Prepare your pub for the 2018 World Cup

Here's the best advice we can give to prepare your pub for the 2018 World Cup:

Have enough stock

Running out of beer the day of a big game will not make your pub a popular one, and football fans could easily consider another establishment the next time around. It's better to overstock and have products left over for future than run out on an extremely busy day, leading to many disgruntled customers.

Epos Now's inventory management feature allows you to easily add, edit and remove products from any location or device, so even those last-minute deliveries can be added into stock with no hassle.

Have a valid license

The broadcasting rights in the UK have gone to the BBC and ITV this time around, so make sure you have the suitable license or package from your TV provider. Being aware of the match schedule will make it much easier to promote your pub to fans. England is the only home nation participating and their first match against Tunisia is 18th June at 7pm UK time.

Put your TV in the right place

Most football fans like to be seated while watching the match and have a clear view of the screen. Consider a projector is you have space, otherwise it's definitely worth investing in a big screen.

Offer a match-day menu

The Epos Now solution offers a great tool for inventory management and specialty menus, so you can add new dishes and drinks and make any price changes in seconds. Running the classic burger and a beer deal will keep customers happy, and any bar snacks which are quick to make and can be eaten with hands like chips, onion rings and nachos are likely to be a hit.

Promote your pub as a match venue

Invest in an A board to advertise yourself as a match venue and attract passers-by, and make sure they know exactly which matches you'll be showing through posters and social media.

An easy way to encourage repeat customers is to run a loyalty scheme during the football season. The Epos Now CRM system allows you to easily run special offers or membership discounts, like offering a free pint on somebody's 5th match day visit.

Do your research

Earlier this year, AB InBev announced that its Budweiser brand is collaborating with MatchPint to give fans offers and promotions when they visit a pub that sells Budweiser. The app uses geo-tagging to direct users to nearby pubs selling the lager. Find out how you can attract more customers using the scheme here.

Have enough staff

Weekend matches are especially likely to create traffic, so make sure you have enough staff on site to increase serving efficiency and decrease the queues. Before, during halftime and after the match will be the busiest times, so consider taking orders at the table while the match is on to make the process even quicker and smoother.

The remote service capability Epos Now offers means your staff can take the till to a table on a mobile device to speed up service. Customers also want to be looking at the TV screen, not a card machine, so opting for contactless payments will increase serving time and efficiency, and decrease the chance of human error when taking payments.

Have a football-free zone

As much as you might want them to be, not everybody is interested in watching the football and you don't want to exclude customers who are just as valuable as the football fans. If you have space, employing an area where customers can go to get away from the buzz and roar of the match is a surefire way to keep everybody happy and generate the best possible revenue.

On the other hand, if you're not interested in broadcasting the World Cup, advertising your pub as football-free could be a great way to attract those customers who aren't bothered about watching the sporting event and want a more relaxed experience.