It’s easy to assume that the holiday season is a prime time of year for hospitality businesses. People are in a festive mood, groups of coworkers and friends need a place to gather for celebrations, and tourism spikes in certain particularly festive cities. But those who work in the field know that those assumptions don’t always connect to reality, especially during challenging economic periods. When guests are worried about high costs in general—and you then add on the cost of gifts, meal ingredients, and travel—it can take some convincing to get them to grab a drink at a local bar.
That’s where holiday pop-ups come in. These activations use big, colorful, and very photogenic displays (along with thematic cocktails) to draw in guests who want to immerse themselves in seasonal fun and post fun and visually compelling content on Instagram and TikTok. Holiday pop-ups have become something of a phenomenon in the post-COVID era, but what exactly do they entail, how can they be executed effectively, and what long-term benefits can they yield for participating bars? We asked pop-up bar owners to weigh in, and here’s what they had to tell us.
During a season when business can be erratic, holiday pop-ups give bars a chance to stand out.
The busy nature of the holiday season (in addition to the cost-related reasons we previously mentioned) can make it tough to justify a night out at a bar. As a result, many local watering holes see their business wane or waver during November and December. But when bars lean into the silly and nostalgic aspects of the season and introduce menu specials that reflect nostalgic holiday joy, this becomes an easy “hook” to draw in more guests.
Clem Cowan, general manager of The Jones Oyster Co. in Greenville, South Carolina, tells us that The Jones Oyster Co. (along with their fellow restaurants in the Table 301 Hospitality Group) adds holiday items. Examples include The Hangry Elf (a cocktail with vanilla vodka, peppermint schnapps, chocolate liqueur, half-and-half, and a peppermint rim); and The Buddy (a spaghetti dish inspired by the 2003 film “Elf” with marshmallow, M&Ms, crushed Pop-Tarts, and maple syrup) to make a splash on social media, which can then result in better bar traffic. “In a city like ours with more than 200 dining options within a single mile, we always have to find ways to stay top of mind. We've seen how many diners come in because they see the daily special on Instagram or because they want to celebrate National Whatever Day with us, and holiday features are another extension of that,” Cowan says.
The Jones Oyster Co. eagerly embraces social media both for their own marketing and for the guest experience. “We live in a world where everyone wants to post about everything they do—and often the craziest, most over-the-top dishes and cocktails are what draw interest from a restaurant standpoint. We also live in a world where everyone wants to star in their own personal made-for-tv holiday movie. Combining those two realities gives us a huge opportunity during the holiday season for guests to check off their holiday bucket lists,” Cowan insists. In order to maximize these customer desires, Cowan believes that “the key is really going all in; if you half-do it, it's not effective. Go big, and then go even bigger. And play on nostalgia; that definitely helps too.”
Pop-up companies like Miracle, Sippin’ Santa, and Black Lagoon can help bars transform for the holidays and draw in customers.
Bars can certainly put up elaborate decorations and introduce thematic specials on their own, but there can be advantages to teaming up with a company that specializes in festive bar transformations. A prime example is Miracle & Sippin’ Santa, one business that operates two holiday-themed pop-up concepts (Miracle is more about nostalgic and gleefully-cheesy Christmas decor, while Sippin’ Santa has a Tiki-bar slant). Bars all over the country can team up with Miracle & Sippin’ Santa to offer elaborate holiday visuals and cocktails, and because this company has maintained a strong presence in many urban markets for almost 10 years, the association can help bars drum up additional end-of-year business.
“My brother Tom and I were in [New York City] doing some cocktail R&D back in 2017 when a friend said they had one more spot they wanted us to check out, which happened to be Miracle on Ninth. I love Christmas, so it was right up my alley. But once we tasted the cocktails and saw the attention to detail, I knew it was something special,” says Dean Maroulakos, owner of Skopos Hospitality in New Jersey (which operates three Miracle collaborations in Nutley, Jersey City, and Verona). He goes on to explain that “Tom made the comment that [Miracle] gave you the feeling you had on Christmas morning [as kids], but for adults.”
For Chris Frosaker, owner of The Tiki Easy Bar in Asheville, North Carolina, collaborating with Sippin’ Santa seemed like a natural choice because “I had attended a few Sippin’ Santa pop-ups at other Tiki bars across the country, and I was blown away by how busy they were during this time and how engaged all of the customers were.”
If you’re a bar owner who prefers “Spooky Season” to the December holiday month, then Black Lagoon—a Halloween pop-up concept created by veteran bartenders Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes that currently operates in over 30 US cities and 6 Canadian cities—may be more up your alley. This pop-up works with bars to design visual makeovers to fit an eerie Gothic theme with a bit of rock & metal edge, and Ramage & Hayes painstakingly develop premium cocktails to suit the creepy vibe (examples from this year include the Griselda’s Revenge with gin, vermouth, mango liqueur, tarragon, lemon, Thai spice bitters, and soda and the Corpse Flower with blanco tequila, ube, banana liqueur, Amontillado sherry, and lime).
According to Matt Snapp, executive vice president of Barter & Shake Concepts in Arizona (which hosts Black Lagoon at Sunny’s in Phoenix), the response to Black Lagoon “has been incredible. Guests love the energy and sense of occasion these pop-ups bring — they create excitement, drive word of mouth, and make for memorable experiences that people want to share. For many, it’s a chance to see their favorite cocktail bar in a completely different light, which strengthens loyalty and keeps people coming back.”
Black Lagoon also urges participating bars to create programming that fits into the theme, and Lady Jane in Denver, Colorado takes that advice fully to heart. “We bring our signature flair with drag performances and costumes. People dive right in, and the energy is amazing. Some of our best—and certainly most unforgettable—nights have come from these pop-ups and parties, when the bar is slammed from open to close,” says Lady Jane partner and general manager Stuart Weaver.
Bars that occupy spaces that are already intricately designed can use Black Lagoon as an excuse to dive even further into their aesthetic with a fun ghostly angle. For example, Melrose Umbrella Co.—a participating bar in Los Angeles–”has always leaned into vintage, timeless décor—the bar feels like it’s been around for 100 years. Halloween gives us the chance to make those classic elements feel haunted. With Black Lagoon, we can build a journey through the venue: from a haunted manor to a cemetery inside, through a spider lair, and into a full Black Lagoon immersion in our outdoor back courtyard,” explains Austin Melrose, co-Founder & managing partner at Umbrella Hospitality Group (which operates Melrose Umbrella Co.).
Melrose’s company also owns a “cozy neighborhood bar in Culver City” known as The Corner Door, and Melrose anticipates that their Black Lagoon transformation this year “will be equally fun–taking something familiar and making it otherworldly. It [can] introduce the bar to new guests and a surprising treat to our regulars.” To the latter point, Black Lagoon uses its social media platforms (they have nearly 17,000 followers on Instagram) to boost its partner bars and get the word out to those who’ve visited Black Lagoon activations in other cities, giving the bars an easy opportunity to expand their customer base.
For Megan Rickerson, owner of Someday Bar in Brooklyn, New York, getting her bar involved with Black Lagoon came with both excitement and a bit of hesitation. “When we first started, I wondered how it would be received by some of our quieter regulars or the ones that had kids,” she says. Luckily, “everyone loved it. We found out our chill neighborhood LOVES Halloween. It was really nice to see people lean into it and embrace their inner weirdos. Additionally, this brought in so many people that had never walked through our doors.”
In terms of sales, Rickerson says that “we had our best Halloween EVER at Someday Bar last year doing Black Lagoon. This year, Halloween is on a Friday, [so] I have already begun to mentally and physically prepare. I am purchasing more decor this year, and I am up to six storage boxes of decor and counting. Reminder - we are in Brooklyn where storage is limited, but it’s so worth it for us monetarily and makes my spooky little soul so happy.”
For best results, be sure to staff appropriately and don’t be afraid to market assertively on social media.
From a financial standpoint, all of our interviewed bar owners agreed that holiday pop-ups (whether self-created or operated in collaboration with a third-party group) are entirely worth the effort. “These activations not only deliver a short-term revenue boost but also long-term benefits. The Black Lagoon pop-up brings new guests through our doors and builds awareness for our bar through press coverage and social media buzz,” Matt Snapp tells us.
Austin Melrose adds that “themed activations have historically boosted foot traffic and revenue by offering a reason to visit beyond ‘just a drink’. In a climate where people are going out less often, providing a unique experience encourages them to make the trip. These partnerships allow us to cross-pollinate with other creative teams, performers and vendors to build awareness and support for all, creating momentum that extends beyond the pop-up.”
To make the most of your holiday pop-up, be sure to post plenty of content on your social media platforms both in the weeks leading up to the activation and throughout the pop-up’s run. Also, Chris Frosaker urges you to remember that, if you take this step, “you WILL be busy. Make sure to staff up compared to your normal operations.”
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