Irish Pub Concept by Guinness, pub owners, franchise opportunity

While many publicans say their businesses have an intangible ingredient that can't be fully explained in words, they point to seven critical success factors: Location, Irish staff, Irish music, Irish food and drink, Irish pub design, sound management and positive environment.

Location, Location, Location

It is important to find the right site - or maybe the site you already have is in prime shape to be redesigned into an authentic Irish pub. It's helpful if your location has plenty of Irish Pub Concept target customers. How will you know if you're in the right market for Irish target customers? Our Site Location Finder will clue you in. Another site, www.realtor.org, can also be helpful in finding the perfect site.

Irish Staff + Your Irish Pub = An Authentic Irish Experience.

Although it is possible to recreate the feel of a true Irish pub without Irish staff - we don't recommend it. No Irish pub is complete without the friendly warmth, humor and advice of a true Irish bartender. To recreate the friendly service expected in Ireland, pub operators adhere to a simple rule: Know a customer's name by his second visit and his drink by the third. Click here for staff resource suggestions.

Stout and a Song

No pub is complete without the sounds of Irish music. There's even a word for the special sound that is created when the buzzing hum of happy patrons is heard over classic Irish Music - it's called "Craic." The Irish pub relies on both live and recorded performances. Even the background tunes are considered so essential to the atmosphere that operators use sophisticated sound systems. We recommend, DMX's Profusion X, which bases music selections according to time/energy of day so they can be harmonized with the mood and pace of the clientele. These systems include computerized updates over the Internet.

True Irish Food & Drink

Although profit margins are higher on drinks than food, a true Irish pub uses food to drive beverage sales, having recognized an important cultural difference among Americans. "While Irish and Europeans socialize around drinks, U.S. society socializes around food," explains David Kelly, operator of several Irish pubs including RíRâ in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What food to serve? Never fear! Guinness has prepared an Irish Pub Food Manual full of useful facts and recipes that will instruct you on how to create hearty, reasonably priced and delicious Irish dishes. To order your Irish Pub Food Manual contact the James Import Company at infojic@jamesimportco.com. View sample page

Can you dine on traditional Irish fare without a Guinness in front of you? We think not. Authentic Irish beverages, particularly great Irish draught beers like Guinness Stout and Harp Lager, are at the heart of the Irish Pub Concept and can be large profit generators. We can advise you on which of our product lines will work best in your pub. Click here to find out how to pour the Perfect Pint

Irish Design & Build

Another key ingredient? The pub design, of course. Most of the traditional Irish pubs in the U.S. are built from the ground up by specialty firms, such as Gemmell Griffin and Dunbar (GGD), the John Duffy Design Group, The Irish Pub Company, Sonas Design, all based in Dublin, and O'Sullivan Interiors of Waterford. These firms recreate the warmth of an Irish pub using the same materials and designs that have stood for centuries in Ireland. The styles vary from rustic, with whitewashed décor and stone floors, to Victorian, with lavish interiors of gilded mirrors, rich mosaics and polished timbers. Every detail of every pub is designed and crafted in Ireland, shipped directly to your site and installed in either your existing or brand new location. Click here to view D&B companies.

Good Management

Manage your way to success. Every business-savvy person knows leadership skills, hands-on experience, marketing, accounting and financial knowledge are important qualities that a good manager needs. Still, a solid management team that has a love and understanding of the Irish Pub Concept will add greatly to your success. You can attend an Operations Management Training Course in Dublin, home of Guinness in order to learn more about managing your Irish Pub. Click here to see the table of contents.

Positive Environment

Did you know that when a mixed group of men and women visit your Irish Pub, the women will decide if the group at large will stay in your pub for any length of time? Women do not like Irish pubs that are too cramped, smoky, noisy, dirty or a place where the staff is not friendly and helpful. Guinness has commissioned research to find out what customers are looking for from their favorite Irish pub, and they found that the five areas below were the difference between keeping and losing customers. These areas are:

Air Quality
Cleanliness of bar and toilets
Music
Staff
Food offering

For more information about the environment of your Irish pub, click here.