Pricing private parties and corporate bookings at a brewpub

Know what the booking replaces

Pricing a private booking starts with opportunity cost. If a group takes your space on a Tuesday evening, you lose very little regular trade. If they take it on a Saturday night, you lose the revenue your regulars would have spent. Your price must cover both the event's costs and the trade it displaces.

Look at your POS data for the same time slot over recent weeks. That gives you a realistic figure for what the space normally earns at that hour.

Common pricing models

• Minimum spend. The group agrees to spend at least a set amount on food and drink. Simple and common.
• Per-head packages. A fixed price per guest for a set menu and a drinks allowance. Easy for corporate clients to budget.
• Venue hire plus consumption. A hire fee for exclusive use, with food and drink billed as consumed.
• Open bar with a cap. Drinks billed until a limit, then guests pay their own.

Per-head packages need careful design. Price them from your food cost and beer cost per serve, with realistic consumption estimates for the group and time slot.

Deposits and cancellations

Take a deposit to confirm the booking and write the cancellation terms clearly. Specify the final guest count deadline and what happens if fewer guests arrive than booked. Corporate clients often change numbers at the last minute. A minimum guaranteed headcount protects the kitchen from preparing food for people who never arrive.

Dry days matter in India. State holidays, election days and some festivals can stop alcohol sales. Check the calendar and state it in the booking terms.

Invoicing in India

Corporate clients usually want a clean tax invoice. In India, alcoholic drinks for human consumption are outside GST and are taxed by the state, while food and services carry GST. That often means separate bills or clearly separated lines for food and alcohol. Some companies have policies on alcohol expenses too. Agree the invoicing format at the time of booking. Check the details with your accountant.

Build a package from the bottom up

Here is how a per-head package comes together, in outline. Start with the food: a set menu of snacks and mains, costed per head from your recipes. Add a drinks allowance, for example a set number of beers or a fixed time on the bar, costed at your beer cost per serve including excise as it applies. Add staff time for the event, including set-up and clearing, plus any extras such as a brewer's talk, decor or a projector. Then add the opportunity cost of the space for that slot.

Only after that add your margin. Compare the result with what a group of that size would spend if they walked in on the same night. If the package is lower, you are discounting a booking that would have come anyway.

Offer two or three tiers rather than a custom quote for every enquiry. It saves time and makes the choice easier for the client.

Serve responsibly

Large groups and open bars need firm service rules. Brief your staff on refusing service to visibly drunk guests and checking age where needed. Offer good alcohol-free options, including low and no-alcohol beer, mocktails and water at every table. Help guests get home safely: work with cab services or provide information on transport. Never encourage drinking and driving. Corporate clients increasingly expect this. It also protects your licence.

Some states require extra permissions for events, especially ticketed or off-site ones. Check with your excise office before taking a booking that goes beyond your normal licence.

Make the event worth repeating

Corporate groups that enjoy an evening come back. They bring other teams. A short talk from the brewer, a guided tasting or a brewery tour turns a booking into an experience. Our guide to taproom events covers formats that work. Collect feedback after each event and track repeat bookings.

Use the numbers. After each booking, compare actual revenue and cost with the quote. Our taproom economics guide shows the cost lines to include. After a few events you will know which packages make money and which need adjusting.

Common questions

What is a minimum spend booking?

The group agrees to spend at least a set amount on food and drink in exchange for the space. Anything below the minimum is still charged.

How should corporate bookings be invoiced in India?

Alcoholic drinks are outside GST and taxed by the state, while food carries GST, so invoices often show them separately. Check the details with your accountant.

Should brewpubs offer open bars for parties?

Only with a cap, clear service rules and good alcohol-free options. Responsible service protects guests and your licence.