Thirsty for Growth? Become a Drink Franchise Owner!

Drink franchise opportunities are part of the American landscape and can present a future owner with the tools for business development. All it takes is a little information and guidance to get started.

The essentials of drink businesses
How to build a bar franchise designed for growth
Becoming a drink business owner
What to look for in a drink franchise

This guide helps you take the first steps and shows you what’s involved in launching your career in the bar business.

1. Drink Franchise Essentials: What to Know

When considering business opportunities, it’s always best to begin with the big picture. So, what is a drink franchise, what’s the industry’s history, and what makes the business a promising option for potential owners?

A drink business can be any enterprise selling drinks of any kind, but for franchise purposes, we’re looking primarily at the bar industry. It’s a business with a history longer than that of the nation itself, and it has a presence and customers in almost every community of any size.

A Modern Business Built for Expansion

As the nation has grown and evolved, so has the bar industry alongside it, always with an eye toward innovation. Today’s drinks businesses cover the spectrum, with a wide range of approaches and targeting guests from all walks of life.

That flexible mindset has helped create an industry built to grow through tough and good times. It’s powered expansion over the past five years with a compound annual growth rate of 2.1%, and that growth is expected to continue over the next five years.

2. How to Connect with a Drink Franchise Designed to Grow

The wide variety of bar franchises means that prospective owners have many options when searching for the brand that best speaks to them and their take on business. Have a list of essential features to look for to filter through those options.

Start with a few must-haves for a likely bar business and eliminate the candidates that don’t meet those criteria. This can quickly narrow the choices down to the most promising ones and help position a new owner for business expansion.

Entertainment, Menu, and Superior Customer Service

When customers go to a bar to relax with friends, they look for an environment that encourages playtime and entertains them wherever they look. Look for a bar business that understands this need and gives every guest the best seat in the house for the big game, with big-screen televisions on every wall and a menu of bar grill favorites.

Also, the best drink franchise businesses recognize that the bar industry is a people business. Therefore, find a franchise that insists upon superior customer care at every point in the process and backs that up with official policies that help ensure every guest has a quality experience.

3. Becoming a Drink Franchise Owner

Now that we’ve established some basic parameters for bar businesses to look into further, it’s time to get to know the industry better. What kind of drink business is right for you?

The first consideration should be the type of bar you want to become a part of. Cocktail bars focusing on drink variety and specialties, no-frills “dive bar”-style establishments, pubs, wine bars, sports bars, and many other genres and flavors are all popular and common options for franchising.

Investment Levels and More

For many future franchise owners, financial concerns take priority above everything else. Bar type can significantly impact investment pricing, so consider that when digging into a franchise’s business details.

There are a number of additional factors that can impact investment levels as well. Regional costs, location, real estate, and other considerations can influence pricing — get to know the Franchise Disclosure Documents for the brands of interest to learn their specific investment ranges and options.

4. What Future Owners Should Look for in a Drink Franchise

Becoming a franchise owner is a serious commitment of time and resources, and it’s critical to connect with a brand that recognizes that fact and centers its business around owner development. It can be a foundation for growth and a guiding force for the franchise.

Look for leadership that dedicates itself to the business and especially to its franchise owners. They should be constantly present throughout every owner’s franchising experience and have the expertise and industry knowledge to act as advisors and mentors.

Owner Support from Day One

Onboarding onto a franchise can be a challenging prospect for a new owner. The brand’s franchise team can help them along the way and lend them their experience to anticipate and avoid potential issues, guide their site selection and buildout, and give them training and access to their business model.

Franchise support shouldn’t end when the doors open for business. Be sure to pick a brand that provides ongoing assistance, is available for guidance whenever needed, and offers continuing education and onsite visits to help the new business get established and grow.

Become a Drink Franchise Owner with Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill

Franchise ownership with Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill places you in a growing brand with the tools for expansion and a vision for the industry’s future.

Our customer care approach and a menu of crave-able favorites help ensure every guest gets an experience they’ll want to return to enjoy again, and our owner support means we’ve always got your back.

Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill is expanding into new territories, and we’re looking for potential owners to come with us as we grow.