Count
Looking at breakeven in dollars does not help you run your bar.A dollar target sounds important, but it does not tell you what to do.In this episode, I’m breaking down a better way to look at breakeven: turning the number into g...
Bar Vendor Relationships: How to Get Better Pricing, Support, and Training
Most bar owners treat vendors like a delivery service.That means they are probably leaving pricing, support, training, product knowledge, and market data on the table.In this episode, I’m breaking down how to turn your vendor rela...
AI for Bar Owners: How to Save Hours Without Trusting It Too Much
AI is not coming for your bar.It is already here.In this episode, I’m breaking down where AI can actually help bar owners save time, and where you absolutely should not trust it.We’ll talk menu ideas, menu descriptions, tra...
How to Build a Bar Experience Guests Actually Remember
Good drinks are not enough to make people come back anymore.Bars that are winning right now are not just winning on product. They are winning on feeling.In this episode, I’m breaking down why guest experience has become the real d...
How to Control Bar Labor Costs Without Hurting Service
Labor costs can quietly drain your bar’s profit if you are not watching the right numbers.In this episode, I’m breaking down how to analyze and control your labor costs without cutting service quality or making your team miserable.
Party of Six - Building Community and Crafting Experiences with Erick Castro
Unlock the secrets to creating memorable hospitality experiences, building community, and managing a successful bar business, straight from industry innovator Erick Castro.Erick emphasizes the importance of community-building, authentic ...
10 Costly Mistakes Bar Owners Must Fix Before It’s Too Late
Most bars do not fail because of bad luck or a bad location.They fail because of mistakes that feel reasonable while you are making them.In this episode, I’m breaking down the 10 costly mistakes I’ve seen bar owners make ag...