Day in the life: evening

As the sun sinks and the energy levels are ramped up, it should be a natural time for pubs to attract customers. But evenings aren't as easy as they were. After a long day at the office or factory it's tempting for people to put their feet up in front of the wide-screen telly rather than make the trek down to the pub.

Then there is competition from other forms of leisure to contend with. These days people will even go to the gym after work - and resist the temptation to slake their thirsts with a few pints afterwards in case they undo all their good work.

The answer for licensees can be summed up in one word - marketing. While the precise solution will vary from pub to pub, it's basic marketing disciplines that will give you the best chance of success.

Start by deciding who your market, or markets, should be. Are there workplaces nearby you can target to bring in an early-evening trade? Is your pub in a residential area where people will be more inclined to to pop out later on? Or will it be people who live a drive away who will make the difference?

Your answer may be a combination of these, but you still need to intelligently 'segment your offer', as the marketing folk put it.

After-work drinkers

This can be a highly lucrative market once people get into the habit of a relaxing pint or two with their workmates, especially when they commute to and from work on public transport. But you might have to get the habit started.

Try an early-evening promotion and aim for one day to begin with, perhaps a Thursday rather than a Friday when people will often have made other plans.

You might discount drinks but there are other ways, for instance offering free snacks at the bar.

Whatever you do, make sure your target market knows about it. Put a flyer into offices and factories, and don't forget to mention that you can host works parties, perhaps with a free buffet or use of a certain part of the pub you can section off.

You can also try a quiz, but you'll need to make sure first that you've got enough takers to make a decent contest of it.

Check for early-evening sports, too - such as racing in the summer - and again, publicise it well.

Food

It will often be good enough to continue your lunchtime menu into the evening, but why not offer something different?

Be clear who you're aiming at. Informal diners, such as the after-work crowd and groups of drinkers, will only want light snacks and food to share. They might be impulse purchases so market them well within the pub, with posters and table-talkers to catch the eye of the peckish.

You probably won't even need to open the kitchen for this. Choose back-bar prepared snacks you can heat up in a microwave or grill.

If you want to be a food destination in the evening, your lunch menu might not suit. Special meals require special menus. Go upmarket or put together a speciality ethnic menu. It need not be fancy. Curry-and-a-pint nights seem to work well.

Entertainment

Music, comedy, quizzes, TV sport, psychic nights - the options are many. But there is a danger of overdoing it.

To begin with, sound out your existing customers. What kind of stuff would they like that they might be able to bring their friends along to?

Talk to your accountant about it. The calculation for determining whether you have made money isn't as simple as you might think. It's not just a matter of paying for the act but the extra staff and stock you'll need if you're busy.

Check out the local competition. If they've all got entertainment on, your niche could be the quiet pint!

Late-night

The possibility of longer licensing hours might tempt you to go for the late-night option, but bear in mind that you'll be playing in an intensely competitive arena.

The vast majority of pubs have found that it only pays to stay open for an extra hour or so past 11pm, if that. But there are a couple of areas where pubs could score over the late-night specialists.

You could, for instance, offer a chill-out atmosphere as an alternative to high-energy nightspots, and you might find a market for food in the early hours. A pub that served kebabs could have an irresistible appeal.