10 Spooky Halloween Bar Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner, and people are ready to celebrate. In fact, 2020 has seen a 13% increase in Halloween candy sales compared to last year.

You can capitalize on this hype with our list of fun Halloween bar ideas! 

Our 10 favorite Halloween bar ideas

Best mask contest

In 2020, you can’t go anywhere without a mask. But at least we can use Halloween as a chance to be creative with our masks and host a contest at the bar! 

Use email marketing and social media to let guests know to create a unique mask for your Halloween party. You may want to set rules, such as no holes, to make sure the masks still serve their purpose. Next, determine what the prize will be and how you will judge the masks. 

Since the bar is usually a dark and noisy place, you should host the contest on Instagram. Have your guests take a photo at your bar and tag you in it to submit their entries. Creating a hashtag will let you quickly sort through entries to find the best mask.

Play some horror movies 

Many bars have televisions on the wall for sports and other events. Instead of tuning into a football game, play scary movies on your TVs. As guests move about, they can see iconic scenes from their favorite slasher films. Just be sure to turn the sound off! 

Choose a special theme 

Halloween doesn’t always have to be spooky and dark. Your bar can host a party with any theme. 

Here are a few we recommend:

• Decades: Make it 80s, 90s, or 2000s - Whatever you want!
• Movies: Pick a favorite film and tell guests to dress as one of the characters
• Comics and Games: Come as your favorite superhero or video game creature

We like theme nights because many people struggle to pick a costume that is unique and fun. Telling guests to come dressed as their favorite book character helps narrow down their choices and reduce stress!

Offer spirited drink specials

Now is the time to pour some creative cocktails that your guests will just have to share on social media. You can come up with new fun drinks for Halloween with these recipes! 

Training your staff to make these specialty drinks is the only downside. In a dark room, reading a recipe can be hard. However, if you use a smart bar point of sale system, all your drink recipes are only a few taps away!

Set the mood

Redesign your bar’s decor with Halloween in mind. Put artificial candles on bar shelves and windows and turn the lights down low. Hang cobwebs in corners and put creepy crawlies along the bar counter. Don’t forget to mix in some classic sounds, like the Monster Mash and Thriller, throughout the night.

Get a photobooth

Many bars already bring in user-operated photobooths for events, but we think Halloween is the perfect night to rent one. 

First off, your guests will be wearing fun outfits and will want to document the fun. A photobooth is the perfect tool for the job. 

Even better, photo booths are excellent for scary pranks! If your guests are okay with some small frights, set up your photo booth in a secluded area. Be sure you have a hiding place in the room. As the clock counts down and people are positioning for the perfect shot, someone can jump out from the hiding spot to scare them. Guests will get an exciting fright and will have the photo to document it!

Host spooky trivia

Trivia is already a regular event at many bars, so why not host some Halloween-inspired games? 

Some topics to cover can be:

• Famous Halloween movies
• Infamous criminals
• Name the monster
• All about candy

Since this is a Halloween bar idea, you should try to come up with a fun reward that captures the holiday spirit. However, we’re sure anyone would be happy with some free food or drinks! 

Play some eyeball beer pong

Here’s a classic spin on a crowd-favorite game. Beer pong is a no-frills game, but you can jazz it up with just 10 minutes of effort! 

Instead of using white ping pong balls, buy some eyeball ping pong balls from a local party store. While you’re at it, grab some skeleton or jack-o-lantern cups for your table. 

Get themed costumes for staff

Most bars require some type of uniform, so why not get costumes for the staff that let you easily identify each other? Depending on your layout, you can even split up costumes across teams — bartenders can be angels while servers and hosts can be devils. Also, costumes will also help the team feel more excited about Halloween so they can show up to work energized!

Don’t forget about Trick or Treat

How can it be a Halloween party if there is no candy? Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we can’t join in on the fun of wrapping heaps of candy only to get sick the next day! 

Being that we are still social distancing and practicing safe hygiene, you probably don’t want to put out communal candy buckets. Instead, your door staff can pass out small treats as guests walk in. Even better, your bartenders can keep candy close by and give them to anyone who says, “Trick or treat!” when getting a drink.