Wine bars and cocktail bars in London compete for early-evening footfall against every restaurant, pub and casual eatery on the same street. A clear banner outside the door is one of the cheapest ways to win that competition, especially during the 5pm to 8pm window when passers-by are making their drinks plans for the night.
This guide covers banner ideas, sizes and messages for wine bars and cocktail bars. Examples come from the kind of banners we have printed for venues across Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Mayfair and Putney from our Putney Heath studio.
Use a 5ft x 2ft 510gsm PVC banner with a happy hour or signature cocktail offer, around £36 from our Putney studio. White text on burgundy, deep navy or charcoal reads premium without being cold. Lead with a specific drink and price. Order by 11am for same-day collection.
What Bar Banners Need to Do
Two jobs. Tell passers-by what kind of bar this is, and give them a specific reason to come in tonight. Wine Bar, Natural Wines, 2 for 1 Wednesdays. Cocktail Bar, Happy Hour 5 to 7, Espresso Martinis 8. Each works because it answers both questions at once.
Bar trade is decision-heavy in a small window. Group plans for the evening get made on the pavement between 5pm and 7pm. The banner has 10 seconds to convince them this is the bar.
Banner Ideas by Bar Type
Wine bars and cocktail bars need different angles. The audience and the decision drivers are not the same.
Wine Bar Banners
Lead with category and a specific draw. Natural Wine Bar, Wines by the Glass, Charcuterie and Cheese. Add a midweek offer like 2 for 1 Tuesdays if you run one. White on burgundy reads premium and feels right for the category.
Cocktail Bar Banners
Lead with a signature drink and happy hour. Espresso Martinis 8, Happy Hour 5 to 7, Cocktails Two for 14. A specific drink name and a specific price beats generic Cocktail Bar Open Tonight every time.
Group drink plans get made between 5pm and 7pm on the pavement. The banner has 10 seconds to win them.
Colour and Material
Bars are largely evening trade, so the banner needs to read well after dusk under street lighting. White on burgundy, white on deep navy, gold on charcoal, all read clean at night. Avoid pure black on dark colours, the banner becomes a black rectangle once the street lights come on.
510gsm PVC with hemmed edges and brass eyelets is the standard. If you change cocktail menus often, consider a banner with the bar name only and a separate chalkboard for the rotating drinks list.
Wine and Cocktail Bar Banner Sizes
| Size | Best Use | Indicative Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3ft x 2ft | A-frame, pavement | £31 |
| 4ft x 2ft | Narrow bar fascia | £34 |
| 5ft x 2ft | Standard bar above door | £36 |
| 5ft x 3ft | Larger bar with happy hour promo | £42 |
| 6ft x 3ft | Wide frontage bar | £48 |
Placement for Evening Trade
Above the door at 8 to 10 feet is the prime position. A-frame banners on the pavement work well in busy streets like Soho's Greek Street or Shoreditch's Curtain Road where groups walk slowly and stop to read.
If the bar is in a basement or set back from the street, the banner needs to be at eye level on the pavement, not at the door itself. Set-back bars lose 80 percent of potential trade because nobody looks down stairs without a reason to.
A specific drink name and price beats generic Cocktails Open Tonight every time. Be specific.
Lead Times and Seasonal Rotation
Most bars rotate banner messages seasonally. Spritz Season banners through summer, Mulled Wine banners through December, Espresso Martini banners year-round in cocktail bars. Order each version 5 to 7 days ahead and store the previous one for next year. We print same-day from our Putney Heath studio on artwork in by 11am.
Three or four banners cycled through the year cover most bars. A summer spritz banner, a winter mulled drinks banner, a year-round happy hour banner, and an occasion banner for Valentine's or New Year's. Total spend across all four is usually under £150 and they reuse for three or four years.
If you sponsor events or run live music nights, a dedicated banner for those nights is worth ordering. Live Jazz Thursdays or DJ Sets Friday and Saturday gets the right crowd through the door on the right night, instead of relying on word-of-mouth alone.
Ready to Get Your Banner Printed?
Wine bar and cocktail bar banners reward specificity. Name the drink, set the price, and use a colour palette that reads well after dark. A 510gsm PVC banner outside the door earns its money in a busy summer evening alone.
Send artwork to our Putney Heath studio before 11am for same-day collection. Call 020 3669 9854 or WhatsApp +447376464869 if you want a quick proof check before paying.
Related Banner Services
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