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
269 episodes
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...
Bar Owner Burnout Does Not Always Look Like Burnout
Bar owner burnout does not always show up as a dramatic crash.Sometimes it looks like snapping at staff, making every decision yourself, losing your long-term thinking, and feeling broke even when the bar is making money.In this e...
Your Bar P-Mix Report Shows Which Sales Are Costing You Money
Your revenue can look good while your margins get worse.That is why total sales are not enough.Your P-Mix shows if those sales actually helped your bar or quietly cost you money.In this episode I break down what P-Mix reall...
Why Your Bar P&L Is Not Just A Monthly Report Card
Your P&L is not a monthly report card.It is where your bar shows you what is getting expensive.Most owners look at net profit and think they understand the month.They do not. Net profit tells you the result.It do...
Why Your Bar Revenue Looks Good But Your Margins Tell A Different Story
Your bar's P-Mix is where every margin problem hides. Two bars with the same sales can earn completely different profit. Here's how to read yours and fix it.In this episode I break down what your P-Mix (product...
Bar Marketing That Works Without Spending a Dime
Want more bar customers without spending a dime on ads? This is the local partnership system that fills your bar with regulars on autopilot.In this episode, Chris Schneider breaks down how to build business-to-business partn...
How to Build a Training Program That Actually Sticks
Most bar training programs do not fail because the material is bad.They fail because there is no system.In this episode, Chris breaks down why handing someone a binder, recipe book, or checklist is not the same as training them.
How to Fix Guest Complaints Before They Become Bad Reviews
Most unhappy guests will never complain. They will just leave.And if your team is not paying attention, you may not know there was a problem until the review shows up or the guest never comes back.In this episode, Chris breaks dow...
How to Increase Perceived Value in Your Bar
When guests say your bar is too expensive, they may not be talking about price.They may be talking about value.In this episode, I talk about perceived value: the gap between what guests pay and what they feel they received....
Why Google Reviews Matter for Bar Marketing
Your Google reviews are not just nice to have.They are one of the biggest reasons new guests choose you over the bar down the street.In this episode, I talk about why most bar owners wait for good reviews to happen instead of buil...
Party of Six: The Secret to Scaling Hospitality Brands Without Losing Their Unique Local DNA
This month, we are joined by special guest Willie Rosenthal of Gin & Luck. Discover the incredible journey of Willie Rosenthal as he transforms a single cocktail bar into a global hospitality empire with Gin & Luck.<...
Opened a Bar With No Staff and No Experience with Harald Plok
What happens when a regular ends up running the bar?In this episode, I talk with Harald Plok about taking over Turtle House Sports Bar in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.He had no real bar experience.He kept his 9-to-5.He renovate...
Why Bad Bar Scheduling Is Driving Up Your Labor Cost
High labor cost does not always mean you have too many people.Sometimes your people are just scheduled at the wrong time.In this episode, I talk about why bar labor cost is often a scheduling problem, not a headcount problem.<...