In Security for Bars, Taverns and Nightclubs, bars and taverns security expert witness Ralph Witherspoon, CPP, CSC, writes on Club Operation:
Management decides which type customers it will attract based on the club’s location, the atmosphere and music format it provides, plus its advertising. Promotions of “two-for-one” drinks, $ .75 “jello shots”, or large over-sized drinks, or promoting a three or four-hour long “happy hour”, also set a tone and attract specific types of patrons. That “tone” will often determine what type problems are likely to arise, and what type and level of security should be provided. Management can, at any time, change the “tone” by changing the music, adding or changing the amount of (any) door cover charge, increasing or relaxing its dress code, changing décor and lighting, changing or eliminating specials, increasing “visible” security, or taking other measures appropriate to their individual facility.