Expert Advice on Hospitality Topics

Nonalcoholic Beverages: An Area of Opportunity

Posted by Nick Kaoukis on Mon, Aug, 22, 2011 @ 16:08 PM
Non Alcoholic DrinksBy Elizabeth Godsmark
Atlantic Publishing
 

This sector of the beverage industry, known in the trade as NABs, needs to be taken very seriously if you want to cash in on current drinking trends. More customers today (often affluent, young, career-oriented clientele with plenty of disposable income) are choosing to drink NABs. Health issues, stricter DWI laws, and maybe even image are influencing their decisions to turn to NABs. The fact remains: this trend can mean big bucks. Tap into the possibilities:

  • Promotions. Which NABs are consistently popular in your establishment? Buy bulk and sell on promotion. Publicize offers that your customers just cannot resist. Use a large chalkboard, or place "in-your-face" table tents on tables and at the bar.
  • Specialize. Don't bother with expensive market research. Consult your regular customers. Ask them what they'd like to see on the menu. Decide on a few in-house specialties. Profits will increase noticeably, as margins for NABs are generally higher than for alcoholic beverages.
  • Bottled water. This is no passing fad. Both in the dining room and at the bar, people are choosing to alternate alcoholic drinks with bottled water. Shelf dates tend to be generous (particularly for still, noncarbonated waters), so cash in: buy in bulk for big savings.
  • Added value.Serve NABs in sophisticated, unusual glasses that scream "quality"! Customers will happily pay that little bit extra for a "wow" experience.
  • Don't price too low. A word of warning. To make the most of this burgeoning area of the drinks market, keep your prices in line with your estab­lishment's other alcoholic beverages. If NABs are priced too low, bartenders will be reluctant to promote them, and customers will think they're nothing special.
 

 

This article is an excerpt from the Food Service Professional Guide to Controlling Liquor Wine & Beverage Costs, authored by Elizabeth Godsmark, published by Atlantic Publishing Company. This excerpt has been reprinted with permission of the publisher. To purchase this book go to:

Atlantic Publishing Company
Amazon.com

Topics: Bar inventory, alcohol, Bar trends, Bar drinks

A Great Cocktail Server

Posted by Nick Kaoukis on Wed, Jun, 22, 2011 @ 12:06 PM

BAR MANAGEMENT
by Bob JohnsonBar, nightclub server

In an adult nightclub, cocktail servers are required to do much more than simply take orders and hand out drinks. According to bar management ex pert Bob Johnson, there are several nuances that, if employed correctly, can turn a good cocktail server into a great one.
 
In part two of this two-part series, Johnson  provides servers with detailed information on how to  properly handle  house and serving policies, while  offering dentitions on some common drink ordering  phrases.
 

Part 1:

How important are servers?

 
The server is the main person that interacts with the customer during their visit to your club.  Being a good server is perhaps the most difficult job in the bar business.  It requires many skills, a mature attitude and a great personality.  You should reconsider the ago old adult entertainment theory of turning a cocktail server into a dancer.  A cocktail server who can easily converse with customers, gives great service, remembers names, remembers drinks and shows personality is more effective on the poor than being a dancer on stage. Plus, they are more accessible than a dancer.  The following  article  provides  detailed information for cocktail servers on how to properly  administer  house and serving policies,  and includes  dentitions on some common  drink ordering  phrase s.  Being a good cocktail server  means more than just taking orders and bringing drinks; hope fully, this article will help de ne their roles in a  successful adult nightclub.

Topics: Bar staff, Bar trends, NightClub Management, Nightclub Consulting, Drink Recipes

A Successful Bar Begins With a Quality Staff

Posted by Nick Kaoukis on Mon, Jun, 20, 2011 @ 10:06 AM

By Chris Parry
Atlantic Publishing


Part 2: Do Bartenders Create Regulars?

bartenderA bar business is not, as many people think, a service industry. Of course, it's part service industry, but it's also very important not to forget that it's also an entertainment industry. Do your bartenders entertain your customers while they are serving them?

 

  • Every customer is an asset to your business. Just as you wouldn't throw chairs and tables away after one use, so too should you do everything in your power to make sure that every customer comes back again and again. Your staff must know that this is your goal. They must realize that they're the front-line weapons in the battle for customer retention.
  • Customer needs. Every staff member, from host to bartender to manager, should be able to handle any customer's needs. If a hostess walks past a table that obviously needs clearing without lifting a finger, how do you think that will leave those customers feeling about the service standard in your bar?
  • People seated at the bar. They should be treated like old friends by your bar staff, at least when they first sit down. But just as it's important to engage customers in conversation when they're happy to talk, it's also important to leave them alone when they don't. A good bartender reads the client's mood.
  • Flair bartending is all the rage. Bartenders who consider their job to be more than a temporary source of income see themselves as the next Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail. While putting on a show for the customers is a great way to entertain them, putting on a bad show is not. If your staff want to sling bottles and glasses around the bar in style, make sure they work within their limitations and save the practicing for after-hours.
  • Staff incentives. Some bar operators give incentives to their bar staff to stay around after their shifts and get to know the customers. Discounted drinks and food are not only a relatively cost-effective way to have your staff spend their free time at work, but these methods also help convince them to bring their own friends and turn your bar into their regular watering hole.

 

 

This article is an excerpt from the Food Service Professional Guide to Bar & Beverage Operation, authored by Chris Parry, published by Atlantic Publishing Company. This excerpt has been reprinted with permission of the publisher. To purchase this book go to:

Atlantic Publishing Company 
Amazon.com

Topics: Bar staff, alcohol, Bar trends, NightClub Management, Bar Management, Nightclub trends, opening a bar, hospitality jobs, liquor

Running a Bar Vs Managing a Bar

Posted by Nick Kaoukis on Wed, Apr, 13, 2011 @ 12:04 PM 
e-mail: "bjbarhop@aol.com, web page  
www.BobTheBarGuy.com  
 
ARE YOU REALLY READY TO OWN AND OPERATETO OWN AND OPERATE A BAR

Part 2:bartender

“The ultimate success or failure of your bar will be determined by those you hire. You must paint a picture for staff to follow so that your policies are consistent and there is no misinterpretation.”

As a bartender, you learned and practiced proficiency in bar terminology, product knowledge, mixology, tools of the trade, bar equipment, dealing with the public, cash controls, cleaning, stocking, bar organization, and the laws related to the responsible service of beverage alcohol. To be a bar manager you must continue your learning process far beyond that of a bartender, and here is where we run into a problem— learning the additional, necessary skills needed to effectively manage a bar.

A bar manager must have the knowledge and ability to directly oversee all bar operations and personnel, which includes the processes of hiring, training, evaluating, disciplining, terminating, and scheduling (human resources), and ordering, receiving, inventory controls, product cost purchasing (beverage control). Additionally, he should have the ability to properly price drinks, execute promotions, and pull a shift or two behind the bar to help out on labor costs as well as stay current with drink trends, maintain efficiency, and stay in closer touch with the staff and customers. I believe a good bar manager should work at least two shifts behind the bar every week (and never the same two days).

Topics: bartending schools, Bar trends, Bar Management, bar location

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