MyStar News July 2026

HALLOWEEN CINEMA BOOSTS OCTOBER SALES

Showing a free daily Halloween movie in October boosts the month’s sales by 10% at The Punchbowl in Newcastle. The films are shown in the function room, which is decorated for Halloween and has a large screen with cinema-style curtains that roll back on a motor, adding to the occasion. The room is set up with tables and chairs, and customers can eat and drink while watching. Complimentary red and white paper bags of popcorn are on every table. Cinema-type snacks, like hotdogs and nachos & cheese, are also served along with the regular menu.

Screenings are at 8pm, giving people time to attend after work. Licensee Lewis Northey selects the movies with the help of film student staff and online reviews. The film’s popularity – rather than the day of the week – determines turnout. There’s capacity for 40 people, so booking is compulsory. The average audience is 30 people, but some films could sell out many times over. At weekends, there are kids’ afternoon screenings, too. The schedule is promoted from September via social media and on an outside A-board – professionally done by a sign writer – throughout October. Says Lewis: “Our premises licence includes permission to show films, and we pay an annual licence fee of around £150. They are a doddle to organise, generate bookings for the function room and attract new customers who wouldn’t have discovered the pub otherwise.”

FANCY DRESS WALK WORKS WONDERS

With an established sponsored walk in aid of prostate cancer in June, The Anglers at Saxilby launched a Halloween night fancy dress fundraising walk for Breast Cancer. The charity provided a fundraising kit including printable sponsorship forms, collection boxes and Halloween-themed games cards. Twenty-six people completed the three-mile walk, mixing with trick or treaters and collecting further donations en route.

Licensee Wayne Brown decked out The Anglers with Halloween decorations, and staff dressed up, creating an after-party atmosphere with a singer and themed cocktails. Sales were up 20% and more than £450 was raised. Says Wayne: “Sponsored walks are great – they’re a bit different and get customers mingling who don’t usually talk to each other. The costumes were an icebreaker and talking point. It’s also good for The Anglers’ reputation to be seen out in the community supporting an important cause. Sixty people come to our prostate cancer walk, and we’re hoping to build a similar following for our Halloween breast cancer one. The Anglers tends to be male dominated. Hosting an event for women went down well. We’re following it up with a painting night and a pottery evening.”

FIREWORKS PROVE FANTASTIC PUBLICITY

Hosting a free bonfire and fireworks night for the community has contributed to The Queens Head becoming the ‘go to’ pub for families in Wilnecote. The bonfire is a central attraction, with people staying on to watch it after the fireworks end. 400 people attend – even when it’s raining – and sales quadruple. The takings fund the key costs – the fireworks, extra staff and a disco to keep people at the pub afterwards. Licensee Steve Lester does most of the work himself to keep expenses down. He even undertook eight hours of specialist training, qualifying him to run the show, pick the fireworks and curate the display. Staff act as first aiders, and there are no portaloos – as these have proved unnecessary. To simplify operations, the kitchen is replaced with an outside BBQ and customers use the inside bar.

Says Steve: “The pub had a poor reputation when we took over. The fireworks display played a big part in its turnaround – it’s great publicity and a very effective way of promoting a family-friendly image. We’ve been doing it for ten years. We see it as a loss leader – you don’t see any profits on the night, but it pays off over time. It’s got to be well organised and managed, as people’s lives are at risk.”

KIDS’ HALLOWEEN PARTY GENERATES YEAR-ROUND TRADE

Holding a children’s fancy-dress Halloween party helped relaunch The Three Tuns – which is next to a primary school in Hemel Hempstead – as a family-friendly venue when Mary Keenan took over. Three years on, it’s still effective at showcasing the pub to new people and generates bookings from accompanying parents for subsequent get-togethers and Christmas activities.

50 £2.50-per-head tickets go on sale in September. These sell out and contribute to covering the £500 cost of the party, which includes food – like hot dogs or burgers, an entertainer, a disco and party bags containing around £5 of goodies. Mary buys these throughout the year to spread the expense. The pub is decorated with 80 pumpkins for Halloween. Mary holds an adult disco at the weekend. The kids’ party follows on a quiet weekday night after Halloween, enabling every child to take away a pumpkin. Says Mary: “If you’re not marking Halloween, you’re losing, as customers go elsewhere. The party isn’t a profit maker, but we recoup the costs over the year with attendees returning. Great organisation and a timetable are essential – otherwise, it would be chaos with kids running around. Having an entertainer and disco sorts this. Halloween cocktails are available for parents, who are required to stay. It’s key to get grannies and kids into your pub – it signals it’s safe and welcoming, everyone else follows.”

SPOOKTAKULAR FUNDAY DOUBLES SALES

A £10-per-child Family Funday from 12pm to 4pm on the half-term Sunday before or after Halloween doubles sales at The Hobs Meadow at Solihull. 60 tickets go on sale in July and quickly sell out, covering all the costs. Staff dress up, the pub is decorated and a selfie spot is created using broomsticks. Licensee Jo O’Brien turns the garden into a pumpkin patch, covering it with straw and 150 pumpkins bought from local supermarkets. Kids pick and carve a pumpkin and enjoy arts & crafts, a disco, games like musical statues and a visit to the Animal Man, who shows them creatures such as skunks, tarantulas and lizards. Everyone gets a goodie bag containing chocolates, colouring books and gifts like glow sticks bought in multipacks from Shein. Families stay until 8pm and eat from the pub’s menu.

Says Jo: “The event is established locally now and the formula works. I have to turn so many people away that I could run a second Fun Day, but it’s too much work. It costs £18 a head to go to a real pumpkin patch and do carving locally; our event is excellent value in comparison. I go to the supermarkets first thing and buy up their pumpkins. They’re stored in the cellar to preserve them.”

DOG CELEBRATION DAY IS BIG SUCCESS

A Dog Celebration Day at The Lord Reresby in Thrybergh brought in 42 dogs and at least 100 accompanying customers, increasing sales by 75% on a November Saturday. The day was hosted to celebrate the return of the pub’s sausage dog Henry after he went missing. Henry was dressed up for the occasion and helped promote it on social media. It was so successful it is becoming an annual event. All attending dogs had their names and photos taken for a Dog Hall of Fame gallery in the pub and received a free goody bag containing treats such as beef jerky and sprats. There was also a raffle for a huge dog hamper with contents – which were mostly donated by regulars – ranging from a dog advent calendar to disinfectant. 500 £1 tickets were sold, with the proceeds going to a local animal charity.

Says The Lord Reresby’s operator, Tom Parol: “It was one of our best ever events. It highlighted our dog-friendly credentials and introduced new people to the pub. To prevent mayhem, dogs had to be kept on leads and were invited to come throughout the day, rather than altogether at a specified time.”

DRESSED FOR HALLOWEEN SUCCESS

Going all out on decorations has won The Pretty Gate at Colchester a place on the local trail of Halloween sites and spices up the pub’s weekly quiz and karaoke. Licensee Lisa Rush swears by using fake cobwebs: “You can cover the whole pub for £30 and if you use them carefully they’ll last two years. They look fantastic.” Full-size hanging skeletons, witches’ hats on anything possible and crime scene tape on the toilet doors add to the effect. The pub welcomes trick or treaters with a large bowl of sweets, and kids and their parents stop in for a drink and to admire the decorations as a result. A Harry Potter-themed Halloween quiz was the pub’s most successful ever.

Lisa acted as quiz master and dressed as Bellatrix. Every team adopted a Hogwarts House, with extra points for anyone who dressed up. Even the winner’s trophy was decorated like a coffin with Halloween decorations. Adds Lisa: “The Pretty Gate is in the middle of an estate and very much a locals’ pub. Everything I do is for the residents. It’s important we help them mark key occasions like Halloween. It’s also brilliant for the spirit of the pub, giving everyone the excuse to dress up and have a good laugh.”