Organizing a birthday party may seem intimidating initially, but it becomes straightforward once you understand what you need. A birthday party at a bar is an incredible opportunity to delegate most of the work to a trusted service provider. Here are the fundamental things you must look out for to host an unforgettable bar birthday party.
Elements That Make a Birthday Party at a Bar Successful
There are three main things to consider for an impressive party: food, mood, and the venue. Food is the most vital of the three, so you don’t want to get this wrong.
If you’re hosting an indoor party, you can go for a formal theme with a catering service. Pick a food combination that appeals to all guests for variety. If you opt for an outdoor party, you can go more casual with barbecue, hamburgers, steaks, or hotdogs. Have delicious, affordable food from different ingredients like shrimp, pork, chicken, and veggies.
Set the mood with carefully selected decor, lighting, and music. Sample an array of adult birthday party ideas. A relaxing birthday party can feature ambient warm lighting, soft music like jazz, and a soothing background; all these will help your guests relax, eat, and have a comfortable conversation for several hours. You can incorporate fancy cutlery and high-end tablescapes and decor to bump up the mood.
Conversely, a lively, wild birthday party at a bar will be the opposite. It may feature loud music, preferably rock, house, electro, or dance genres, that signal your guests that it will be a night of dancing. You can have simple decor and some plastic cups and plates to avoid the hectic job of cleaning up.
Lastly, the venue speaks volumes about the type of party you’re hosting before the guests arrive. You can hold a casual birthday party at a bar, and this tells your guests it’s a carefree environment where they can let loose. On the other hand, you can host a formal birthday party at a high-end restaurant where you’ll serve delectable foods to your guests in a chilled environment.
How to Host a Fantastic Birthday Party at a Bar
One primary consideration for hosting a fantastic birthday party at a bar is to pick a suitable venue from the potentially wide selection of bars to host a birthday party. The venue should have multiple activities you and your guests can engage in. Sitting or standing around all night is boring. You want a place with speakeasy bar decor and different activities like a pool table, karaoke, a dance floor, and other gaming stations.
Such a venue allows your guests to walk around throughout the night, which means they’ll also mingle amongst themselves as they play, sing, or dance together. Bonus points if you manage to secure a venue with an outdoor area during your birthday bar crawl. Outdoor bars allow you to catch great views, breathe some fresh air, or hang out amid the incredible outdoor lighting.
Next, you need to get a bar already used to hosting parties because they have the capacity and resources to serve your guests satisfactorily. When scouting for bars to host a birthday party, ask about their party options, for example, the party menus, table setups, catering, and more. You want a vendor who knows what they’re doing and has options to help you make decisions. In most cases, they likely remind you of some party features you may not think of but are essential for the event.
Have a guestlist ready early on if you’re going to host a birthday party at a bar. Look at your bidet and estimate how many people you can host without stretching yourself too thin. Use this list to send invitations and be clear on whether the guests can bring a plus one. Also, ask them to confirm early on so that you can know how much space to reserve at the bar.
Key Strategies for Hosting a Memorable Birthday Party at a Bar
Planning is a fundamental strategy for hosting a memorable birthday event. Planning a birthday party at a bar includes selecting the guestlist, venue, food options, setup, transportation, and any relevant logistics. Once you have a concrete plan, communicate it effectively to your guests. Will you foot the bill, or will they pay for their drinks? What time is the event? Who is the contact person for logistics? Let them know early on.
Secondly, you can create a memorable experience by having a theme for your party. A theme is fun for you and your guests as they’ll have to get outside their comfort zone to find the right outfits for the event. For instance, you can have a Harry Potter theme, the Eighties Groove, Aqualand, and more. They’ll remember a speakeasy-themed party or scouting for a mermaid outfit for an aqua theme or the perfect pants for an eighties theme.
Another incredible strategy is making the event a group experience- this is especially helpful if your friends don’t know each other. Have them engage in group activities and games to break the ice and create familiarity. If you’re going to sit for the meal, have name tags on the table, making sure the guests don’t wrap in their smaller groups sitting next to the people they already know.
Go the extra mile to have a drop-off service, which is something overlooked by many hosts. When people plan a party, they assume that each guest knows how to get to the venue and how they’ll go back home. While this is common and even expected, you can create memories by having one guest volunteer to drop off anyone who can’t drive themselves home or use a cab service. This arrangement will put most of them at ease so no one will rush to leave the party because they’re worried it will get too late.
The Best Way to Kick Off a Birthday Gathering
Once your guests have arrived, you can kick off the party by having a simple yet funny introduction session. Have the guests introduce themselves by name, say something unique about them, do a funny dance or say a small joke. Pick the activity based on your crowd. For instance, if most of your friends are shy or introverted, they won’t be thrilled about doing a funny dance but will be okay stating something unique about themselves.
You can also have a quick drink prepared for every guest when they arrive. Have options for guests who take alcohol and those who don’t or can’t take alcohol for various reasons- this will help them relax as they wait for the party activities to begin.
As a host, you can go around welcoming everyone and ensuring they are comfortable. Most guests will want you to join them in birthday shots at a bar, so it’s best if you walk around with your drink in hand to avoid getting too intoxicated early on in the celebration. A small chit-chat with you will likely put many guests at ease, calming nerves and setting the ground for interacting with the rest of the group.
You can have an MC if your budget and rented venue space allow. Hire a professional MC who knows how to get guests to relax and settle in. Alternatively, have one of your social friends fill in this space and act as the event facilitator.
How to Provide a Bottle Service for a Lasting Impression and Shareable Moments on Social Media
A bottle service is an exclusive booking in which guests will purchase bottles of liquor and mixers and have special bottle servers delegated to them. The emphasis is more on the special treatment they receive than the ‘bottles’ served.
To leave a lasting impression on birthday guests, you can give bottle service clients some perks like an exclusive seating area. Separate the area from the rest of the bar using ropes, private cabanas, luxurious upholstery, or an elevated dais. These features communicate importance and preferential treatment. They also allow the group to take nice pictures for social media even if the rest of the bar is crowded.
Elevate the social media experience for them by giving them VIP treatment. For instance, allow them to post about how they skipped the long queue, got escorted to their table, or had a shout-out from the DJ when they walked into the bar. Also, have experienced bottle servers to upsell them more drink options that show your high-end options, which earn you extra points on social media.
How to Make Your Bar an Attractive Option for Private Events and Birthday Parties
Invest a lot into your online experience, as this is the first impression most guests will have when looking for a bar for their private event. Let your website and social media pages highlight beautiful pictures of the place and, most importantly, the events you host. Let your viewers know you have extensive experience hosting private events and birthday parties to build trust.
Closely related is the marketing of your games, discounts, and themed nights. Potential clients who want to host a birthday party at a bar are looking for something more than a venue to catch a drink at; show them your fun and unique events, which help guests socialize easily. Also, personalize your space so that it attracts your intended clients.
What Days or Time Slots Are Most Suitable for Event Reservations
Some of the most suitable dates for reservations are Fridays and all through the weekend. Also expect more bookings during the holiday season and public holidays, because more people have time off work. You can get the most out of these days by scheduling unique activities like karaoke, which attracts clients who want a birthday party at a bar.
How to Curate a Drink Menu for Birthday Celebrations
Birthday parties bring together different kinds of people, and your drink menu should appeal to most or all. Look at your beverage menu and select some of the most popular cross-sections of spirits. They may include vodka cocktails, gin and whisky drinks, tequilas, and rum options. Balance off the flavors to feature some sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, and fruity options.
It would help to have a bartender competition to make some classic and signature cocktails for the guests. Mixing up the options to include margaritas and mojitos will meet the needs of guests looking for traditional drinks and those who want to try out something new. Pay attention to the non-alcoholic drink options, and have some creative mocktails and spirit-free cocktails.
Conclusion
Hosting a birthday party at a bar is straightforward when you have the correct information. A memorable birthday party must have a remarkable venue, a creative theme, great food, and the right mood. Create the right atmosphere with good music, many activities, some VIP treatment, and a well-curated drinks menu.