I used to work in a coffee shop in a touristy town, in the great white north. There was a theme - milk the tourists but butter the locals. That guy that comes in for the same simple drink at the same time every morning, is worth more than someone who buys all the foof and never comes back. Plus he's going to keep us going all winter, and you're not.

So there is a game of favourites - that local is near-on a thousand bucks a year. Plus tips. So if I get the chance to start his drink the moment I see him out the window, I'll take it. You might wait an extra 30 seconds. The change he drops in the jar will probably add up to a car payment over a year.

I can easily imagine bars are a similar situation but more so. The regulars are probably spending a little more than $20 a week.