Make it User Friendly

Give your guests comfortable stools or chairs at your bar, preferably close to the ground in case they fall off after one too many.

Throw in some Swank

And I don’t mean Hillary (lame joke).  Set your outdoor bar apart with a little style.  Candles add evening ambience.  A top notch cocktail shaker makes any idiot behind the bar look like a pro.  Retro drink coasters can’t help but impress.

                    Create a signature drink

Margarita?  Been done.  Cosmo?  Oh, please.  Long Island Ice Tea?  So cliché.  Surprise guests with a unique drink or shooter available exclusively at your bar.  As a general rule, bright coloured cocktails go over well with girls and anything that tastes like gasoline will bring in the guys.

Add a Theme 

Yes, we’ve been over this before.  But, seriously, adding a theme doesn’t have to be corny.  It can set the mood for fun, or romance, or relaxation or all of the above.  Add a theme to your bar with some distinctive seat covers, drink umbrellas or some special straws.

Have a Grand Opening party

Everyone loves it when a new bar opens in town.  So what if you don’t exactly have a legal liquor license?  Once your outdoor bar is constructed invite the neighbourhood around to have a toast to the new place where everyone knows your name.

Line Your Stomach

Make sure to have food of some sort available to your “customers.”  If you invite friends over for a drink at your outdoor bar, be courteous and braai them up a burger or at least lay out a bowl of peanuts to keep the stumbling, off-key singing drunkenness at bay.

Host Happy Hours

Want people to show up when the party actually starts?  Hold your Happy Hour where, for one hour only (ok, maybe two or three – whatever you want) your signature drink is available.  After that it’s back to boring whiskey sours and Cuba Libres.

Your outdoor sundeck, a new outdoor bar and a few pals make the perfect combination.