A purely male business: how to open a sports bar?

How did it happen

As it was

Design sketches

Beer bar-restaurant Olimpic Address: Moscow, Olympic Village 3 Total area: 320 sq.m. Seats: 120 Opening: December 2020

Step-by-step plan for opening a sports bar

The step-by-step plan for launching a sports bar includes the following steps:

• Analysis of market conditions and target audience;
• determination of business development strategy;
• development of a set of necessary documentation and business registration;
• searching for a place to open a bar, renting/purchasing and renovation;
• development of an advertising campaign;
• purchase of furniture, interior and equipment;
• hiring employees.

Effective sports bar advertising

A good location is not enough to attract the required number of customers. Advertising will help: leaflets, posters in places where potential clients gather. Outdoor advertising, that is, placement on billboards, banners, hoardings, and light boxes, brings good results, but is expensive. For a new bar, this may seem like an unnecessary expense compared to the equipment and decor, but in reality it is very important to inform potential customers about yourself.

Social networks will be useful. An Instagram account and a VKontakte group can be promoted relatively inexpensively by regularly attracting clients from the virtual space. Most of the target audience actively uses the Internet. The sports bar will find its visitors in the subscribers of famous athletes and in fan communities.

A good idea is to advertise on local television. But this is quite expensive: first you need to invest in professional filming and pay for broadcasting.

The budget of an advertising campaign depends solely on the wishes of the entrepreneur. You can organize a small advertisement for 10 thousand rubles, or you can invest 200 thousand rubles in promotion at once. The main thing in this matter is thoughtfulness, focus on the target audience and planning.

Market analysis and business plan for a sports bar

To ensure the profitability of any business, you first need to study the target audience of future clients. For sports bars, the typical clientele is men between the ages of 18 and 60. The maximum attendance of such establishments is from Friday to Sunday, as well as on days of significant sporting events, such as football, hockey championships and the Olympic Games.

In Russia and neighboring countries, the sports bar market is poorly saturated: on average, only 20–30%. But it is important to understand that this is a specific business that will not work well everywhere. Low prices for simple dishes will help ensure competitiveness: it can be simple home-cooked food or regular fast food, as well as alcoholic drinks. First of all, the bar must be well located.

What do customers need most? High speed of service, low prices, simple tasty food and snacks, a wide selection of quality alcoholic drinks, opportunities for leisure while generally watching spectacular sports programs - this is almost the complete list of services provided.

Before starting a business, you need to draw up a business plan, writing out a project summary with an analysis of the market and competitors, an organizational and production plan, a financial and marketing plan, and a risk analysis.

Advantages and disadvantages of business

Let’s summarize the information presented above about opening a sports bar in the form of a list of pros and cons. This will help you see the objective characteristics of this business and decide whether to open your own sports bar.

Advantages:

1. Low competition.
2. Formed target audience.
3. Investments are comparable to opening a regular catering establishment.
4. Payback within 1 year.
5. Opportunity to combine hobbies and entrepreneurship.

Flaws:

1. Expensive rent in busy places, areas where potential visitors gather.
2. Seasonal attendance. There are competitions - there are clients, no competitions - the bar is empty.
3. A license to sell alcohol will be required.

Place to open a sports bar

The main factors in choosing a place to build, buy or rent premises are transport accessibility and the prestige of the area. This is what will provide the bar with a stable customer flow. The best place to open a sports bar is considered to be the central part of the city, especially if there are no direct competitors nearby. But such places are in short supply, and if you can find them, the rental price will be very high

Opening a sports bar is possible in a small town, but the problem of competitors will become especially pressing. If there is at least one other sports bar in your city, you need to wisely differentiate yourself from your competitors. Pay attention to the quality and speed of the service staff, the exclusivity of the interior design of the premises, and the range of alcohol and snacks. Consider additional entertainment - play areas for table football, backgammon, darts, computer consoles, personal discounts for regular customers, comfortable secure parking, etc. Develop a system of bonuses and discounts for regular customers.

Another option is a remote residential area of ​​the city. It will provide good savings when purchasing or renting premises and land, but you may encounter another problem - it will be much more difficult to attract clients here. This can be done with the help of road billboards and signs. But first of all, such establishments are aimed at residents of nearby houses.

In any case, the sports bar should be located in a place with good traffic (pedestrian or automobile), the sign should be clearly visible from afar and from the main road. For a sports bar in a residential area, the location is not so critical. Your task will be to win the trust of surrounding residents so that they become your regular customers.

Another fundamental question is determining the operating mode of the establishment. It is important to understand that if you plan to come home every day at 21.00, then you should not initially plan such a business. Often fans celebrate victories of their clubs until the morning, and this continues for more than one day. For this reason, the establishment should be open 24/7, and on days like these you won’t have to come home at all.

Recruitment

The personnel composition in this case is selected the same as for any bar. The staff consists of:

• bartender
• waiter
• cook
• dishwasher
• security guard
• accountant.

In this case, no special skills are required; what is more important are personal qualities such as sociability, goodwill, endurance and calmness. For a cook, basic knowledge will be enough, since the menu will consist of simple snacks. It is better to hire an accountant for part-time or through outsourcing.

You should be very careful when choosing a security guard. While watching matches, sports fans become overly excited and easily get into fights. To pacify them, you need a specially trained person, or even better, two. On an ongoing basis, one security guard will be enough, but during the demonstration of serious events it is recommended to take an additional one.

The number of employees depends on the format of the establishment. With a two-shift operating mode, at least 2 units will be required for each position. Schedule and shifts depend on access time. It is not recommended to close the bar in the middle of the evening, because broadcasts of various events and fan meetings often last until late at night and even into the morning. For this reason, the bar should be open 24 hours a day with a two-shift work organization.

Room design

At this point, many novice entrepreneurs want to make money - they personally develop projects for arranging furniture, where to install bar counters and plasma TVs. If you do not have a special education or innate architectural and design talent, you should not choose furniture upholstery and finishing materials for premises on your own. It is better to involve specialists who will help you choose suitable furniture and cheap materials, taking into account all your wishes.

As for the size of the room, each client, in accordance with the requirements of sanitary and epidemiological regulations, should have approximately 1.8 - 2.0 m2 of space. It is necessary to provide a separate smoking room, as well as places for board games of backgammon, football and billiards. In small bars, plasma TVs should be viewed from any place, and if there are several rooms in the bar, then the plasma should be hung in each of them. When arranging the interior, every centimeter of space is of great importance, but taking into account the possibility of fan fights, tables should not be placed too close to each other.

Pay attention to all the little details that will give the sports bar the proper flavor. Options for decorative elements - shelves with won cups and prizes, T-shirts of famous athletes, fan scarves, posters, paintings, decorative panels and various lamps. Please note that all this requires maintenance, so you need to choose highly durable and corrosion-resistant items.

The minimum capacity of such establishments is 50 clients. The kitchen and storage areas must be equipped with separate entrances. The sanitary unit should be located in a place opposite the main number of tables and counters. You need to think through the concept of a sports facility in advance. The name, style, branded clothing of the service personnel and the advertising campaign must be combined with each other. Every nuance makes it possible to stand out from competitors, so don’t neglect even the smallest details.

The first thing that attracts the attention of customers is the name of the bar. It is worth thinking about it before opening the establishment, since the entire development strategy of a sports bar is usually based on the name. You shouldn’t develop very complex and clever names, sometimes a simple “Sports Bar” sign will work, but it should be designed very well.

The costs for creating a room design will be:

• repairs and redevelopment – ​​from 200,000 to 500,000 rubles;
• purchase of furniture and interior items - from 70,000 to 200,000 rubles;
• purchase of sports paraphernalia – up to 60,000 rubles.

Choosing a concept

First of all, decide what kind of place it will be. Please note that:

• They prefer to watch football and hockey in large and cheerful groups; teams of fans (“around football” is a typical example), sometimes even aggressive ones, can often gather in a bar;
• two bars on the same territory can coexist, under one condition - if they have a different concept;
• while watching, viewers often react too emotionally: it is better not to sell strong alcohol in a sports bar - limit yourself to beer and low-alcohol cocktails;
• Fans don’t like to eat heavily during matches, but they often grab snacks - crackers, nuts, all kinds of snacks.

When choosing, focus on the city and region. Do you have a big city, but there is not a single sports bar in the area? Feel free to open a football club - you will immediately gain a clientele.

Is the city small and there are no sports bars at all? You can open the universal one and broadcast key matches and competitions. Don't forget to advertise and schedule matches - different fans will come to you.

There are already a lot of sports bars in the city, are the competitors strong and won’t give up their customers? Take a different route. Choose an unusual niche. For example, martial arts, boxing, kickboxing and weightlifting. Have no doubt: there will be a lot of people who want to watch the fight.

In accordance with the concept, you will have to think over the name, choose the right room and arrange it in a sports style. For example, in a bar where boxing matches are broadcast, you can hang gloves and similar equipment.

Football bar equipment

To successfully operate a sports or football bar, you need to buy the following equipment: an antenna, a satellite dish, plasma TVs and tuners with all sets of cables and connectors (note that in old buildings you will have to completely change the entire cable system with a voltage of 220 V, since its standard life service is 25 years). You will also need to sign contracts with cable TV channels unless you purchase satellite sports packages. You need to properly organize places to watch matches, but your designer must also solve this problem.

Approximate cost of technical equipment:

• acoustic systems - from 25,000 to 70,000 rubles;
• plasma TVs - from 350,000 to 550,000 rubles;
• satellite dishes - from 1,000 to 2,000 rubles.

There is an option to rent a bar along with equipment. In this case, you will save on start-up costs, but the monthly fee will be much higher.

As for the equipment in the kitchen, it can be very different, and its cost is determined by what kind of dishes will need to be prepared. Electric or gas stoves, grill cabinets, ovens, microwave ovens, coffee makers, etc. may be required. In addition, you should purchase auxiliary equipment - dishwashers, ventilation exhaust units and install utility networks for water, heating, ventilation and sewerage. The selection and purchase of such equipment should be entrusted to qualified specialists with appropriate education.

You will need to purchase chairs, tables, sofas and armchairs, bar counters, display cases and shelving. Prices for these products vary, since there is a very large selection on the market from different manufacturers.

Requirements for a sports bar

The premises of the sports bar must comply with the requirements of the law on retail sale of alcohol - have an area of ​​more than 50 sq.m., be far from hospitals, kindergartens, schools and stadiums. Connection to all communications is required, as is the presence of a bathroom for visitors. You should not open such an establishment in a residential building, because the night work schedule may cause inconvenience to residents. These are legal requirements, but there are others - marketing ones.

The location of the bar should be chosen with an eye to reaching the maximum number of potential visitors. The central part of the city, a busy area with offices and industries, as well as shopping centers are well suited. The greater the traffic, the more visitors and the greater the establishment’s revenue. It is advisable that there are no direct competitors in the immediate area.

Large rooms are more pleasant for visitors who come to watch football matches. Therefore, you should not stop at the legal minimum of 50 sq.m. If you have the opportunity to find a spacious room, use it. Minimum capacity - 60-70 people.

Equipment and furniture

The business plan for a sports bar should include the purchase of furniture and equipment for the kitchen and customer service area. The interior design can be minimalistic, with elements of sports paraphernalia. It is not of key importance; all that is important for visitors is the convenience of watching broadcasts and the choice of drinks.

Equipment for kitchen and utility rooms:

• refrigerators or freezers;
• tables for serving snacks;
• microwave;
• dishes.

This is sufficient for a place that only serves drinks and snacks. If the sports bar menu includes hot dishes, you will have to include a stove, ovens, cutting tables, and kitchen utensils in the list.

Equipment for serving visitors:

• bar counter;
• racks and shelves for drinks;
• beer tap;
• 3–4 TVs mounted on the walls;
• sound system;
• tables and chairs for 70 people.

The largest portion of the costs will be on televisions. One large plasma screen costs at least 150 thousand rubles, and a sports bar needs several of them. The sound system will also cost at least 100 thousand rubles. Also keep in mind that you will have to enter into an agreement with cable channels in order for sports broadcasts in the bar to take place legally.

A minimalist design with fan paraphernalia is suitable for a sports bar.

Business registration

The next step is business registration. This could be an individual entrepreneur or an LLC. OKVED code upon registration is 56.30.

It is easier to register an individual entrepreneur and easier to maintain tax reporting. To register, you need to submit an application with a copy of the business owner’s passport to the local Federal Tax Service, pay a fee of 800 rubles and wait a few working days. But keep in mind that in the event of debts, the individual entrepreneur is liable to creditors with all of his property.

To register an LLC, you need a charter and other constituent documents. The state duty is 4,000 rubles. Authorized capital - minimum 10,000 rubles.

Regardless of the form of doing business, you must obtain permission to open from the fire service, SES and local administration.

As for the tax regime, it can be a single tax on imputed income (not in all regions), a patent system, the simplified tax system for income with a rate of 15% or the simplified tax system for income minus expenses with a rate of 15%.

Please note that many of the necessary documents are completed within a month or more. You must have in your hands employment contracts, a lease agreement, agreements for the supply of products, for garbage removal, for disinfection of the premises. At this stage, claims from the sanitary-epidemiological and fire safety inspections are possible.

How to legalize the sale of alcohol

The most important component of a bar’s income is the sale of alcoholic beverages, which is quite difficult. As a rule, this requires the help of specialists in the field of obtaining permits and licensing documentation. An unclear situation has arisen with the procedure for selling beer: over a short period of time, the country’s leadership often changed its status and classified it either as a low-alcohol drink or as a strong alcoholic drink, the trade of which requires a special license. This is a fundamental point, since such drinks are very popular in sports bars.

The next problem is the limitation of places where alcoholic beverages can be sold. There are many prohibitions and restrictions in this area - kindergartens, schools, markets and bus stops must be located at a considerable distance from sports bars. The third caveat is that even if you have a license, you are required to submit a special alcohol declaration quarterly. This document must describe the quantity and types of alcoholic beverages sold during the reporting period. If the proposed alcoholic range is not limited to beer, but includes the sale of stronger drinks, then you will have to face more significant problems. You will need to obtain a special license, for which you need to collect a very impressive list of documents - this will take more than a month. If you have outstanding tax debts, you will not be able to obtain licensing.

Registration and permissions

Only a legal entity , that is, a limited liability company, has the right to open a sports bar This is because the bar will sell alcohol. Preparation of statutory documents and registration will take about 2 weeks and will cost at least 4 thousand rubles.

From a legal point of view, a sports bar is no different from any other public catering establishment, and therefore requires similar permits:

• proof of ownership of the premises or a lease agreement (if the rented premises are indicated as a legal address, a permission letter from the owner will be required);
• positive conclusion of Rospotrebnadzor;
• positive conclusion from the fire inspection;
• waste removal agreement;
• card for registering cash register equipment;
• disinfectant log book.

Unfortunately, this is not the entire list of required permissions. Sports bars must sell alcohol, and this activity requires a license. It costs 65 thousand rubles and is issued for 1 year. You cannot simply buy a license; you will have to prepare a list of documents and comply with the requirements for the location of the bar and its area:

• area from 50 sq.m. (in rural areas - from 25. sq.m.);
• stationary object, with a foundation;
• connection to all communications;
• There are no medical, educational, children's or sports facilities nearby.

The package of documents can be clarified on the Rosalkogolregulirovanie website - sometimes the requirements are updated. Obtaining a license to sell alcohol will take about 1 month, take this period into account when planning your opening.

Choosing a tax system

The best option for paying taxes for a sports bar is the simplified “Income - Expenses” regime. The entrepreneur will pay 15% of the difference between income and confirmed expenses (purchase of food, alcohol, rent). The simplified tax system provides for restrictions on application, but they will not affect a sports bar - up to 100 employees, income up to 150 million rubles per year.

You can also try working on UTII. Imputed tax is convenient because it allows you not to count income and expenses, but requires the payment of a fixed amount. There are restrictions on the area of ​​the cafe - no more than 150 sq.m. Check to see if local authorities allow the use of imputation for catering establishments. There is a ban in some regions.

Sports bars are especially popular during the season of major sporting events.

Assortment of dishes and snacks

Alcoholic drinks are considered the most important part of the sports bar menu: no one comes to sports bars to eat healthy food and gourmet cuisine. First of all, such a bar should provide a wide range of beer drinks - this is the most popular type of alcoholic beverages. Wine, vodka and cognac are at the discretion of the establishment owner. Despite this, the level of cooking should be quite high.

The most popular snacks in sports bars are cheeseburgers, hamburgers, fish, meat, cheese slices and French fries. Snacks should be filling, simple, cheap and go well with the alcoholic drinks served. When ordering alcohol without snacks, the price must include small portions of dried fish, beer nuts or chips. Sometimes small plates with such free food are displayed on bar counters - this is considered good form.

Hookah bar design

Zoning of space is important for hookah establishments, because people come here to relax and socialize in a narrow circle. If the design of a pub is intended to unite alcohol lovers into one big family, then cozy nooks and crannies are valued here, where a person can relax away from prying eyes.

Fans of bright and rich accents will be able to really go wild when decorating establishments related to hookah smoking. Such points make you as comfortable and cozy as possible. Welcome:

• soft sofas, armchairs, pillows;
• volumetric multi-colored lamps;
• bright textiles; drapes, curtains;
• carpets;
• colored glass;
• mosaic panels;
• dropped ceilings;
• low furniture.

Wallpaper with patterns and oriental symbols is appropriate in this place. And also elegant frescoes. In general, wallpaper is rarely used as a finishing material in beer establishments. But hookah restaurants are an exception. Photo wallpaper here will help create the right atmosphere.

Ways to earn extra money

In addition to direct income, there are at least three more ways to earn money indirectly. The first of them is the sale of sports paraphernalia: scarves, hats, T-shirts, bracelets, armbands, flags, cups, medals. The second is concluding contracts for displaying advertising with large business owners during breaks in sporting events. You can also display ticker ads from local newspapers. Another way is to draw cash prizes in impromptu competitions in darts, billiards, table football or tennis, as well as in comic competitions for speed-eating hot dogs. With the help of participants' contributions, a special fund is formed, which goes to the winner of the competition, and the bar owner receives a certain organizational percentage from it.

Karaoke bar design

The song club format involves an open space where one of the visitors performs. The rest listen to him at tables with snacks and drinks. All attention is focused on the performers, so light and contrasting colors play an important role in the design of a karaoke club. It entertains guests and emphasizes the festive nature of the event.

Note! If natural materials (wood, brick, stone) are welcome in beer establishments, then the interior of a cafe bar with music is the territory of high-quality “synthetics”. Neon lamps, textured plaster, textured wallpaper for painting, and a glossy stretch ceiling are good here.

Sports bar staff

Bar employees: kitchen workers - from 2 to 4, waiters - from 2 to 4, bartenders - 3, dishwashers - 2. The work of the establishment must be organized in two shifts, in connection with this, the number of people on the staffing table doubles. The numbers are relevant for small sports bars. It is also necessary to provide for a full-time security guard, since fights are possible among fan groups, which too many have heard well about. One guard should be on duty every day, and on the days of major sporting events it is necessary to provide for his partner to replace him.

Selecting a room

Before you open a sports bar from scratch, you need to decide on the premises. Of course, by rent, although if you have a large enough amount, you can buy the place. Such proposals regularly come from developers in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

If you don’t have much money, you will have to rent the premises. Please note that you will be repairing and remodeling it for your business, so short-term rental options should not be considered. And it is important to immediately decide on the size and location of the bar. This type of business does not forgive mistakes.

How much does it cost to open a sports bar?

On average, the amount of investment excluding kitchen equipment and rental payments is in the range of 500,000 - 1 million rubles. Fully opening an average bar will cost 1-2 million rubles. These figures are approximate and may vary depending on location, area and other factors.

When a sports bar operates in 2 shifts, 70,000 - 120,000 rubles will have to be allocated monthly to the wage fund. Another 100,000 - 150,000 will be spent on rent, taxes, utility bills, additional purchases of beer and food.

Financial component of business

The profitability of the business is quite high. With proper organization of staff work, high quality service and a well-developed strategy, a sports bar will become a very profitable business for the owner.

Cost of opening and maintaining

The bulk of the initial costs comes from purchasing equipment and renting premises. In general, the costs of opening a sports bar depend on:

1. Region.
2. The capacity of the hall.
3. Equipment quality.
4. Interior.

The average initial investment is from 2,000,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses include:

• rental of premises;
• employee salaries;
• payment of utility bills;
• advertising;
• purchasing food and alcohol;
• taxes.

Amount of future income

Profit from the business per month will depend on the occupancy of the hall with visitors and the size of the average check. Accordingly, on weekdays the revenue will be significantly less than on weekends and holidays, as well as during serious matches.

The average profit per month is from 350,000 rubles, excluding employee wage costs.