Karaoke Forums

Well, we are in the business not to lose money, and we like to make money because then we can give scholarships and do other good works.

In fact, when my club employed a KJ regularly his $175.00 per night fee was paid for with the drinks sold, and we raised the price 25-50 cents to help do that. When he stopped drawing enough crowd to pay for himself, the club fired him.

Now that we have brought it in house, and I helped get things going a bit with technical help, the crowds have come back and we make more money without raising the drinks. We just got board approval to buy new wireless mics, paid for by the drinks people buy.

And yes, all I drink is soda. When I *can* pay for it I do -- lots of times people buy it for me. I also was given a dues-paid lifetime membership for my technical help and equipment donations.

My FEELING IS run run run AWAY FROM THAT BAR OWNER!  They guy is an idiot.  If he is loosing $$$ on giving away free soda, he is not charging enough for his alcoholic drinks.

Sounds more like an excuse than an actual problem.  And even if the owner is loosing $$$$, DUH, stat charging for the soda and problem is solved.

Once agai just a moronic bar owner

I think you are confirming my point - Organizations and clubs (although need to be profitable) have different priorities than an independent bar whose SOLE purposes is to make as much money as possible without any charity and or good will.

Didn't mean to offend these well respected clubs and organizations and their members.

At $10 a head that's 18 more people you need.  At $5 a head it's 36 more.    To make up the $175.   No KJ to pay would mean $175 extra in profit.   But at the same time the KJ is unemployed.

in my honest opinion, there is nothing bad about raising the prices $.25 or $.50 a drink or food item to help offshoot the cost of karaoke entertainment.... especially at the beginning of a gig. It makes the owners feel a bit better about not just giving away their $$ to a guy or gal that comes in and helps people sing.

also, the buy back or $5 token or whatever are also fine... AS LONG as the CUSTUMOER knows what's up, and that the money isn't going to the owner or kj.  

Basically, it's all about educating the public to what they're paying for.

I also agree that free refills for soda is a JOKE. I for one can put away several glasses of soda in one sitting... even at bar cost, it doesn't take a genius to realize that's a loss in anybody's book!

Place I started out karaoke singing did that, but they complained openly about it. When they finally got rid of the free refills, the only squawkers were the cheapskates that wouldn't pay for food items while there, etc.

Your butt is in that seat, and it's taking away an income from the bar. At the very least, pay for your entertainment. If that means soda, then fine, buy one once an hour. If you can't pay for a $3 coke three or four times a night, you're too cheap to come to a gig I'd want you at.  Stay at home and sing to your heart's content. THis isn't a charity. If you can't spend $10-15 bucks a night while singing, don't come!

Sorry that's harsh, but that's the cold hard facts of reality for a bar... heck ANY retail business!

(Said the mouse-phart to the whirlwind.) Nobody's going to pay attention to someone telling them they should do it to pay the KJ.

But when I look at it from my own self-interest -- having karaoke offered when I want it -- it becomes a slam-dunk to want to pay. I want karaoke to be there, so I want to pay. It is that simple.

When you look at the $10.00 it costs you to start up your car and go somewhere, and other costs that may apply, it makes sense too. If you have to drive 10 miles farther to get to karaoke, that's 20 miles round trip and at least $8.00 in extra car costs. So that $8.00 is well spent keeping karaoke closer.

I've never worked one, but i can understand a SMALL bar or dive raising their prices by 25-50 cents to cover a dj or kj cost, but i personally disagree with it.

Well established businesses that cater to middle class ( i've always worked at) usually have their price structures already built in to cover ANY  and ALL entertainment costs... unless it's a band.

As a customer, i wouldn't want to "guess" what the price is for this or that day, or see a discrepancy in menu, table stands, flyer, or beer advertising signs in the windows!

Seems pretty desperate and a little sneaky to me if i visited a place several times and payed a different price, regardless if i sang, or listened to a dj....... It would be the principle of it, not the extra quarter or two that would bother me. Like i said, i understand why they'd do it, but i think it's not a good business tactic because it could confuse a lot of customers....

Why shouldn't every business be entitled to make a profit.    No profit, no business.

Should the lunch menu prices reflect the cost of entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights?

Raise the price of lunch $2 because we have karaoke and you'll just have to pay for it too.   Is that fair?


You'll never participate in the entertainment but with our hidden costs to everyone you'll pay for it, because the karaoke people are too cheap and don't want to pay any extra for it.


Maybe i should charge my Tuesday bar more because the the Thurday bar can't afford to pay me my regular price?   The Thursday guy needs to make a profit too.

Raise the price of lunch $2 because we have karaoke and you'll just have to pay for it too.   Is that fair?[/quote]

Just when you think he couldn't say anything dumber than before, here is proof that it can be done.  Is there karaoke DURING the lunch hour or is it in the evening?  If it's in the evening say at 9PM when most places begin their karaoke, then absolutely not raise the prices during lunch hour because there is no entertainment during that time.  The prices raise ONCE the entertainment starts.
I have been to clubs before with bands & been sitting all night, once the band started, the bar collected cover charges from all, if you didn't want to pay the cover, you had to leave.  It's a fact of the bar business, but again, I posed the question a while back if you are all so much more smarter than the bar owners you work for, then WHY don't you prove that YOU all know what you are doing & open your own bar & do it right?  No one answered before because the answer is simple, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO!  Quit whining about the 'stupid' bar owners and how THEY should run THEIR own place and focus on your business, you don't like where you are working or disagree, find a new place.



Oh, topped yourself again.

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

sidewinder @ Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:18 pm wrote:
Should the lunch menu prices reflect the cost of entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights?
Quote:
Maybe i should charge my Tuesday bar more because the the Thurday bar can't afford to pay me my regular price?   The Thursday guy needs to make a profit too.
Has to do with this idea.   It's sarcassim.     He wants everyone else to pay for the entertainment because the bar owner should have the cost of all the entertainment built in to the food and drink prices.   Well they sell food and drinks at lunch so let's make everyone that walks in the door pay for the entertainment even if they don't want to and don't come for it.  Sounds fair.  Anything to keep the karaoke singers from having to pay for the privilege of singing.

Maybe the bar should hire pick pockets to clean out the singers wallets when they aren't looking.   Since charging a little extra for the drinks to offset the entertainment price is considered "Sneaky."

Not wanting to pay your fair share for any kind of entertainment is considered CHEAP!

Are you REALLY THIS DUMB Sidewinder, or are you looking for attention with your retarded posts?

It's quite obvious you know absolutely nothing about the bar business...

In my business there is constant communication with owners  and mngrs concerning attracting crowds and staying afloat. This comes from experience in many professions. I have very serious discussions about  distributer quantity discounts and prices. I can also advise them about dart and pool leagues from experience at High Country Games in co. I could still maintain Valley dart boards as a tech. We ran the national dart leagues in vegas for years. I have managed VFW clubs.

In the a USN I have been in about every type of bar, casino or club in the world. I am familiar with and have experienced every hustle in bars or cat houses. I know what makes bars tick and what works. I know the bar business in and out. Some of the comments made here make me wonder if they have ever been in a bar.

When I got paid sat I shook the mngrs hand and told him we appreciate the working relationship we have with this venue. THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE

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My venue does ladie's night (1/2 price) which is one reason we pack out. A quarter extra? Maybe the bar owners there are dumb.

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Dumb is expecting the bar owner to give away entertainment to cheap customers that don't want to pay for it by contributing with food and drink prices.

You're the one that doesn't think a bar owner should make a profit.  That's dumb.

How old are you? This forum has an age limit of 13. If you are old enough to drink then you have the most immature and paranoid attitude that most here find offensive. We need to send you to obedience school, a charm school for proper public manners and if you pass these then a good public relations course. You would not make a pimple on a KJ'S butt. BTW I am a psychic.. Your secretive nature has vulnerabilities which I can penetrate  in a heartbeat.

I run a very positive successful side business to supplement my social security and I am personally tired of your paranoia and negative attitude and posts. If you have personal problems then go see a counselor. Now roll your eyeballs and ...........

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My thursday show used to have trouble with water drinkers taking up space. It's a really big bar, but gets to standing room only and sometimes 6 deep at the bar the last 2 hours before close. the 4 or 5 drinking FREE water all night were in the way and we did not want it to grow. I had to begg the bar to get bottled water and charge $1.50 a bottle. they will still give somebody who has been drinking a free glass of water, but not the guy who walks in early an asks for a water. we do have one guy that they still let slide. he is an OK guy , always brings in friends. Most weeks he drinks at least a coupple drinks, but about 1 week a month it seems he is broke. as i said he always brings friends so they let him slide as his paying friends would not be there if not for him. Soda still costs a buck, later in the night the bar tender may give a free one, especialy if he got tipped well by that coustomer.

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I think its  catch 22 - Bars bring in and pay entertainment with the EXPECTATION that the entertainment will increase the GROSS take at the till that night. When the entertainment does not bring in enough VOLUME a bar is forced to make up the shortfall with higher prices. In the past I have always heard of bars/clubs raising prices on band or dj nights..personally don't see a problem with it  even though my bar does NOT increase prices.

Look at the places that are considered "High Class" they charge way more for the "atmosphere drinks" and they don't have entertainment.  If you want to be there you pay.   Just so you can rub elbows with some other upper class people.    Doesn't mean you are...just means you paid for the privilege..

see, that's just good business! If the freebie guy brings in business, I as a manager or owner wouldn't say anything to the guy drinking water. Nor would I care if you gave the guy something if he tipped well during the night.

as you surmised, the complaints are about those that drag the business down, not those that are helping it! Good points! Not ALL water or soda drinkers are the enemy!

A gigantic tip helps nobody but the bartender.

Does nothing for the bar owner.  Is not considered profit to him.  So how does it help finance the entertainment?

Buying food and drink is the only thing that helps the bar owner and pays for entertainment.    NOT TIPS.

So mister deep pockets, short arms brings in some other people.    How does that make him exempt from spending money to help defray the entertainment costs?  

NO free water, no free refills.   This is how you make profits.  Paying customers.