If you have never seen any of the Fog and Smog films, you are welcome. These guys were introduced to me by Ryan Pastorek who is the same gentleman that introduced me to The Daily Pint, to which I am eternally grateful. Fog and Smog lampoon, via music video, pop culture targets. At least the bar industry has risen to the hight of being lampooned.
Now for people in the industry it is easy to get defensive about these things, but that really does not do justice to what you see here. There is a perception by many in the general public that craft cocktail bars and the people who inhabit them are pretentious overly fussy nerds. Well here’s a news flash lots of industries have their prejudices. Sommeliers are arrogant belittling trolls that intimidate and manipulate their patrons. It is important to know how your industry is viewed so that you can work diligently to make sure that you and your operation do not touch the stereotypes that immediately put CUSTOMERS on the defensive. Remember that everyday you suit up, you represent more than yourself or your employer. You represent the industry as a whole, and that is important and here is why.
No industry becomes truly profitable just appealing to its core demographic. In the NFL there are 4 times as many viewers outside the outside the US than in. Women make up 45% of NFL viewership but account for 65% of dollars spent on NFL. If Las Vegas did nothing but appeal to gamblers the Bellagio would have never been built. In our industry, only 22% of people who drink alcohol regularly list spirits as their drink of choice. You need to keep your lights on with your core fans, but it is going to be capturing the once a month guests that will drive the profits, and it is these guests that are most influenced by these negative industry stereotypes.