Having worked with a number of bars on their social media, and attending the Nightclub & Bar convention a few years ago, I have a pretty good sense that bar and club owners are hesitant to work with technology companies.
Mostly, they don’t want to be the first to try a new tool, because the decision maker risks their credibility. They want to see someone try it first. There are lots of nightlife related startups popping up, and some of them are gaining traction.
Are we going to see one nightlife startup blow up and take over nationwide? Or are we going to see a number of startups succeed locally without any single player take over? The bar & nightclub industry is very fragmented, does this play into the future of startups in this industry?
Alternatively, we may see Foursquare squash everyone somehow. Their new partnership with American Express is pretty badass.
Let’s check out some examples below:
- Poggled – Discounts on event tickets and drinks. This Chicago based startup has raised $5.6 million. (Article)
- Bevvy – Make a $10 bar tab reservation ahead of time to receive 50% off first $100 spent. LA based startup launched by nightlife people.
- Nixter – Check-in to parties to earn credits for drinks and gifts. Chilean startup was a spotlight at SXSW 2012. Live in 11 cities. (Article)
- Social Nightlife – Social network with bar & event info, check-in and share with friends. Differentiator? Reward system. Based in Los Angeles. (Article)
- BarBlackBook – Social network with bar & event info, check-in and share with friends. Differentiator? Content comes directly from bars. Currently live in Alabama & Los Angeles. (Article)
- ClubView – Boston based social network with bar & event info, check-in and share with friends. Differentiator? No games, no badges or points, just partying.
- EZ VIP – Open table for nightclub bottle service. Live in Miami, NY, Las Vegas. Scored investors Daymond John (Fubu) and Marc Cuban (Maverick’s) on Sharktank. (Article)
- Nightout – Social network for nightlife with deals. Santa Barbara based startup.
- Bar & Club Stats – Mobile ID verification system. (Article)
- Pourliving – Groupon for drink & nightlife specials (Article)
- PartyMonster – Group buying site for nightclub admission. (Article)
- MyDrinkOn – Drink deals. Featured as one of Chicagos best startups on Techcocktail.
- Flowtab
- DrinkPass
- Zowler
- SetNight
- GoParti
- Nighttap
- EZNiteVIP
- VIPHostApp
- Barsential
- NiteSike
- PopBubbly
- weDRNK
- BottleDown
This list is in no particular order…
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