A to Z of World Cup success

A is for atmosphere

The most intangible quality in a pub is also one of the most important - and its significance heightens during a World Cup. Add to the atmosphere with some of the best football music (World in Motion, Back Home and Three Lions), while avoiding some of the worst (This Time We'll Get It Right anyone?). Some pubs have already indicated plans to build up to England games with inspirational videos of the 1966 World Cup Final and England's 5-1 win in Germany in 2001. Both DVDs are available from Amazon, the latter reduced from £19.99 to a bargain £5.97.

B is for bottle bars

Pulling pints, changing barrels and ­collecting glasses can be a time consuming business, especially when you've got a busy pub at periods like the World Cup. But by having a separate bottle-only bar for beers, RTDs and wine you can cut down waiting times at the bar and free up staff for other tasks like food service.

C is for competitions

Grasp the spirit of the time by organising your own competitions around key games. Don't just settle for the obvious ones like sweepstakes, raffles and golden goal tickets - broaden things out to include events that people can actually participate in, rather than simply relying on the outcome of events on the pitch. Table football is a perennial favourite and Subbuteo is making one of its many comebacks. Some pubs have gone as far as organising inflatable Sumo wrestling bouts to liven up previous tournaments. And remember that sweepstake success needn't be limited to the winner of the whole tournament, but could apply to the first goal scorer in any given game.

D is for DJs

Hopefully we'll all be dancing in the streets after the final, but for the earlier rounds, customers might be satisfied with doing a quick turn round the floor of the snug. As part of an all-in package, a DJ could attract handsome returns in extra footfall after big games.

E is for England

For pubs south of the border, missing out on the opportunity to cash in on England's fixtures is going to be like a fit-again Rooney missing a sitter from six yards in the last minute of the final with the score at 0-0. If you're feeling really brave, take a leaf out of the book of one Cornish pub that painted the flag of St George across the whole of its outside wall. Failing that, mark England's group games in a bright colour on your Morning Advertiser World Cup wallchart and put reminders on posters and blackboards around the pub, to help make sure yours is the destination of choice in your locale. Just in case, here are the all-important dates again: 10 June, England v Paraguay, 2pm; 15 June, England v Trinidad & Tobago, 5pm; 20 June, England v Sweden, 8pm.

F is for food

Simplicity is the key for pub food during the tournament, both in terms of logistics for you and ease of consumption for your customers. There should be a heavy emphasis on finger and cone food, while sharing platters will also bring in extra spend from large groups who don't want the outlay of full-priced meals. But try to resist the temptation to declare food as nothing more than hassle at this time because, with a captive audience, food can drive up the average spend. It can also bring people into the pub well in advance of a game starting, so make sure your service times suit the big match schedule and advertise the fact that it does so. There are plenty of theme options - for example, The White Swan in London's Holborn is opting for a patriotic menu of modern British dishes including fish and chips, steak and kidney pie and sausage and mash, though English fans will be hoping they don't experience a desperate need for comfort food. Another top London gastropub, the Gun in Docklands, will focus on England's match opponents, with gravadlax and rosti for Sweden, jerk chicken for Trinidad & Tobago and polenta with cream cheese and onion for Paraguay.

G is for garden

With any luck it's going to be a double bonus for pubs with blazing hot weather all the way through the tournament. Football can become a focal point for weekend barbecues, kids' competitions, and watching the football itself. Many pubs are installing covered outdoor plasma screens to increase their appeal as destination pubs for the World Cup - and if you've got the space to put up a marquee you've got a great fall-back if the weather fails.

H is for half-time

Make sure staff are primed to know when half-time is going to be, so that they don't magically disappear just as the rush starts. Consider fast-track serving areas for bottle-only or food orders. Keep customers engaged through the break by focusing on events and entertainment around this time.

I is for international

Don't get bogged down in all things English. Remember there are 32 teams taking part, so featuring international beers, wines or food from some or all of them can add a bit of spice to the World Cup flavour of your pub.

J is for jugs

Pitchers of cocktails can be a good profit driver, even in a relatively sport-free summer, so this year they should play a big part in a lot of pubs' product mixes. Remember that drinks on offer should be simple for staff to make, appeal to both sexes and should only be served to larger groups of people to avoid excessive consumption by individuals.

K is for kids

When things heat up during a big football match, pubs can sometimes become intimidating places for children. But ignoring families' needs could turn into one of the big own-goals of the tournament. Plenty of parents will want to share in the big match atmosphere in the pub and won't want to miss out because they can't bring the kids. If you do welcome children, make this clear in any pre-match publicity. Make sure you cater for them with special meals on your menus, and consider following the successful marketing lead of the fast-food industry by including free drinks and other freebies in the price of a meal. Kids can quickly become bored if the game looks like being a grinding 0-0, so make sure you have other stuff going on to keep them entertained. Several pubs have said they're going to be sourcing five-a-side goals from local branches of Toys R Us and holding half-time penalty ­shoot-outs, for example.

L is for lager

This is the alcoholic drinks category where all the big advertising money will be going during this or any other World Cup. Budweiser is one of the official FIFA tournament sponsors and Carlsberg backs the England team, so reps for both brands should be rich sources of PoS and other revenue-boosting assistance.

M is for marketing

Use empty belly posters and wall charts to advertise forthcoming matches, while A-boards, banners and external blackboards will set you apart as a destination World Cup venue. Try to make sure that you publicise games on your web site if you have one, and keep this updated throughout the tournament.

N is for newsletter

Keep your customers informed about everything that's going on, including promotions, events and menus - but add a bit of extra interest by including gossip about regulars' heroic betting failures, overheard comments demonstrating their (lack of) knowledge of the beautiful game, and any other features that help to capture the spirit of the World Cup in your pub.

O is for organisation

One contestant on the latest TV series of The Apprentice was booted out for merely being a planner, but the value of forward thinking shouldn't be underestimated for the World Cup period. Make sure your staff rotas are watertight and that everyone knows what is expected of them. Mix your organisational skills with a flexible attitude and adapt the way you work to suit customers' needs. For example, for earlier games, you could invite food orders at the start of the match for consumption straight afterwards. This has the combined benefit of increasing potential revenue and allowing the kitchen time to co-ordinate the food service.

P is for plasma screens

Consider bringing in extra screens for the duration of the tournament and make sure they are sited to enable the greatest number of people can get th