I thought long and hard about replying to this message but hopefully it'll be of some value and I don't think it's anything I haven't already said to Kal and Scarlet privately since the change in ownership of the Goblin.
The reason it was successful in the past was that the core of it's staff we're civilian main characters who may or may not have had guardsman alts, so the majority of their game time was spent as barstaff, rather than being out on patrol etc. most of the time as Guardsman main characters.
Previously the Goblin was run like a squad. It had a manager/manageress who were effectively squad leaders and through tasks they kept the barstaff, cooks and bouncers busy and active and in doing so created spin off activity for the tavern. Also like any squad it's only going to be as successful as the hard work and man hours put in by it's leaders. Trust me I know.
As for getting new staff, advertise positions vacant IC on our and other community forums. Arrange a night for prospective barmaids etc. to try out. Thus creating a tavern night/event in itself.
You might get some shady characters trying to get a job to skim the profits and then do a runner etc. etc. get other guilds involved and have some fun, as well of course as trying to get some new staff.
Try and contact inactive members who had barstaff and former Goblin employees to see if they want their job back. Please note I'm not trying to get you to poach from other guilds but the likes of Maccen Korten and Kalam Ravenscarr and others.
Even if they aren't playing as regularly as the once were see if you can arrange a one of quiz night or something. Kalam excelled at those.
Maybe contact Van and book a WillyFist gig? Again I dunno if Van is that active but I'm sure he'd help out with an event if it meant a gig for WillyFist.
Get on ICQ and MSN and speak to these guys and try and plan some events.
Maybe host a recruitment stall in New Haven giving away free grog? Try and use the Goblin as a selling point for the guild rather than the army?
Hopefully these suggestions will give you chaps some ideas and good luck with the process. Also as Su-mi says, the community is in the post winter break blip so don't get too disheartened and at the end of the day Gwen Irima has been hosting tavern nights single handedly at the Trinsic Rose for years, so it is doable, though not ideal.