At the 2023 Bartender’s Circle Summit in Seattle, WA, Chris Elford had some great advice for bartenders interested in launching a pop-up. Here is a summary of some of the key takeaways.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE POP-UPS TO MARKET YOUR BRAND?

Executing a successful pop-up usually involves traveling to a new place, bartending for the night, giving the host bar’s staff a night off and hopefully, throwing a kick-a$$ party!

And while pop-ups can be great fun, they are also a means for bar owners and bartenders to network and grow their brand.

Personally, pop-ups are a way for you to share ideas and connect with peers that you want to learn from. You might even end up making some lifelong friends!

But professionally, they also give you the opportunity to show others what you’ve got. If done well, a pop-up can help you demonstrate:

• What makes you special,
• What makes your bar special, or
• What makes your city special.

HOW TO EXECUTE A SUCCESSFUL POP-UP

PACKING FOR YOUR POP-UP

Costumes bring a little extra party to a pop-up. Chris said some of the most fun he has had at pop-ups is when they showed up in black hoodies and combat boots, rocked some grunge music and just generally played up the Seattle vibe.

If you are working with special ingredients in your cocktails, don’t count on being able to source them locally in the city you are visiting. Bring your own ingredients with you!

Now this is very important if you are traveling with liquids… vacuum seal your liquids! Then vacuum seal them a second time. Pack them in a hard case. Write a friendly note to TSA explaining that “you are about to encounter some liquids because I am a traveling bartender and require them to perform my job,” and then attach the note to the hard case. Check that bag and hope that they return everything the way they found it!

SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR POP-UP

Go in prepared for anything but temper your expectations. Something will always go wrong!

The best-case scenario is you can just show up and start bartending, but often you will need to come in early and do some of your own prep.

Also, don’t expect to get paid. Chris said he gets paid to bartend at about half the pop-ups he does. If he does get paid, it is built into what the event sponsor is paying for. As far as sales and tips from the event go, generally, all proceeds go to the host bar and its employees. Chris made the point that the employees of the host bar shouldn’t have to give up a shift for a pop-up event. They should be a part of the party and benefit from having an extra set of “free” hands behind the bar.   

Attendees and staff appreciate educational components. Be sure to share what you do and why. Teach others about your processes and ingredients. Remember, not everyone gets to sit at the bar, so take some time to deliver drinks to guests on the floor so that you can talk to them too. They will appreciate the extra effort, after all, they are there to support you as well.

Some more advice:

• Beware the target on your back of anyone who rises above.
• Don’t consume alcohol before or during your shift.
• Export yourself, but also your anchor city.
• Speak kindly of people in your city.
• Champion your city.
• Make your flight!

A LITTLE NOTE ABOUT CHRIS ELFORD

Way back in 2014, we were still young, but already burnt out at our accounting, desk jobs. Can you say, “millennials?!?” 😀

As our love for home bartending grew, the idea of opening a craft cocktail lounge formed. We started putting together a business plan to see if the concept could be financially viable in our hometown (a medium-sized city).

Everything inked out, but we were still working up the courage to quit our day jobs, so we took a road trip to visit some bars in Seattle.

We went to Liberty first only to find Keith Walbauer guest bartending at the next bar, Rob Roy, for his birthday party. Possibly the O.G. pop-up?

At some point, we pulled up to the bar at Canon and were greeted by a friendly, dapper, also young Chris Elford. We shared our plight and he was incredibly positive and encouraging, even inviting us to check out his new tool, The Bar Collective.

We had been focusing on the risks involved in opening a bar, but he helped remind us how fun and rewarding it can be.

After that, we signed a lease and started remodeling a space in the old Wenatchee Hotel Building. We exposed a lot of brick, built out a bar and turned a bank vault into our kitchen.

Then, we sold A LOT of cocktails! It was both a blur and blast.

Over the years, Chris has obviously refined the art of the pop-up. But it occurred to me while writing this article that he has been networking a very long time and we could probably all borrow a page from his book. 😉

Thanks for the tips, Chris!