You can’t sit with us

Being a small business owner, it’s difficult not to get a little swept away in your own success. Or indeed, your own perceived success.

Take the example of a bar in Perth recently, who claimed ‘no plebs’ were allowed in his bar, due to open shortly. Of course, this gentlemen heralding far and wide who can and can’t come in to his venue, has taken a leaf from the PR book “all publicity is good publicity”.

Does exclusivity, and being open about who can’t come in harm your business rather than do you good?

A venue in Sydney’s Double Bay, also came under fire, after the owner openly declared he didn’t want tattooed patrons coming to his venue. Needless to say, the backlash was deafening. Given that I’m tattood quite heavily, seeing stuff like this annoys me and regardless of how good their cocktail and food list looks, you wont be getting my patron. 

As a business owner, you’re certainly well within your rights to refuse entry to whomever you like, within reason – think intoxication, dress code or normal human acceptable behavioural guidelines not being met. Fair call.

If you’re making headlines (not unlike a snooty teenager declaring who can and can’t sit at your lunch table) there’s a good chance you’re alienating potential customers before they’ve set even considered (or) stepped foot in the door.

Before we know it, Hospitality will be classified  a new Olympic sport, with everyone competing for points and who’s the most talked about. Vying for that pole position. It would suggest that giving people a reason to feel included, a part of your community and in the limelight, is a far better idea than harking back to school days and being a Mean Girl (or boy!)

Can we offer anyone a cheese burger perched atop your Bloody Mary? Anyone?