The common practice for St. Paddy’s is to envelope ourselves in emerald and shamrocks, drink green beer, Guinness, and Irish whiskey, enjoy corned beef and cabbage, and pinch anyone unfortunate enough to forget their green. While most of these traditions are not actually accurate—the original celebratory color for St. Paddy’s was blue, corned beef and cabbage is not at all Irish, and there were no snakes—they have started a new trend for this adopted, and very Americanized, holiday. Alongside the actual 39 million or so Americans who claim Irish decent, on March 17th everyone is a little Irish.
While leprechauns may be a thing of legend, perhaps there is an actual pot of gold to be had on March 17th. An estimated 133 million Americans will celebrate St. Paddy’s this year with a staggering percentage of these going to bars and restaurants to indulge in celebratory shenanigans. The National Retail Federation estimates a total of $4.6 billion (yes billion, with a “B”) will be spent this year by consumers with roughly $245 million on beer sales alone. With an average of $35 spent per person, it doesn’t seem to stack up with other holidays like Christmas, but this is a non-gift giving holiday where the pool of data only comes from people 21 and older. It is very likely that most bars and restaurants can attribute as much as 1% of their annual sales to this day alone. While one percent doesn’t sound like a large number, consider the average margin on alcohol, and the fact that this is not a public holiday, people still have to go to work.
How do you cash in on this figurative pot o’ gold? Well, as we already know, alcohol is a big ticket item on St. Paddy’s. Guinness reports an average of 5.5 million pints are consumed every day while on St. Paddy’s that number reaches an astounding 13.3 million pints. So, you should probably look into stocking a few kegs, as well as replenishing your supply of pint and specialty glasses (Ahem, Hilton’s! cough cough). Also, consider thinking a bit outside of the box; while the staple “green beer” is always a welcomed commodity, maybe mix up a few Irish themed cocktails and assorted Irish coffees and put them on special. Incentivize your customers to get in the holiday spirit. It’s no secret as to what the competition will be doing, perhaps you could offer things for your patrons than no one else is doing: door prizes, free apparel (springy shamrock headbands or goofy hats that won’t strain the budget) live music, the list goes on. Differentiate your business from competitors with a little extra time and St. Paddy’s could be a big day for your bottom line. |
| Colcannon |
Don’t be afraid to go a little more in-depth with the menu. Sure, everyone expects corned beef, shepherd’s pie, and Irish stew, but don’t forget about the potential dessert and appetizer options as well. Something as simple as a Guinness cupcake with bailey’s chocolate icing could be enough to sway the sweet tooth of the theme inspired customers. Just be sure to steer clear of green Jell-O as it will most likely be expected to contain copious amounts of liquor. Conversely, not all revelers celebrate in over indulgence and debauchery, more than a few St. Paddy’s patrons tend to celebrate in more traditional methods and appreciate an authentic Irish entrée. Whether you’re catering to raving shamrock revelers or the dining descendants of the Emerald Isle, these tips from Hilton’s can help you make a little green on St. Patrick’s Day.
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ReplyDeletehilarious. you have a great page.
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