Bar Segmentation Project

By Ashley Harer

What kind of people go to bars?

• Realizing this is the question I wanted to answer, I conducted a survey, interviews, and observations of people at bars. I wanted to dig deep to find out who people go to bars with, why they go, and how they act.

Why do people go to bars?

• Socializing• Meeting new people• Listening to music• Dancing• Environment/atmosphere• Creating new memories • People watching• Conversations with the bartender• Dating

So who are the people I surveyed, interviewed, and observed?

• mid 20’s to early 40’s• ¾ single• Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle

Eastern (majority were Caucasian)• Students and the people working in tech,

advertising, sales, and the service industry

The Groups

The Girl Group

• 3 or more girls from ages 20’s – 30’s• Normally sit or stand at the bar• Talk to one another but browse the

room• Order wine or mixed/specialty

cocktails• Sometimes engage in conversation

with new people• Dressed up nicely

The Lone Ranger

• A man usually early 30’s to 40’s• He will grab a seat at the bar• He will glance around the bar• He will sometimes start small

talk with bar stool neighbors or bartender

• Usually keeps it mellow and orders a beer

• A little more relaxed clothing

The Catch-uppers

• Usually two people later 20’s to 40’s• Either girl/girl boy/boy or girl/boy• Meet to catch up because they haven’t

seen each other in a long time• Will not usually glance around the

room much• Very interested in each other• What they order is always different

don’t know what to expect

The Daters

• Normally two people late 20’s to earlier 30’s

• Either blind date, online date, or setup• Come to restaurant bar for date or bar

after a date if it goes well• If its going well they don’t typically

glance around the room• Engaged with one another and usually

order wine, beer, mixed/specialty cocktails

• Dressed casual but nice

The Taken

• Two people in a relationship or dating and usually engaged in one another

• Very calm and relaxed • Talk about days or plans• Usually one orders for the both

and drinks are regularly similar• Normally dressed down

The Bro’s

• A group of guys mid 20’s to early 30’s• Friends that come to the bar usually

together• Always remain standing and constantly

survey the room• Usually order beer or mixed drinks• After first or second round sometimes

order shots• They try and engage girls• And usually are the loudest• Dressed up in nicer shirts ready to go

out for the evening

The After-Work Click

• This is a group usually mixed with men and women late 20’s to 40’s

• They go out together after work• They are almost always in their

work attire, maybe a tie is gone or a shirt is unbuttoned a bit

• Normally order drinks all over the map unless one person gets the round then they will order the same for everyone

• They discuss work a majority of the time as well as families and hobbies

So who fits in to these categories?

What the graph told me?• The people I talked to and watched were pretty alike the people I

surveyed. I found that a majority of people like to go to bars with their significant other or a group of friends that are both male and female.

• I found a majority of people said they choose these groups above the rest because it is the most comfortable for them and they know they can count on having fun.

• And almost unanimously people don’t go to bars by themselves followed by on a date.

• I found that people think going to a bar by themselves is weird, boring, and awkward. They also don’t choose to go on a date at a bar because it is cheesy, too loud, or just not ‘ideal.’

• A group of friends of your own gender fell right in the middle along with a friend to catch up.

Where did I go?

• I observed and interviewed at the bars most popular to the people I interviewed, which were restaurant bars, dive bars, and lounges.

• I luckily work at all three types of bars, but also went to three more that I was not as familiar with.

In conclusion

With this, I wanted to dig deeper than just seeing groups and talking about them. I wanted to see what most people considered more ideal and less ideal. I realized that people tend to be very similar even though many are from different backgrounds and experiences.

Thanks!!