A night out with friends is supposed to offer an unrivaled reprieve from home and work. This much-needed break can quickly turn into a headache if you’re slowing everyone else down. When everyone else is in line to get in, you’re trying to pay the taxi driver with a credit card. When everyone else is grabbing a table, you’re still at the bar entering your debit pin number into the point-of-sale device. Worse yet, as they are leaving tip in the form of a few dollar bills, you’re waiting for the server to come back so you can write your tip down on the merchant’s copy of the receipt. Add it all up and from the business perspective, ATM merchant services in the bar and nightclub industry offer solutions your patrons are in desperate need of.
According to the American Nightlife Association (ANA), food and drink sales in the U.S. exceed $710 billion and “the average consumer order 2.3 drinks per occasion, with males ordering more than females and millennials ordering more than the older consumers.” Additional data from the ANA notes that a “cover charge” can range anywhere from $5 for a “local bar event,” $10 for “guest list cover” and $20 entry fees “for concert or performance-style events.” It almost goes without saying that people pay cover charges in cash and with an ATM out front of your spot, you’ll be providing that cash and increasing income as a result.
One upcoming industry event, the Gentlemen’s Club Expo, will focus on all things nightclub-related. This includes seminars on topics like re-evaluating music formats, new event concepts, attracting new generations of younger patrons, proper planning and event execution procedures and even way to stop a shooting from occurring inside the premises. Speakers, guests and those who’ll be attending due to being in a relevant industry are taking serious steps toward improving their offerings and learning about the latest in bar and club trends.
Bars and nightclubs looking to capitalize on this information should look into ATM merchant services as a way to streamline every aspect of an operation. Businesses can install an ATM and see increased foot traffic, profits and customers while saving employees time and providing better customer service as a result. Companies that offer ATM merchant services have reported the average machine doing 2,000 to 5,000 transactions monthly and even up to 10,000 transactions per month. Moreover, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) depreciation tax codes allow for an up to $19,500 write-off for the year that an ATM is installed so overall savings can be further boosted. All in all, there are few reasons for bars and nightclubs to not have an ATM installed. Otherwise, the risk is sending away patrons with the famous last words, “Oh, there’s an ATM across the street” and expecting them to come back.