Australians may love their sports, but when it comes to designing the perfect sports bar, American venues have long set the standard and increasingly, Aussie clubs are taking note. From huge screens to smartly zoned spaces and immersive design, clubs across the country are rethinking how they deliver the best possible live viewing experience.
That was certainly the case for The Doylo on the NSW Central Coast. Its sports bar, Ready’s, was the result of a major rethink of an area the club consistently struggled to activate, according to chief marketing officer Scott Purcell.
“It used to be a big open barn split in two. One side we branded the beer garden. Over time, the beer garden was too hot in summer, too cold in winter, so we had challenges with the ambience,” he said.
“The other side was the Smokehouse restaurant, which worked really well but then it became less market relevant. We also had challenges around operational costs and being able to manage the kitchen efficiently. It was time for a refresh.”
The result? Ready’s, a pub-style venue in a club environment, with a strong focus on attracting a younger crowd – aged 25 years and older – and delivering a casual dining experience in a social and fun environment.
“We needed to be more relevant to the market and engage with the younger crowd that didn’t see clubs as a place to socialise,” Purcell said.
He conceded that clubs can face barriers to entry compared to pubs, where patrons can simply walk in without the need to sign-in or become a member. While The Doylo is proud of its RSL heritage, he said there was a need to reposition the club to better meet market expectations.
“This space is right out the front of the club, so it gave us an opportunity to break down those barriers. When people enter the club, immediately to the left is this new fun space with pockets of different spaces that would resonate for different segments of the market,” he said.
Purcell acknowledged that while the Sydney and Newcastle pub scenes set a high benchmark, local pubs are also lifting their game – and the market is demanding more.
“The market we need to attract now, they’re looking for more bang for their buck and a more holistic experience; it’s more than just about a cheap drink and cheap feed, they’re looking for a quality experience.”
Ready’s features five distinct spaces, all centred around sport, to appeal to different demographics. On one side, there’s a family-friendly sports viewing and dining area set up with booths and their own screens for intimate viewing and nearby the kids’ playground. On the other is a more traditional sports bar setup, with what Purcell calls an “inside-out space”, designed to be a little quieter and with female patrons in mind.
“Our point of difference is a 360-degree viewing experience,” Purcell said.
“Good sports bars have big bold multi-viewing options – that real American-Las Vegas sports wall. But with the nature of our space, with high ceilings, we’ve got a huge screen built around that. We’ve basically done it in such a way we’ve created five different pockets of spaces, but it doesn’t matter which pocket you’re sitting in – you can view sports.”
This is an excerpt from an article featured in Club Management Winter. Read the article in full below.