To celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, pubs and bars will be allowed to stay open and serve alcohol two hours longer until 1am, 2 hours longer than usual.
This offers a great opportunity for your pub or bar to capitalise on the special day.
What do I need to know?
If you already have a premises licence for the sale of alcohol until 11pm, this will automatically extend until 1am for both Friday 18th and Saturday 19th May – without any application or request for the extension.Combined with the fact that this is also the FA Cup Final weekend, it means you have an extra two hours on what could be one of the booziest nights of the year.
How can I make the most of it?
There are a few things you can do to make sure you fully capitalise on the Royal Wedding celebrations.
Keep on reading for some tips and tricks on how you can make the Weekend your best one yet.
Spread the word
Not everyone is going to know about the extended opening hours – so it’s vital you do some promotion before the weekend. It’s about getting people excited and giving them enough time to plan a later night. The last thing you want is people going home early because they haven’t cancelled their 8am yoga session the next morning.Get some signs up around your bar advertising the event and the extra hours, and make sure your staff are telling customers. Get on social media. Put up a blackboard outside.
This Olympia pavement board is the perfect way to advertise the extended hours. And with varnishing for weather resistance, you can use it for years to come on more events.
Check out this article on how to market your restaurant for some more ideas.
Special day, special deals
While you’re there, put some drinks deals on your signs too. People will expect and appreciate deals for special events.Pop open the champagne!
Put up the bunting
Decorations are a great way to get people in the mood. We’re talking union jacks, crowns, bunting, Harry and Meghan portraits. Put them up inside, but especially put them up outside so passers-by will know where the party is.God Save the Queen
Music – another great mood enhancer. There are lots of royal songs out there, from our glorious national anthem, to the more divisive God Save the Queen.
Get the tunes blaring, get the drinks flowing.
Give your menu a regal injection, with a collection of dishes fit for a king. Your royalist regulars will be delighted with union jack pastries and coronation chicken sandwiches. Even if you don’t normally serve food, serving some simple royal-themed snacks can be a great way to create excitement – and something to be chased down by a beer.
Be prepared
Do you have enough crockery and glassware? Don’t underestimate just how busy the weekend could be. If you completely run out of plates or glasses, that’s your service coming to dead stop. There are always great crockery and glassware deals in our clearance and special offers.For most parts of the UK, the forecast has predicted warm and sunny weather for both Friday and Saturday. And this really could be the factor that absolutely sends sales through the roof. So, make sure your outdoor seating areas are up to scratch. Think about new garden and outdoor furniture, plastic cups and glasses, and even barbecues.
Any excuse
Even if people aren’t that bothered about the royals, let’s face it: most will take any excuse to have a drink. And along with the football and the weather, the weekend really is shaping up to be a bumper one.Drink responsibly!
By Nick Adams
"Whether enjoying a traditional classic in my favourite gastropub, or savouring the salivating tastes of a summertime cocktail, there’s nothing I like better than discovering new food and drink."
