The Bar Business Podcast: Bar & Pub Owner Profits, Marketing & Operations

Hosted by Chris Schneider, The Bar Business Coach

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

256

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Are you spending more time stuck behind the bar than building a business that runs smoothly without you? If you're a bar owner who feels overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind of hospitality and is struggling to balance operations, marketing, and profits this show is for you. Chris Schneider, with over 20 years in the industry, created this podcast to help you overcome burnout, increase profits, and create a business you can enjoy—not just endure. Join us every Monday and Wednesday to: Get expert strategies to boost profits while attracting loyal customers. Learn bar marketing tactics, menu design hacks, and leadership tools that simplify operations. Build the bar or pub that you have always dreamt of owning. Ready to take control of your bar’s success? Start by tuning into the fan-favorite episode: 5 Strategies to Boost Bar Profits This Week: Quick Wins for Bar Owners.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 8, 2026Episode 25020 min

10 Costly Mistakes Bar Owners Must Fix Before It’s Too Late

Most bars do not fail because of bad luck or a bad location.They fail because of mistakes that feel reasonable while you are making them.In this episode, I’m breaking down the 10 costly mistakes I’ve seen bar owners make again and again. Some I’ve made myself. Some I’ve seen clients make. And some I’ve watched bury bars that should have survived.We’ll talk hiring, numbers, pricing, bad employees, overpouring, second locations, and the difference between busy and profitable.These mistakes are fixable, but only if you catch them before they get expensive.If you own or manage a bar, this is the episode to listen to before one small decision turns into a real problem.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

July 6, 2026Episode 24911 min

Bar Owner Burnout Does Not Always Look Like Burnout

Bar owner burnout does not always show up as a dramatic crash.Sometimes it looks like snapping at staff, making every decision yourself, losing your long-term thinking, and feeling broke even when the bar is making money.In this episode, Chris Schneider breaks down the five quiet signs of burnout, why summer can make it worse, and why taking 48 hours away from your bar may be the move that makes you a better owner.No guilt. No month-long vacation. No pretending everything is fine.Just a practical reset for bar owners who have been carrying too much for too long.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

July 1, 202621 min

Your Bar P-Mix Report Shows Which Sales Are Costing You Money

Your revenue can look good while your margins get worse.That is why total sales are not enough.Your P-Mix shows if those sales actually helped your bar or quietly cost you money.In this episode I break down what P-Mix really measures, how to pull it from your POS, and the five places to look first: category mix, day parts, server and bartender performance, item velocity, and pour size.Each one shows a decision you can make this week.If you manage your bar by total sales alone, you are guessing.The profit is not just in how much you sold.It is in what sold, when it sold, and who sold it.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 29, 2026Episode 24714 min

Why Your Bar P&L Is Not Just A Monthly Report Card

Your P&L is not a monthly report card.It is where your bar shows you what is getting expensive.Most owners look at net profit and think they understand the month.They do not. Net profit tells you the result.It does not tell you where the problem started.In this episode, I break down how to read your P&L like an operator, including prime cost, gross profit, net profit, operating expenses, and the timing issues that make your numbers confusing.Because strong sales do not always mean a healthy bar.And if you only check the numbers after the month ends, you are already late.Your P&L should not just tell you what happened.It should show you what to fix next.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 24, 2026Episode 24616 min

Why Your Bar Revenue Looks Good But Your Margins Tell A Different Story

Your bar's P-Mix is where every margin problem hides. Two bars with the same sales can earn completely different profit. Here's how to read yours and fix it.In this episode I break down what your P-Mix (product mix) really measures, how to pull it from your POS, and the 5 cuts that reveal the most about your margins: category mix, day parts, server performance, slow movers, and pour size. Each one points to a decision you can make this week.If you run your bar on revenue and gut instinct alone, you're flying blind. The numbers behind your sales are where the profit lives.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 22, 2026Episode 2459 min

Bar Marketing That Works Without Spending a Dime

Want more bar customers without spending a dime on ads? This is the local partnership system that fills your bar with regulars on autopilot.In this episode, Chris Schneider breaks down how to build business-to-business partnerships that send guests your way every week. No discounts. No contracts. No giant ad budget. Just real relationships with the businesses already sitting in your trade area.You will learn the 5 best partnership types for bars, how to pitch them without feeling awkward, and the simple "industry appreciation tour" that turns other bar staff into your biggest promoters.One good hotel relationship can send you 500 guests a year. Here is how to go get it.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 17, 2026Episode 24415 min

How to Build a Training Program That Actually Sticks

Most bar training programs do not fail because the material is bad.They fail because there is no system.In this episode, Chris breaks down why handing someone a binder, recipe book, or checklist is not the same as training them.He walks through the three biggest gaps most bars have: knowledge, product, and accountability.Then he explains how to build a training structure around the first week, the first month, and ongoing development.If your staff has the material but still does not know the standard, the problem is not the binder.It is the system behind it.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 15, 2026Episode 2438 min

How to Fix Guest Complaints Before They Become Bad Reviews

Most unhappy guests will never complain. They will just leave.And if your team is not paying attention, you may not know there was a problem until the review shows up or the guest never comes back.In this episode, Chris breaks down how to spot guest issues before they are spoken and how to handle complaints in the moment.Because a guest who complains is not always the problem.Sometimes they are giving you one last chance to fix it.If your team is not reading the room or asking better questions, you are probably missing patterns that cost you repeat business.Bad nights happen. But bad nights handled well can become loyalty stories.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 10, 2026Episode 24222 min

How to Increase Perceived Value in Your Bar

When guests say your bar is too expensive, they may not be talking about price.They may be talking about value.In this episode, I talk about perceived value: the gap between what guests pay and what they feel they received.We break down where guests form that value judgment, from your Google profile and first 90 seconds to your menu, staff language, physical touch points, table checks, and send-off.Because price is just the number on the menu.Value is the story your whole bar tells before, during, and after the visit.If guests are coming in less often, spending less, or saying things feel too pricey, this episode is for you.Your prices may not be the problem.Your value signals might be.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

June 8, 2026Episode 2419 min

Why Google Reviews Matter for Bar Marketing

Your Google reviews are not just nice to have.They are one of the biggest reasons new guests choose you over the bar down the street.In this episode, I talk about why most bar owners wait for good reviews to happen instead of building a system that makes them happen.We break down when to ask for reviews, how to train your team to ask, why personal invitations work better than QR codes, and how to respond when a bad review shows up.If your regulars love you but your Google profile does not show it, this episode is for you.Good reviews do not happen by accident.You need a system.📌Start Here🔴If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone. Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business. → https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation 📌Additional resources 🔴Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here: → https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/