MARKETING MATTERS By Susan Johnston
The Paint Bar focuses on a
different painting each night.
Alcohol Meets Art Class How innovative bars are attracting customers with painting classes.
and taking their seats. A cross between a bar and an art school, Th e Paint Bar serves wine and beer
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during painting classes, which are off ered four to fi ve nights a week. Each night focuses on a diff erent painting so the instructor can break it down into easily followed steps and shapes. "People are more relaxed, so it's a diff erent twist," says art instructor Jackie Schon,
who owns Th e Paint Bar with Jill Kerner Schon, her mother. "You get that same feeling of accomplishment like when you were a kid and you won the spelling bee." Th e art class and alcohol concept is growing in popularity across the country. Some venues, like Washington, D.C.'s Brush N Blush, are BYOB. But not all
states allow patrons to bring their own beer or wine, so venues like Th e Paint Bar and Denver's Canvas and Cocktails off er a cash bar instead. In cities including Chicago and Tampa, art instructors bring art materials to diff erent venues, helping operators lure customers on slower nights of the week. Prices vary from about
| SEPTEMBER 2011
n a Friday evening in Newton, Massachusetts, groups of friends trickle inside Th e Paint Bar. Running the gamut from recent grads to retirees, they order glasses of wine and trade greetings before putting on smocks
$35 to $40 depending on the venue. Depending on the operator, they might off er drink specials or the regular drink menu during painting classes. Th e Poison Cup in Chicago has been
hosting Monday evening painting classes with Bottles & Brushes for the past year. Says co-owner John Witte, "We rotate diff erent artists into our space so it made sense. We liked the idea of adding another event to our week." Painting classes at Th e Poison Cup
cost $35, which includes a 16x20 inch canvas, paints and instruction, plus a wine tasting before class starts. "Wine's the perfect start to this sort of thing," says Witte. "A lot of people have said that
www.cheersonline.com
JACKIE SCHON
