New BarBuzz Mobile App Creates Social Network for Bar-goers, Bars
SAN ANTONIO, TX (PRWEB) September 22, 2016 -- A U.S. entrepreneur is building a new social networking app to help bar-goers have more fun and bar staff make more money. The app, BarBuzz, begins its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign this week, looking to raise $50,000 in the next 30 days to help defray development expenses.
“We see BarBuzz as the next big social network app that will take the country by storm,” said BarBuzz founder and CEO Nick Herrera. “BarBuzz will not only be fun to use with your friends and favorite bar staff, but it will be the best app to help you decide where to go and what to do.”
APP FEATURES
One of its most unique features allows bar patrons to “follow” their favorite bartenders and waitstaff online, who will be encouraged to post their work schedules and communicate directly with their regular customers. Bar-goers can immediately see when and where their favorite bartenders and waitstaff are working, as well as which of their friends are out and where. Having this information at their fingertips, as well as all the latest events and specials that their favorite bars have posted, will make BarBuzz the perfect tool to know, “who’s out and what’s happening.”
Herrera said the social network is geared to the $25 billion-a-year bar and nightclub industry, though restaurants with popular bars can use it as well.
As in most social network apps, users create profiles complete with information about themselves. In this case, this includes things such as favorite beer, favorite mixed drink and even favorite sports teams – information that’s helpful for most bar conversations. Users can also post photos of their nights out with friends. Bar-goers can peruse the photos in each bar’s gallery to see who is out that night.
The app is designed to prompt users to check in or tag their location when they enter a bar or nightclub. “Users can choose to check in or not, but the main thing is we will make it effortless and unobtrusive,” Herrera said. “Obviously, if you want your friends to join you out, you’ll check in, so they’ll be encouraged to come out, too. Checking in more often will unlock certain features for users, including discounts, VIP service and access to the latest bar and entertainment news in their market.”
Herrera said in-app messaging will allow users to contact their friends for a “scouting report” – whether it’s about the volume of the crowd, the type of music, the game being shown or any other information. Much of that information can also be posted by bars on bar profile pages, along with daily drink specials, special events, band schedules, even new employee information.
Additionally, BarBuzz will feature free local and national classified job listings for the bar industry. “Bars can post job openings, and servers who are interested in picking up shifts can list themselves as on-call, for bars that may find themselves in a sudden need for temporary help,” Herrera said.
A key BarBuzz feature is profiles for bartenders, waiters/waitresses, even managers. Servers can post their weekly work schedules, encouraging their regular customers to follow them. Servers will also have the ability to send in-app messages to their followers, reminding them of when they are working, notifying them of any promotions or special events. Users can also adjust settings to automatically get notifications when their favorite servers are working that day.
Herrera said many bar professionals appreciate the fact that they will now have a “professional social network” where they can promote themselves to their customers, separate from their personal social networks.
“Currently, if I want to encourage a customer to become a new regular of mine, I have to exchange some form of personal contact information so I can remind them when I’m working or what’s going on at the bar,” said server Hannah Sandmann in San Antonio. “With BarBuzz, I’m able to create a profile with just my first name or a nickname and ask regulars to follow me there, so they’ll always know when and where I’m working. Also, I can send them an individual message through the app, saying, ‘Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while. Come on out!’" she said.
“Plus, we can read each other’s profiles and see things like favorite sports teams, favorite drinks, favorite music, things like that,” Sandmann said. “It helps to create a rapport with customers.”
FOUNDER INFO
Herrera, a San Antonio native, is a former corporate communications professional, publisher and journalist. After a 30-year career, Herrera left the corporate world to enter the tech field. He has been working on developing BarBuzz since last May, talking to potential investors, and starting a crowdfunding campaign to help defray the development costs of the new app for iPhone and Android users.
“There are millions of people who potentially can use BarBuzz,” Herrera said. “We’re just trying to get the word out, tell the BarBuzz story and get bars and bar-goers excited about the prospect of using this great new resource. Hopefully, the public will see fit to become supporters of our Indiegogo campaign and help make it happen sooner.”
BUSINESS MODEL
Herrera said his business model includes advertising revenue from bars and other businesses that want to target the 18- to 65-year-old bar industry market segment. Ads will be targetable to specific user demographics and/or geographic areas. With a potential nationwide user base, Herrera is strategizing to gain millions of users, which will drive advertising rates.
CROWDFUNDING INFO
The Indiegogo campaign is slated to run for 30 days and Herrera said the new app will launch approximately four or five months later.
To learn more about BarBuzz or to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign of this new business, visit, https://igg.me/at/barbuzz. The campaign offers a number of “BarBuzz” branded giveaways for supporters, such as shot glasses, beer mugs, wine glasses, caps and T-shirts, as well as discounted advertising packages for bars or other companies. Contributors will also get exclusive access to a special VIP version of the app once it launches, providing discounts and other VIP services.
APP PROTOTYPE
A functional prototype of the app can be accessed here: https://goo.gl/hBQlKD. Note only the following browsers are supported: Safari, Chrome, Firefox.
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All materials are Copyright 2016 – BarBuzz LLC. BarBuzz is a service mark of BarBuzz LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies and owners.
Nick Herrera, BarBuzz LLC, https://igg.me/at/barbuzz, +1 210-789-4654, [email protected]
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