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.

The dictionary meaning of a dispenser is as follows: “a device that automatically dispenses a single item or a measured quantity” In the hospitality industry, we are sometimes faced with a decision; do we want our liquor to be poured by way of a dispensing unit? Do we want our bartenders to be “automatic” and potentially take away any flair our personable bar staff has to offer our patrons?

Liquor dispensers are designed to specifically pour a pre configured amount in a glass, no more, no less. There can be certain advantages:

1. Consistency of drinks
2. Controls over quantity poured
3. Less bartender training required

Liquor dispensers typically are available in two forms: guns & spigots.

Guns normally entail tubing to be run from the bar to an area where the liquor is poured into small vats. From there, as a product is selected at the bar, the liquor from the liquor room runs along the line into the patrons drinks. Many times, operators will limit the guns to rail product like vodka, gin, rum…or what we call high moving products.

Spigots or what can be best described as “time release valves” are systems in which a ring is placed around a nozzle on the bottle. When a portion of liquor is requested, the bottle is put through the activator ring, the lever is pressed and an electrical courant opens the valve to dispense a portion of liquid.

Although we may perceive these systems as the ultimate controls, there are a few things to consider: 

1. If you have several pouring stations, they can become cost prohibitive
2. They can be impersonal: clients still like to see a bartender pour a drink straight into a glass without all the “mechanics” involved
3. Sweet liquors have a tendency to crystallize and cause back ups in the lines and spigots thus requiring regular maintenance.
4. Lack of inventory: as much as these systems can dispense exact amounts, they still require a separate system to conduct regular liquor inventories

In the end, as an operator, the decision lies in both the financial areas but also the image and feel you want your establishment to portray, both certainly will have an impact on your business and this is certainly a decision that takes time and research before adapting.  

Taking Control of your bar inventory management

If you have recently made the purchase of a bar inventory management system, you must now understand how the features and benefits your system offers are best suited to your business.

The first thing you must decide on is the frequency at which you will be taking liquor inventory, beer inventory and wine inventory. One thing that cannot be dismissed is the fact the smaller the intervals between inventory periods, the more effective your bar inventory management system can be.

If you own a restaurant, bistro or country club and your liquor, beer and wine sales represent less than 50% of your sales, inventory periods can weekly, bi weekly and potentially monthly.

But if your liquor, beer and wine sales representative a majority of your sales, taking weekly if not daily inventory of your most prized assets should be an automatic. Consider the following; you would be ready to pay a cook and a dishwasher for a full eight hour shift to cook a single hamburger and French fries on a slow business day.

Doesn’t it make sense to pay an employee eight hours to count how much liquor was used from your bar so you can compare this figure to sales and determine if there are any losses? Once you have the information in front of you that is when the real bar inventory management begins.

You can analyze what sells more, are we pouring top shelf and ringing up call brands? Do I have a vodka crowd? Do we have a whisky crowd? Information is gold and proper bar inventory management will give you the edge you need.

Share the success!

Remember the days when taking liquor, beer and wine inventory was long and inaccurate? Do you remember when your old system let you down? What about the times you did not have a management system in place and you had no control over your liquid assets? Well over time, we have worked together and today, you have an alcohol control system that is fast, easy to use, accurate and helps you save money! So why not share some of the success by telling a friend.

Did you know that as the Scannabar community grows, you are actually helping yourself? The more new users help us develop an even better liquor inventory software, wine cellar management system and beer control software. So if you know a bar manager, owner or a liquor inventory manager that can benefit from Scannabar, please let us know.

If your referral results in the purchase of a new system, you will receive a $250.00 gift certificate from your favorite retailer to buy anything you want. Want to help a friend save money, simply click below and thanks for your help.