There are countless reasons why one should be on top of their liquor inventory. Being in the business now for over 10 years here are the 4 most prominent points I have seen during that time.

1. Get an actual inventory number. By taking inventory and updating your values you will go to sleep better at night knowing all your ducks are in a row. Along with having up to date inventory you should always have up to date inventory costs. This way you have a monetary value to your stock and you see that its not just stuff taking up space but actually the life blood of your business. Treat it like a stock you invest X and if you sell X for its full value you will receive Y. Which is a much better return then any Stock.
2. Knowingwhat you have in inventory will allow you to know what your should be ordering to replenishingyour liquor products. This will allow you to accurately stock your shelves and not have overstock sitting on the shelf tying up money that you could be using for other things in your business like promotion and advertising.
3. Negotiatingbetter buying prices. By knowing what you are using and what you normally order you can speak to your distributor and negotiate price deals allowing you to lower you bottom line and increase your profit.
4. Taking inventory can allow you to see what shrinkage you are experiencingat your bar. If you have an opening inventory + all you purchases during the period - you closing inventory you can be 100% sure what your actual losses are. No more guess work allowing you to tackle the problem head on and get your business running at optimal profit.

These are just 4 reasons why you should be taking regular inventory. With all the technology out there today there are many tools that can and will simplify the process. Do your homework and find which works best for you. I guarantee you will sleep much better knowing your liquor inventory is being managed properly.

Social Media is not a fad and will be the way people get messages across now, and even more so in the future.

The question is it right for everyone and every Bar. Maintaining a page is much more time consuming than one might think. If a page is not updated regularly it can harm your business more than help.

The questions you should ask yourself if you intend on opening up a Facebook or Twitter page is Why? Who? and how?

Why: Why are you starting a page. Your answer should not be because everyone else is doing it. You should take your time and figure out why you actually want a page and why will your page and business is different than all the others that are out there.

Who: Who will your page target. Is it existing clients, potential new clients. Your local neighborhood, the city at large. This will give you an idea of the type of content you should be posting on a weekly, daily basis.

How: How will you reach your taget market? Is it with promotions, weekly specials, open mic night, live bands. Its important that your page lets people inside your business and is the place where one will go to get information on what is happing there at any given time.

In the end jumping into social media is something one should embrace and treat as a new way to reach a larger scale of people for free or for minimal costs. Although do not just jump in blindly. Get yourself a plan and go from there I know you may just want to rush into it, but take your time try different things till you get it right. Once you do, and if you have a unique strategy you will be shocked at how people will respond. 

With all the new Brands and flavors of alcohol and liquor coming out every day. We share with you The Shelf brought to you by our friends at Nightclub & Bar.

We will continue to bring you the latest in new Spirit releases in our industry.

Take a look at what is new on The Shelf in January 2011

Click Below

For more hospitality information checkout

In any business you always need to manage your day to day properly, but one thing you always need to consider and always work on is staying current with the latest and upcoming trends.

Do your research on the latest food and beverage trends in the hospitality industry and you will find valuable information you can use in your business.

1. You can pick up great additions to your food and drink menu. Going to larger markets and watching what they are serving as new cocktails can be a great help.
2. Consider adding new categories of food on your menu. If you’re a standard fair restaurant maybe adding some tapas true to your current menu might help clients stop by for a drink and a small bite.
3. Stay true to your core concept but add flavour from the new trends that are out there. Is there a Hot fruit on the market, incorporate it into your core drink lists. Example Pomegranate martinis or Daiquiris.
4. Look at what popular marketing ideas are going on in bigger markets and different places and be the first to bring them into your local market.

In the end you are always competing with the other bars and nightclubs around you. If they come up with the idea first you will always be a step behind. The important thing with all trends you incorporate is you stay true to your core image. Trends come and pass you do not want to alter to much from something that is working you just need to tweak it now and then.

In the field of psychology there is a well known theory formulated by A.H Maslow called Maslow’s hierarchy which deals with human needs. Since as all hospitality operators, we deal with human beings, it is important we understand their psychological needs so they can better appreciate their experience at your place of business and we can assure ourselves of a satisfied customer that may return and also speak well to others about their enjoyable dining/drinking experience.

Maslow cites five basic psychological needs an average person should posses

A need for: physiological, safety, love & belonging, esteem and self actualization.

The first for needs are referred to as dependent needs because they are obtained from other people. Self-actualization comes from oneself. Hospitality operators should know and understand how these needs affect their guests and their experience in your hospitality environment.

A hospitality operator should realize that 2 of the needs, the physiological and the need for love most often have been met before the guest enters your place of business.

The physiological need means that if we do not have enough money to provide food for ourselves or our family, we will spend the greatest portion of our time trying to earn enough money or obtain food to satisfy this need.

The need for safety can play an important part in the success or failure of a hospitality business. Guests typically have satisfied the need for safety because they live in a community that makes them feel comfortable and fearless. However, some hospitality environments are located in areas which maybe considered a bit more dangerous thus this need may not be satisfied.

The need for love and belonging refers to being accepted by other people and groups. Most guests have made friends and formed associations with their peers. At times this need benefits the hospitality environment because our guests belong to groups that patronize restaurants, bars and hotels.

The key need all hospitality operators must satisfy is the fourth need: the esteem need. This need centers on self respect and can be also called the “ego” need. It means that you as a hospitality operator make the guest feel important by way of the respect you bring to them. An easy way to fill this need is by addressing the guest by their first name or even inquiring about their friends or family members.

The fifth need is the need for self actualization which comes from within the person. This is achieved when the person develops their maximum potential. As hospitality operators, we indirectly contribute to the development of this need because we have helped satisfy the need for self esteem

All hospitality must understand Maslow’s hierarchy to better understand their customers and add to the success of their business.

Banquets & Functions Beverage Service

There are basically two types of services that could be offered to your clients, Open Bar and Cash Bar. The Open Bar is one that all drinks consumed by guests or customers are offered by the host at no charge. A Cash Bar is one in which if a guest would like a drink, it is served to them and they are required to pay the bartender.

Whether the event is an Open Bar or Cash Bar, there are many different options for serving their liquor, beer and wine. It is the responsibility of the Banquet manager to sit down with the host and understand both the needs and the type of people that will be attending as to properly suggest the make up of the bar service. The banquet manager will then be able to estimate how much liquor may be consumed by the guests based on their experience with similar size groups and demographics. Typically, liquor consumption will be higher at cocktail time and will decrease following the meal as people are full and they abide by local drinking and driving laws.

Open Bar can be best described as the guest requests a drink from the bartender and this drink is served based on the liquor, beer and wine inventory the bar is stocked with. Generally 1 bartender is required for 50 people a the time of the cocktail and 1 bartender is required for 100 people after the meal is served. How is the host charged? They may be billed for all bottles that have been “open” Another way is to charge the host only the quantity consumed. Technology today allows for fast and accurate consumption reports based on a per bottle and ounce basis.

Cash Bars may cost the host nothing. Basically, when a guest would like a drink, they order it from the bartender and pay immediately. Typically, cash bars have a tendency to bring in less revenue, thus a banquet manager will require a minimum amount of liquor sales. If this minimum is not attained, the host may be charged the cost of the bartender.

A banquet manager should suggest the host go with the Open bar as it does increase the revenues of the establishment but also add to the success of the event. Guests whom are required to pay for drinks normally takes away from the “fun” an event has to offer. Moderate drinking is always recommended and the establishments bar staff must be aware if a guest has over consumed and immediately notify management.

Scannabar recently had the pleasure of exhibiting our liquor, beer and wine inventory software at the Florida Restaurant Association show in Orlando, Florida, September 12^th to the 14^th. Contrary to other years, it is quite apparent that the economy is slowly coming back to where it was, this displayed by the volume of people that attended and the steady flow of hospitality operators we had the opportunity to discuss our cost saving solution with. It is also quite evident that operators are looking for solutions that will help them save both time and most importantly money in respect to their most valued liquid assets.

Many believed that although business is not quite at the peaks we have experienced in the past, the emphasis on maximizing the potential of every dollar is high on the list of things to do to move on past this difficult period

Many of the operators we met did say the economic hardships of late did have a negative impact on their businesses, but most agreed this was a time to re group and do some forward thinking. Being present at the show, they had the opportunity to meet with many vendors that offered technology, marketing and food products to better the business’s bottom line .

We would also like to take this opportunity to not only thank those that visited our booth and with whom we had the chance to both exchange ideas with, but also to applaud the hospitality operators that look beyond the most recent events like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to better their businesses both today and in the future. We would also like to thank the Florida Restaurant Association for helping organize a wonderful show and we look forward to being part of the 2011 show.

Standard Drink Recipe

To run a successful and have a loyal following, it is important that your customers are served consistent drinks. To do so, standard drink recipes must be prepared so as to prepare your bar staff accordingly. A standard drink recipe is made up of the following:

• Exact quantity of each ingredient
• Glass size
• Procedure to make the drink
• Garnish
• Any other special procedures/condiments
• A picture is an option

For each drink served at your place of business, a standard recipe should be written up and kept on file to train new bartenders and make sure older bartenders do not sway from the company standards.

Standardized recipes will also help control your pour cost percentages and a revision on a 6 month basis is suggested. Below, you will see how to document a standard drink recipe.

Whiskies

While countries in Southern Europe made wine, countries in Northern climates like Scotland and Ireland made whisky. Due to the fact grapes did not grow well in these regions, the alternative was grains.

Whisky comes from the word uisgebeatha in Scotland and uisgebaugh in Ireland, a Celtic translation of aqua vitae.

Whisky can be broken down into many different classes. Depending on where and how its created makes all the difference.

• Scotch
• Irish Whiskey
• Bourbon
• Rye
• Blended American
• Light whisky
• Canadian
• Single Malt Whisky

To make whisky, one needs to get the grain to ferment, but to start, the starch of the grain must be converted to sugar. This is done by adding Malt, a sprouted grain, usually barley.

Then, malt, grain and hot water are mixed together until conversion takes place. The liquid then ferments when yeast is added. 

From there, the raw whiskey is then stored in barrels, usually made of oak for at least 2 years. It doesn't stop there fine whisky can be aged for decades to achive optimal taste and flavour. What ever you fancy there is a type of whisky out there for your taste buds. After a long day at the office its hard to beat a Whisky on the rocks to unwind ;)

Becoming a Bartender

We all have one point seen ourselves behind the bar slinging drinks like Tom did in his famous movie role. But before we do, there are few things we must consider:

1. Are we ready to give up our weekends?
2. Is working late hours something we are comfortable with?
3. Are we what we call a “people person”?
4. Can we take orders and remain calm under pressure?
5. Do we deal with patrons that could become rude and rowdy?

Bartending can be a very lucrative and reward career. For others, it can be a simple sideline job while in school. Whatever it may be, bartending does require certain skills that can be taught in bartending schools and experienced in the line of fire.

A professional bartender understands both the needs of the clients and what is required to become effective during service. A bartender’s quick check list:

1. Is my liquor inventory up to par?
2. Is my beer inventory properly stocked?
3. Are my fruits and condiments prepared?
4. Do I have enough ice?
5. Does my till have enough change? 

A bartender knows what can be called the “golden hours” at which point all they do is take orders and serve drinks. To maximize the full potential, preparation is key.