Landing Page
Special Projects
This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.
04.12.18
If you step into Red Brick Tavern on Moms Weekend, you’ll see Tito’s Vodka.
There are several special weekends each year in Athens: Moms Weekend, Dads Weekend and the weekend of graduation, to name a few. Those weekends usually mean more sales for bars, which often require planning and advertising to attract students and their company.
Red Brick Tavern bar manager Greg Burlovich said Red Brick, 14 N. Court St., stocks up on Tito’s Vodka for Moms Weekend.
“Moms love Tito’s,” Burlovich said.
For dads, however, he just makes sure there’s plenty of beer, he said.
“They don’t care,” Burlovich said. “As long as we have beer, it’s fine.”
Burlovich said for Moms Weekend, Red Brick staffs only men to increase sales and tips.
“It’s my favorite weekend,” Burlovich said. “Honestly if you’re a guy and you’re working Mom’s Weekend, it’s the best.”
“I just ordered a bunch more cider because I know a lot of (moms) will be drinking that,” Bowling said. “We have a special cocktail menu for Moms Weekend.” Taylor Bowling, assistant manager of Jackie O’s
Jackie O’s Brewpub & Public House, 22-24 W. Union St., makes sure to stock up on Razz Wheat for special weekends. Taylor Bowling, assistant manager of Jackie O’s, said she makes sure to overstaff the restaurant and bar because she knows it will be busy.
“I just ordered a bunch more cider because I know a lot of (moms) will be drinking that,” Bowling said. “We have a special cocktail menu for Moms Weekend.”
Bowling said she usually looks at the number of sales from past years to determine what needs to be ordered.
“Jackie O’s has been here for 12 years now,” Bowling said. “It’s a bit easier to know that we are going to be busy no matter what. … Dads (Weekend) and Moms Weekend are pretty equal for sales.”
David Fraiser, assistant manager at Cat’s Eye Saloon, 12 N. Court St., said he determines what will be popular based on past years and what is popular among students.
“You look at past years to see how it is,” Fraiser said. “Obviously, with the spring there’s fests every weekend, so we try to get a pretty good idea from Wednesday on what is going to be.”
Kevin Pan | FOR THE POST
Uptown bars like Red Brick Tavern prepare for Family Weekends, such as Mom's Weekend and Dad's Weekend, differently.
Other bars, such as The Over Hang, 63 N. Court St., only advertise on social media.
Eric Moss, the owner of that bar, said he chooses to advertise online only because it is cheaper and easier to reach people.
The Over Hang usually just buys more of what usually sells, Moss said.
“One year, Miller Lite came out with a different Miller Lite bottle, and we sold a ton of Miller Lite,” Moss said. “The next year, it’s Bud Light. There’s nothing special that the dads drink more than the regular college student does.”
Moss said special weekends increase sales by about a third compared to regular weekends, but he can never predict what drinks will be popular.
“Every year, you don’t know,” Moss said. “We just get more of what we normally sell. It does bring in more business. The more people who are in town, it just increases what you already sell.”
Landing Page
This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.