Happy Hour Boards: Digital Signage for Bars and Pubs
Bars already have more TVs than any other small business. Most of them show nothing useful between matches.
A bar's TVs are busy on match nights and idle the rest of the week. Any of them can double as a happy-hour board, an events board or a drinks menu, and the content can change by the hour without anyone touching a remote.
The happy-hour board
The classic case. Make a slide with the happy-hour drinks and prices, put it in its own playlist, and add a schedule rule: Monday to Friday, 17:00–19:00. It appears at five and disappears at seven, every day, and the regular drinks list comes back on its own. A Friday-only deal is one more rule. The free templates include a happy-hour slide to start from.
What else goes on the screens
- The drinks list. Taps and prices on the screen above the bar, changed when a keg changes.
- Tonight's event. Quiz night, live music, the match: a slide with a date, scheduled to show from the afternoon until kick-off.
- The match schedule. This week's fixtures as one slide, or a webpage with the schedule shown in a zone.
- Food. The kitchen menu and a "kitchen closes at 21:30" slide for the last half hour.
- Bookings and private hire. A slide for the back room with a phone number, in the quiet afternoons.
Using the TVs you already have
An Android TV box or a Raspberry Pi running the free CastWize player goes behind each TV you want to use for signage. On match night you switch the TV's input to the broadcast as usual; afterwards, switch back and the board is still playing. Screens can be grouped, so "bar" screens and "back room" screens run different playlists.
Changing it during service
Studio works on a phone. Sold out of the guest ale? Edit the drinks slide and publish; the screen updates within seconds. A last-minute event goes up the same way. For the full picture of what bars and restaurants put on screen, see digital signage for restaurants, cafés and bars.
Cost
$5 per screen per month, every feature included, no contract; the first screen is free for 30 days. A bar using three of its TVs pays $15 a month. Hardware details in Set Up a Screen for Under $200.
Frequently asked questions
Can the happy-hour board come on by itself?
Yes. A schedule rule by day and time shows it from 17:00 to 19:00 on the days you choose and hides it afterwards, with the regular list returning automatically.
Can I still watch the match on the same TV?
Yes. Switch the TV's input to the broadcast for the match and back to the player afterwards. The board keeps running in the background and is there when you switch back.
Can I show a live fixtures page?
Yes. A zone can show any webpage, so a fixtures or results page appears on screen next to your own slides and updates itself.
More from the blog
Café Menu Board on a TV: How to Set One Up
Turn the TV behind the counter into a café menu board that switches from breakfast to lunch on its own.
Digital Signage for Bakeries
A counter screen for today's bakes, prices that change when the tray does, and a sold-out slide that takes two taps.
Digital Menu Boards for Pizzerias
Sizes, toppings and deals on a screen you update from your phone, with a lunch-slice board that appears at noon.
Ready to put your first screen up?
First screen free for 30 days, no credit card required.