Nearly 40 years after the first ATM made its debut outside New York City’s Chemical Bank, it seems that cash machines are everywhere. In addition to being on nearly every street corner and convenience store, ATMs often find a home inside bars and nightclubs.
If you ask barowners and managers about ATMs, most will tell you that they couldn’t operate without them.
“I think it is essential for anybody who sells liquor and food to have ATMs,” said Roger Payne, General Manager at Shephard’s Beach Resort in Clearwater, Fla. “It helps people spend money. Some people don’t want to use their check card. They prefer to use debit and get cash out of the machine.”
Many bars and nightclubs don’t accept credit cards on busy nights. On those nights, ATMs typically get a ton of business. According to Cory Huetter, owner of The Safari Bar in Omaha, Neb., “Our bartenders just get way too busy to mess with credit cards. In the time it takes to ring up a credit card they could have poured 50 shots.”
Tim Borden is vice president of corporate development for Ala Carte Entertainment, a Chicago-based restaurant and nightclub company that operates 27 locations. He said having an ATM in your business often determines whether a customer stays or goes elsewhere. “Having an ATM is not a novelty anymore. People almost expect it there. For a decent-size establishment, it’s almost a prerequisite in people’s minds.”
A big advantage of having an ATM inside a bar or nightclub is that much of the money withdrawn ends up getting spent inside the business. “I think a good percentage of the money withdrawn is for the purpose of spending at bars,” Borden said. “You also get a lot of return on additional sales.”
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Tags: ATMs, Bar, Cash machine, Nightclub, Restaurant
