Over the last few years Pop-up bars have been getting more and more popular. Their temporary nature creates a natural buzz in both the local and online communities. They can also attract a new crowd of people to your business. 

But one of the best parts of pop-up bars is the ability to design a fun and creative concept. Since shipping containers are prefabricated, they let you save money on building costs and put it toward decorations instead. 

Need some inspiration for your shipping container pop-up bar? We’ve put together some of the best ideas for shipping container bars in 2019. 

1. Movie Themed Bar

People love movies. Movies give us a window into another world, and they give us the chance to see and experience things we would never get the chance to do in our normal lives. In fact, about 54% of American adults watch a movie in a theater every month.

By creating a movie-themed pop-up bar, you’re giving people a way to escape from the everyday stresses of life and helping them retreat into a different reality. You can turn your shipping container bar into a Harry Potter common room, your favorite Disney princess castle, or the Death Star from Star Wars. 

2. TV Show Themed Bar

You can also decorate your pop-up shipping container bar in the theme of a popular TV show. For example, Stranger Things and Game of Thrones pop-up bars have done well in the past few years.  

But again, you have to time a TV show pop-up bar right. The Stranger Things pop-up opened six weeks before the second season aired on Netflix. Since people were already hyped for the new season, they were excited to check out the bar. Picking the wrong TV show at the wrong time might make your bottom line suffer. 

3. Holiday Themed Bar

As the holidays get closer, people start looking for holiday-related places to visit and activities to do. You can jump on this excitement by turning your shipping container bar into a holiday getaway. 

Is Halloween coming up? Create a haunted bar full of zombies, vampires, or monsters. Is Christmas right around the corner? Hang Christmas lights, put up stockings, and turn your bar into a winter wonderland. Since there are so many holidays throughout the year, you can redecorate and reopen your bar again and again. 

4. Animal Bar 

Petting and cuddling dogs and cats can actually reduce people’s stress. Since many people are weighed down by bills, work, and other responsibilities of life, they will jump at the chance to spend some time with adorable animals. 

However your animal petting bar doesn’t have to stick to the traditional cats and dogs. Think outside the box. Make your bar home to a few owls or some adorable baby goats. If you provide animals people don’t get to interact with very often, they’ll be even more excited to show up. 

5. Superhero Bar

Superheroes are no longer just for nerds. In fact, superheroes are more popular today than they ever have been before. Because of this, you can attract people from all different walks of life to a superhero themed pop-up bar. You can base your bar off the well-known Marvel universe or choose to give it a different comic book look and feel. 

6. Medieval Bar 

A medieval pop-up bar gives people the chance to experience a Renaissance era blast from the past. It also gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to decorations. You can choose to make your shipping container bar look like the inside of a castle or keep it in the theme of a traditional tavern. 

No matter what you choose, people will enjoy stepping back in time for a few hours. 

7. Bubble Warp Bar 

One minute spent popping bubble wrap can relieve the same amount of stress as a 30-minute massage. To help your customers break away from the stress in their lives, you can create a bubble wrap pop-up bar. The process isn’t hard.  All you have to do is cover the walls, tables, chairs, glasses, bottles, etc. with normal bubble wrap. When someone orders a drink, they get to pop all the bubbles, in the bar and on their glass, too. 

8. Lego Bar 

Want to create a nostalgic pop-up bar that’ll remind people of their childhood? You can build the entire bar out of lego blocks.  Okay, maybe not the entire building, but you can certainly build tables, chairs, and other features out of lego pieces. You can even include lego dishes if you want.  Just be careful with the floor. No one wants to walk on those dangerous lego pieces (even if they’re wearing shoes!). 

9. Travel/Getaway Bar 

You can also turn your bar into a popular travel destination. Over 39 million Americans can’t afford to go on a summer vacation this year, so you can give them a relaxing getaway at your bar instead. For example, cover the floor in sand, shells, and beach balls and bring the beach to them. 

You can choose any number of vacation destination themes. But make sure it’s someplace that interests the people in your area. 

10. Let the Location Be Your Draw 

One of the best benefits of opening a shipping container pop-up bar is its portability. You can move the shipping container from place to place without a lot of hassle or money. Because of this, you can put your bar in a beautiful location and let the natural surroundings be your draw.

However, you have to make sure the location you choose to put your bar is easy for people to reach. No one wants to drive an hour away to get to your bar. 

Opening Shipping Container Bars: Essential Pop-Up Ideas for 2019

Shipping container bars may be inexpensive to build, but you have to come up with an interesting design to set you apart from the competition and attract customers. These pop-up bar ideas should give you the inspiration you need to open your own shipping container bar soon. 

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