18 Bar Promotions with Drink Tokens
- 2 for 1 Drink Special (1 drink + 1 token)
- Recurring Drink Token Night
- Drink Token Bundles
- Cover Charge Includes Drink Tokens
- Drink Token Giveaways for Sunday’s Game
- Free Drink Token with Food Purchase
- Rain Checks
- Drink Token Replacement for the Proud Father
Cigar
- Random Drink Token on the House
- Separate the Server from the Cash with a Token
Cashier
- Special Event and/or Holiday Commemorative
Drink Tokens
- Fund Raiser Commemorative Tokens
- Multi-Use VIP Pass Tokens
- Single-Use VIP Pass Tokens
- Commemorative Event Tickets
- Sell Directly as Souvenirs
- Drink Tokens as Contest Giveaways
- Free Appetizer Tokens

2 for 1 Drink Special (1 drink + 1 token)
This is the standard 2 for 1 special, but instead of setting down 2
drinks on the table (one of which will be warm by the time the customer
gets to it), you give the customer 1 drink and 1 souvenir-quality SmartBar
token which can redeemed later that same day or on a future date…
or just kept as a souvenir.
Recurring Drink Token Night
Have one night a week (or month) where souvenir-quality SmartBar tokens
are purchased from a non-bar cashier and all drinks must be purchased
from the bar with tokens. They can be sold individually or perhaps only
in $10 or $20 bundles (at a discounted per drink price or not). Tokens
can be printed to indicate they are only redeemable on that night each
week, which has many tertiary benefits such as: tokens sitting on dressers
at home will build repeat business on a targeted slow weeknight, and
the constrained redemption window means more tokens will become souvenirs
that never return.
Drink Token Bundles
This can be a periodic special or something that is always available.
The idea is a simple volume discount up sell. Let the customer decide
between paying $4 per drink one at a time or paying $30 for a bundle
of ten tokens (25% discount). While this presents a modest value proposition
to an individual patron who frequents the place, it will attract large
groups who can take advantage of the shared buying power. Additionally,
the larger the increment of the bundle, the larger the unused remainder
is going to be that walks out the door (and may never return).
Cover Charge Includes Drink Tokens
Bundling a free drink or two into the cover charge is a staple value-proposition
that many bars utilize today, especially in entertainment venues. Using
drink tokens just improves this already profitable model. Why use disposable
raffle style tickets as drink coupons when you can use SmartBar’s
souvenir-quality drink tokens where X% will walk out the door as extremely
high-margin souvenirs (not to mention the free marketing aspect). Tokens
can even be customized for particular events as commemoratives.
Drink Token Giveaways for Sunday’s Game
An easy way to promote your sports fan crowd for a particular game or
day of the week is to offer Sunday’s game drink tokens as a bonus
during your weekly happy hour or another busy time. Every happy hour
martini gets a souvenir-quality “Redeemable Sunday during the
game” SmartBar drink token. Some will come in on Sunday to redeem
the tokens, some will pass them onto sports fan friends, and some will
just disappear as souvenirs. You win either way.
Free Drink Token with Food Purchase
Another long standing up sell is to bundle a free drink with your meal
purchase. It’s simply upping the value-proposition to the customer
while only marginally increase the costs by adding a high-margin product
to a low margin one. Give a SmartBar drink token instead of a forced
drink and that benefit becomes more attractive to a good percentage
of your food customers as the token is: 1) transferrable to a friend
for non-drinkers and designated drivers, 2) time shifting to another
time for those that simply don’t want another drink right now,
and 3) just a really cool souvenir for tourists and local collectors.
Rain Checks
This is why bar tokens were invented in the first place – to remedy
the situation where someone buys a round and half the recipients still
have a full or half-full drink in front of them. Instead of forcing
everyone to drink up, the token gives them a marker for a future drink
(and they don’t even have to redeem it that night if they’ve
already had enough). The added benefit is that this allows the bartender
to recognize the generosity of the buyer, even if the recipient needs
to be cut-off. They can use the token another night.
Drink Token Replacement for the Proud Father Cigar
With smoking (especially smoking in a bar or restaurant) becoming such
a hot potato as of late, a souvenir-quality SmartBar drink token is
an ideal replacement for the age old tradition of the proud new father
handing out cigars to commemorate the birth of a child. Recipients can
get a drink to toast the event, or even keep the token to commemorate
the event. If you want to initiate the tradition at your local establishment,
have both some baby blue and pink tokens on hand at all times and make
it known to your regulars. Helping regular patrons share moments like
these in your place will cement your establishment’s reputation
in the community, plus be the first place they think of for bringing
the celebration.
Random Drink Token on the House
Bar owners know well the business-building value of giving away the
occasional drink on the house. SmartBar souvenir-quality drink tokens
add a new dimension to this time-honored tradition because where a drink
is consumed and largely forgotten, a nice drink token can be kept as
a commemorative. The customer, who just landed the great new job, gets
generously offered a free drink token by your bartender. Depending on
their mood, they might well choose to keep the token to commemorate
the life milestone. Suddenly, your establishment is permanently associated
with that milestone.
Separate the Server from the Cash with a Token Cashier
Keeping the cash collection in one place and the serving in another
is a viable theft protection method. This works especially well for
establishments with a transient staff or for one-time events where bringing
in outside untested help is necessary.
Special Event and/or Holiday Commemorative Drink Tokens
Help your patrons commemorate great bar holidays (Cinco de Mayo, St.
Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest, Mardi Gras, etc.) and collective life
milestones (retirements, college graduations, sports events, etc.) with
a date stamped souvenir-quality SmartBar drink tokens, and make a healthy
profit in the process. Regularly put out a new token every year and
kick off a new tradition that will keep the locals coming back every
year to get the new design and add it to their collection.
Fund Raiser Commemorative Tokens
The many uses of SmartBar tokens go well beyond just that of drink currency.
Our beautiful full-color souvenir-quality tokens are ideal to be used
as durable and easily portable commemorative pieces. Offer to co-brand
them with local charities or just locals patrons in need to raise money.
Sell them at $5 piece or more with 100% of the proceeds going to the
charity, and have your establishment host and sell food and beverage
for the event. Permanently intertwine your establishment’s name
and reputation in the community.
Multi-Use VIP Pass Tokens
This is a non-drink use of our SmartBar tokens where the proprietor
or staff can selectively give out (or alternatively sell) “pass
the line” or “special section access” VIP tokens to
individuals or groups that you want to encourage repeat business with.
Circulation can be controlled by having expiration dates printed on
the tokens or using different color tokens every few months .
Single-Use VIP Pass Tokens
This is a non-drink use of our SmartBar tokens where event promoters
can drum up a selective crowd outside of your premises by giving out
(or selling) single-use VIP event flyers on a token that double as entry
tickets. Their portability (slip them in a pocket like change) make
them far better than flyers for pass along marketing.
Commemorative Event Tickets
A durable, full-color branded ticket solution for events at your establishment.
Sell them once when the ticket is purchased and collect them at entry
to avoid duplicate use. Then hand them out (or sell them off at a healthy
profit) as commemoratives once the event is winding down.
Sell Directly as Souvenirs
At a retail price of $2 or more per token, it’s a highly profitable
souvenir alternative to matchbooks, or an extremely portable souvenir
alternative t-shirts, shot glasses, and beer mugs. This model works
great in locations with lots of tourists.
Drink Tokens as Contest Giveaways
To drum up excitement and foot traffic, establishments can stage periodic
or regular events where individual drink tokens or bundles as given
away as prizes in bar game competitions or drawings. An alternative
is to partner with local radio stations and let them use your bar’s
drink (or food) tokens as giveaways. Just like rebates or coupons, you
can generously give away $100 in drink tokens and only count on only
X% getting redeemed.
Free Appetizer Tokens
SmartBar tokens, while traditionally used as drink coupons, work equally
as well when used as food tokens. Try a 2 for 1 appetizer special where
the customer gets one appetizer and one token good for another later
that day or on another day. Just like with bar tokens, the portability
of a token and its ability to transfer the time of an incentive translate
into a huge value add to the customer plus a good percentage of the
tokens walk out the door and never return. And if they do return, they
typically bring a customer with money in his/her pocket and likely a
group of friends in tow.
First Time Buyer Special
– 120% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not elated with your purchase for any reason, we’ll
refund your money plus 20% on any returned tokens
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