Next time you go to a restaurant or bar, just look around and count how many people you on their phone or tablet. Chances are you’ll see more than a few.

To the owners and managers of the local bar or the chain restaurant, this can be frustrating since it can distract from the experience of enjoying such an establishment. But, for the savvy manager, this phenomenon can be a great thing for business.

There are a few ways that you can improve your bar or restaurant’s business by investing in portable charging stations as a free amenity or a new revenue stream.

  1. An Add-On Ticket Item

When a customer orders a meal at your restaurant, there are a probably at least a couple of items they can add-on to the meal for a small up-charge. Maybe they want bacon added to that burger or they want a larger size drink. Why not add a phone charging service fee to your menu? It could be as low as a $1 and this strategy could quickly equal profit for your business and your service staff may even see increased tip income as a result of the added hospitality.

  1. A Courtesy During Extremely Busy Times

In the hospitality industry, things can get very busy and customers may have to wait some time before they can be seated. If your restaurant or bar’s guests must wait to be seated, then chances are they will pass time by using their phones. By offering a portable power pack on the house, you can help to keep a frustrated or inconvenienced patron calm and occupied while they wait for their table.

  1. An Advertising Tool

This is probably the best reason to invest in portable charging stations. With an unlimited range of custom branding options, you can provide customers with the convenience of charging their mobile device while simultaneously advertising your company and its current promotions.

If you are a business owner, ask us about a free trial on the Power Pax, a portable charging system that is ideal for bars, restaurants, and other venues.

Ask someone where they’re going on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll probably hear the name of some local bar or trendy nightclub. When people go to these places, chances are they’ve got a cell phone in their pocket or purse and it’s more than likely that its battery will run out of energy way before they do.

Sure, the bar isn’t an ideal place to charge your phone but there’s plenty of reasons for that to change. Here’s a few reasons why your bar should have cell phone charging solutions.

  1. Customers Are Going to Ask Anyway

If you work as a bartender or server in a bar, then you probably already know this. How many times have you been asked by a customer if there’s an electrical outlet nearby? Maybe you tell them no and then they ask if there is one behind the bar. Chances are you hear this at least three or four times a night. It can even infuriate some servers, as evidenced here.

  1. Customers May Leave

It doesn’t take much for customers to leave a bar. The only criteria for their departure is that they have stopped enjoying themselves. A customer will buy one drink roughly every 20-30 minutes. If the customer leaves because their phone has run out of battery, then you lose out on making multiple more alcohol sales. If you have phone charging stations available, then the customer will stay for at least as long as their phone is charging. They may even buy another drink or two while they wait.

  1. Another Source of Revenue

Yes, you have phone charging stations available, but that doesn’t means they need to be a free courtesy. People are very much tied to their cell phones nowadays and are likely to pay for the convenience of charging their device without having the leave the venue. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of charging money, then you can at least recommend that the customers tip for the service. If you’re also uncomfortable with soliciting tips, you could always make it into a fun game.

  1. Security & Liability

The main reason bartenders hate to charge the phones of their patrons is because they don’t want to hear the customer complain if the phone gets stolen or damaged. They have a point, a bar is no place to guarantee the safety of a phone or electronic device. But, with a phone charging kiosk with lockers, your bar patrons can relax when it comes to whether or not their phone is safe.

  1. Another Way to Promote Specials

Aside from being a convenient way to let customers charge their phones, you can easily use a self-service phone charging kiosk to promote drink specials or even upcoming events at your bar. This helps bar staff as well since the customer will be told about upcoming events when they go to charge their phone instead of the bartenders and server having to repeat it ad nauseum.