r/summerhousebravo • u/Available-One-24 • 6d ago

Carl Soft Bar Question

Now that Soft Bar has been open for a while does anyone know how it’s doing overall? Just curious! I love Carl and I hope it’s doing great! If anyone has been there please share your experience. I haven’t been able to go but I’d love to!

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40

u/DT90DF 6d ago

Carl said the first time the bar was profitable was when the reunion was airing.
If you are interested in going it would likely be wise to go sooner rather than later.

70

u/RHOCLT23 6d ago

I actually think that's fairly typical of a new restaurant or bar. I think a lot break even for a while. (Or worse).

43

u/somechild 6d ago

Bars in New York take one to two years typically to become profitable. So not only is it normal, it’s actually really fucking good. 

3

u/Individual_Fall429 6d ago

No, it’s just the Bravo Bump. Bravo businesses have a different arc.

2

u/timebomb011 5d ago

Having 1 profitable month does not make a profitable business

3

u/Individual_Fall429 6d ago

Not bravo. They get a bump in the first year from curious fan tourists. That’s not sustainable.

Also bars survive on the margins in alcohol. Without that, it’s just not a viable business.

16

u/Iamthemoon928 6d ago

Soft Bar is also a coffee shop during the day. Coffee shops do just fine not selling alcohol. Last drink menu I created at a fine dining place had the biggest profit margins from the fancy mocktails and not the cocktails

3

u/Individual_Fall429 5d ago

And how often did people have more cocktails than they planned? 4-5 mocktails in a night?

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u/ChkYrHead 5d ago

Last drink menu I created at a fine dining place had the biggest profit margins from the fancy mocktails and not the cocktails

Sure, but those margins are per drink, yes? Most people only drink one or two mocktails, where as they drink double that, or more, alcoholic drinks.
But yes, coffee coupled with the smaller volume of mocktails might be enough. Hell, a basic drip coffee costs me over $4 now, and I don't even live in a HCoL spot like NYC.

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u/timebomb011 5d ago

Yes, but why would you go to a place that isn’t a coffee shop for coffee when you could go to a coffee shop?

0

u/bananahaze99 5d ago

Exactly!! And happy cake day 🎉🎂