What is the Profit Margin of a Sports Bar?

Learn about what affects the overall profitability of a sports bar, including key factors such as gross and net profit margins, cost metrics, and more.

What is the Profit Margin of a Sports Bar?

The average net profit margin of a bar is between 10 and 15%.

Gross profit margin

is the difference between total revenue from restaurant sales and the cost of products sold (COGS). The net profit margin is what remains of the gross profit margin after all operating expenses have been covered. Bars and grills usually have profit margins between 3 and 5%.

They sell food at a lower price than alcohol or liquor. Obviously, the goal is to make the profit margin as high as possible, and most bars aim for profit margins of between 75 and 80%. When you subtract the average net profit margin of a restaurant from the average net profit margin of a bar and grill, the average net profit margin of a bar and grill is 7 to 10% on average. To achieve this, it's essential to understand the key factors and variables that can influence the overall profitability of a bar.

This is why bar owners tend to earn much lower salaries during the first two or three years of operation to maximize profits and reinvest those profits in the bar itself. This is why a bar owner can never sit still or assume that everything will continue to be profitable with a successful bar. By adding some artisanal cocktails to your bar's menu, you can help capture these higher profit margins. Net profit margins and operating margins are important benchmarks for restaurants to consider when focusing on opening a bar.

This gives you an immediate idea of how many of those dollars that customers spend are actually being converted into bar profits. A study conducted by the Stern School of Business at New York University shows that companies operating in the alcoholic beverage sector have a gross profit margin of around 48%, while industry experts estimate that the average gross profit margins of bars can reach 80%. If your bar serves food, it can compete with the profit margins of a traditional bar and grill. To succeed in the hospitality industry, bar owners must consider more than just profits.

The profit margin is expressed as a percentage: the higher the percentage, the more profitable your bar will be. Now is the time to ensure that you're getting the most benefit possible from running your bar. For many bars, our cost is the second most important metric for overall profitability, just behind profit margins.