How to get more customers into a pub on quiet nights (midweek ideas that actually work)

Every pub has them. The Monday where you could hear a pin drop, the Tuesday where the staff outnumber the customers. Discounts rarely fix it. People don't stay home on a Tuesday because pints are too dear. They stay home because there's no reason to go out.

So the job is to give people a reason. Here's how we'd go about it.

Step one: find out how quiet it really is

Before you try anything, get the facts. Most tills can show you sales by hour and by day.

Pull the last eight weeks of sales by day and by hour.
Find your two quietest sessions. It's often not the whole night: it might be 6pm to 8pm Monday, or after 9pm Wednesday.
Write down roughly how many customers are in at those times now.

That number is your starting point. Without it, you'll never know if anything worked.

Step two: give people a reason to come

A weekly quiz

The classic, and still one of the best. It's cheap, it brings in groups, and it becomes a habit if you keep the same night and time every week. At our place in Washington, Tuesday is quiz night at 7:30pm, every week. Our guide to running a pub quiz that fills a quiet Tuesday and how to host a pub quiz have everything you need.

Music bingo

Brings in groups who wouldn't come to a quiz. Loud, easy, fun. Our music bingo guide explains how to run it and the licence you'll need.

Games nights

Darts, pool, dominoes, cards, board games. A small competition with a small prize, and a leaderboard that runs for a month, gives people a reason to come back next week.

Open mic or acoustic nights

GOV.UK says that in alcohol-licensed premises, live music doesn't need a licence under the Licensing Act if it's between 8am and 11pm and the audience is no more than 500. The copyright side is separate, so check your TheMusicLicence covers live performances.

A food night

One night, one dish, one price. Pie night, curry night, burger night. People remember "it's curry night at the pub" far better than "we do food".

Live sport midweek

Big European and cup games often fall midweek. If you've got the subscription, put the fixtures up a week ahead. Our post on showing football fixtures in your pub explains how.

Step three: bring in groups

One group of ten is worth more than ten people you have to find one by one.

Clubs and societies. Running clubs, walking groups, book clubs, knitting groups, the local five-a-side. Offer them a regular table or a room on your quiet night.
Teams. Darts, pool and quiz teams bring their own crowd.
Local businesses. Offer a works' night: a table, some food, a quiz.
Parents. After the school run, or once the kids are in bed.

Ask your regulars which groups they belong to. Most are in one.

Step four: give people a reason to stay

Getting people in is half of it. The other half is keeping them for a second drink.

Something on the screens to join in with. A quiz people can answer on their phones keeps them looking up and gives them a reason to stay for the next round.
Food. People who eat stay longer.
Warmth and light. A cold, dim pub on a quiet night feels emptier than it is. Put the heating on and the lights up.
Staff who talk to people. On a quiet night, the bar team has time to chat. Use it.

Step five: tell people

None of this works if nobody knows. Our post on pub marketing ideas goes into this, but the basics:

Put the night on your screens every day, not just on the day.
Put a card on every table.
Post on your socials the day before and on the day, with a photo.
Tell every customer at the bar on the busy nights: "Have you been to our Tuesday quiz?"

Step six: test one thing at a time

Pick one idea, run it for six weeks, and count the customers each week. Then decide. If you change three things at once, you won't know which one worked.

Write down the number before you start and the number each week. A new night often starts slow and builds as people tell their friends.

What not to do

Don't rely on cheap drink. The mandatory licensing conditions ban irresponsible promotions, and cheap pints bring in people who leave when the offer ends.
Don't move the night around. A habit needs a fixed day and time.
Don't give up after two weeks. Give it six.

How StockTap TV helps

At Teal Farm, our Quick Fire phone quiz runs on every TV every 20 minutes during the day, five questions a round, with no app to download. The weekly winner gets a £20 bar tab. It gives people something to do on a quiet afternoon, and a reason to come back. It pauses itself for big matches and for our Tuesday quiz. Our TVs also run our own offers on a timed loop, so "curry night Wednesday" goes up on the days before. See Quick Fire, or join the founding pubs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get more customers on a quiet night?

Give them a reason to come: a quiz, music bingo, a games night, a food night or a group that meets at your pub. Keep it on the same night every week and give it six weeks.

Do drinks discounts work on quiet nights?

Not on their own, and pubs must avoid irresponsible promotions under the mandatory licensing conditions. A reason to come in usually works better than a cheaper pint.

What is the best midweek event for a pub?

For most pubs, a weekly quiz. It's cheap to run and brings in groups who come back every week. Music bingo and food nights are good second options.

How long should I try a new night before giving up?

About six weeks. Count the customers every week so you can see if it's growing.

Sources

GOV.UK: Entertainment licensing: changes under the Live Music Act
PPL PRS: TheMusicLicence for pubs and bars
legislation.gov.uk: The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2014, Schedule

We checked every source on 24 October 2026. Rules change, so check the latest version before you act. Nothing here is legal advice.