Dancer Archive
Thread: How are GOOD cantinas run?
Don't charge much of an entry fee.
Hire good entertainers, and have events.
Develop an RP community around the cantina, to give it a feel that seperates it out. (Ignore this if you don't like RP)
Find a town or PA that needs a cantina, and go for it.
Have crafting stations available for medics, so they can create more goodies.
Have a crafting station there for a bartender.
Hire a good decorator, if you don't want to do it yourself.
My own take, though, is to wait until player cities happen.
To add to what TheMerovignian said, I think the most important thing you can do is be consistent. If you're only open one or two nights on weekends, you're not going to develop a steady clientele who thinks of your cantina before they think of someone else's (or the public joints).
Be entertaining - TM noted that you should have events, but try to come up with interesting, engaging, entertaining ones. Something that involves the players. Having one-on-one barehanded melee duels only works a time or two. After that you need something else to keep them entertained and surprised. And, of course, gambling is never out of style.