The British & Irish Lions Tour is in full swing and Wimbledon is captivating audiences across the UK, offering pubs a prime opportunity to harness the power of sport to drive revenue. With fans craving shared experiences, good food, and cold drinks, sporting events present the perfect backdrop for boosting footfall, increasing dwell time, and driving upsell opportunities.
But while the rewards can be great, the risks are equally real. Compliance slips, poor staffing strategy and stock mismanagement can quickly erode margins. Here’s how to stay ahead of the game.
- Make a Date with the Diary
Start by mapping out all major fixtures and matches across July (Tip: use our useful guide here). The Lions Tour continues throughout July, culminating in the first Test against Australia, while Wimbledon wraps up mid-July. These events are magnets for groups, particularly on weekends. Aligning your staffing, menus and promotional activity around these key dates ensures you’re match-fit when the crowds arrive.
Top Tip: Create a visible event calendar for staff and guests so everyone knows what’s on and when. Consider themed days and encourage pre-bookings.
- Maximise Pre-Game and Post-Game Trade
Sporting fixtures are more than just the 80 or 90 minutes on screen. Capitalise on pre-match buzz with brunch specials, drinks deals and group offers. Post-match, encourage guests to linger with live music, happy hour pricing or sharing boards for groups.
Capcon Insight: Our site audits show that pubs offering a post-match reason to stay (e.g. acoustic sets or food offers) increase dwell time by up to 45 minutes on average, significantly boosting beverage revenue.
- Stock Up – and Then Check Again
From draught lagers to cider slushies and spirits mixers, your bestsellers will fly. Make sure your stock levels reflect forecasted demand – but avoid over-ordering which leads to spoilage or dead stock.
Common Pitfall: Failing to review historic event-day data. Past sales from previous Lions Tours, Wimbledon weekends or major tournaments offer invaluable insight.
- Don’t Let Compliance Slip in the Hype
With higher trade volumes often comes temporary staffing, but fast onboarding can be a compliance trap. Right to Work checks must be documented and validated before any shift begins. Fines for undocumented workers now exceed £20,000 per employee.
Avoidable Risk: Last-minute agency staff or students on break are often not correctly checked. Build in a 48-hour lead time for compliance verification and ensure management know what documentation is required.
- Make the Most of Your Promotions
Deals drive upsell, but only when structured well. Consider:
- Bundled drinks packages: 4-pint pitchers or sharing buckets for groups
- Game Day Combos: Burger + pint + guaranteed seat for a fixed price
- Book-to-Win Competitions: Capture contact details for future marketing
Track promotion performance closely. Without controls in place, giveaways and deals can drain margin rather than drive profit.
Capcon Tip: Use tills to assign codes to specific promotions, so you can track uptake, effectiveness and profitability.
- Matchday Morale and Staffing
High-volume days require focused, motivated teams. Overstretching staff leads to errors, longer wait times, and lower guest satisfaction. Rota strategically, build in floaters to flex during peaks, and hold a team briefing before major games to align expectations.
Operational Bonus: Consider incentivising staff with in-the-moment spot rewards – e.g. most upsold drinks, fastest table clearance – to keep energy high.
- Cash, Cards & Control
Crowds bring complexity. Make sure your till systems are prepped, PDQs are charged, and float levels are reviewed. Check that all bar areas are covered by CCTV and consider implementing random till checks to reduce the chance of cash skimming.
Capcon audits show a spike in till discrepancies during high-footfall events when staff operate under pressure.
- Protect Your Brand
Major events often bring new faces into your venue. Ensure every customer gets the experience you want your brand to be known for. Conduct mystery guest audits to identify training gaps and service issues before they become reputational risks.
In Summary
From Sunday roasts to roaring Lions, sporting events offer a golden ticket for pubs to increase revenue – if managed smartly. With strong planning, team coordination and the right tools, you can deliver unforgettable matchday moments while protecting profit and compliance.
Capcon supports pubs across the UK with:
- Real-time stock visibility via Nifty19
- Site audits and margin leak detection
- Right to Work compliance checks
- Mystery guest services
- Cash and till variance investigations
Game on. Let’s get ready.
