Mullinax said. "They help us build
faithful customers."
Bar industry magazine
tracks coin-ops
Although owners like Mullinax
might look to games more for their
entertainment value, there is evidence
from some bar-industry observers
that the revenues from those games
might soon be considered more criti-
cally as to their contribution to bottom
lines .
"More and more bars are having to
find alternate ways to make money ,"
said James Daniels, an editor of Night
Club & Bar magazine.
According to Daniels, local legisla-
tion is putting an end to traditional
tavern attractions. Communities from
coast to coast are outlawing promo-
tions that encourage excessive drink -
ing.
"Outlawing two-for -one happy-
hour promotions started in New
England about a year ago," he said ,
adding that the trend is spreading.
"You'd have to call it at least a small
movement."
The push to moderation also is
being helped along by growing con-
cern over personal health as well ·as
rigid enforcement of drunk-driving
laws.
"People are getting scared about
driving drunk ," Daniels said. "And
bars are very concerned with third -
party liability laws."
According to Daniels, 37 states
have enacted legislation that makes
bar owners and operators responsible
fo r the automobile accidents of cus-
tomers who leave their establishments
drunk.
But, Daniels pointed out, better
bar owners are not complaining. Many
are happy not to have to compete with
two-for -one drink giveaways and few
have balked at efforts to keep drunks
from wreaking havoc on the highways.
Instead, owners are trying to com-
bat slackening alcohol sales by putting
more emphasis on food and other
alternatives. According to Night Club
& Bar, food now accounts for about
65 percent of sales for U .S. establish-
ments that serve alcohol , up from 60
percent a year ago.
They also are looking to live enter-
tainment, good sound systems, attrac-
ti.ve lighting, and coin -operated
games.
"Countertop pokers and trivia
•
PLAY METER. November 15, 1985
games are very popular," indicated
Night Club & Bar Editor Laurie
Heavey. "A lot of owners also believe
the new pay telephone will be profit-
able, but they have been hesitant to
commit to any so far because of the
poor equipment that's been available.
"Your industry's going to need to
do a slick selling job on those phones,"
she said.
Bar owners have also been telling
their trade publication that jukeboxes
and video games are producing mean -
ingful revenues, as are pool tables and
dart games, especially when orga-
nized activities are built around them.
" Miller Brewing came to a recent
bar-industry trade show to promote
their tournaments as a way to offset
losses resulting from outlawed happy
hours ," Heavey noted .
Some would dump games
While some bar owners are look-
ing for coin-operated equipment to
help bolster sales, others are not so
eager.
"I see very little interest in the
games anymore ," said Mike Seligman ,
who owns and operates The Gin , an
Ole Miss -student hangout in Oxford ,
Miss. The Gin offers customers a
handful of videos and a couple of
shuffle alleys . Seligman owns the
shuffle alleys , and he is not happy with
the way his videos have been operated .
"I've had trouble getting the games
I want , or even enhancements like a
speed-up chip for a Poe-Man game I
have ," he complained. "Operators
don 't seem to want to invest in any
new machines. I think if I got better
games, they would become a more
significant part of my revenue , but at
this point , I'm thinking more about
taking them out. "
Opportunity knocking
on barroom doors
With alcohol sales slipping and
likely to continue to do so, bar owners
are looking for other sources of reve-
nue. While food is by far the most
popular alternative , they also are con-
sidering other possibilities, such as
coin-operated games, not just for the
money they produce but for their
ability to provide entertainment and
keep customers. That points to
increased and substantial opportu-
nities for operators who can match
locations with appropriate coin-op
equipment and activities.
•
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504/ 488-7003
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