Industry Tips From Tales

Posted on July 15, 2009
Filed Under Sonja Kassebaum | Leave a Comment

Sonja Kassebaum is a Chicago-based boutique distiller (North Shore Distillery) and cocktail blogger (Thinking of Drinking), as well as the president of Chicago LUPEC.

Unlike most of my fellow Tales bloggers, I work in the liquor industry full-time, and one of the aspects of Tales that I particularly appreciate is the practical advice in the industry-focused sessions. Here are a few of the best tips for restaurant and bar owners that I picked up during the week.

Strategies for Dealing with the Economy
from the session on Managing the Rising Cost of Goods

• Inventory Management - keep less inventory on hand, and look for high quality, lesser known value brands to promote.

• Pour Control – ensure that proper pours are being utilized – whether measuring for cocktails or free pouring, ¼ of an ounce per drink makes a big difference to the bottom line over time. And it will probably alter the balance of the drink.

• Standardize Recipes – standardize your recipes for common drinks. For example, on a Kamikaze – do you use well vodka, a premium brand, or something else? All bartenders should make it the same way so you can price it appropriately.

• Small Luxuries - offer small luxuries as an option (e.g., a ½ oz taste of Louis XIV), rather than just a standard pour. People appreciate the opportunity to treat themselves, and this offering fosters that in a more affordable way.

Guide Your Guests
from the Session on Liquid Nudging: Using Psychology, Showmanship, Manipulation and Choice Architecture to Help Guests Choose Great Drinks- and Love Them:

• Treat People Right – Treat people how THEY want to be treated, now how you want to be treated. Reading people is an important skill in the hospitality industry, and is something that should be emphasized.

• Relaxation – Focus on relaxing each guest, and be generous with compliments.

• Look at Choice Architecture – 70% of people walking into your establishment don’t know what they want, and many will gravitate toward the path of least effort. If your beer cooler is the first thing they see, they’ll be more likely to order beer. If the menu is too complicated or too long, they’ll likely not order from it. Put some thought into what those people are seeing when they come in, both in the design of your bar, and in your menu, and whether it’s what you want them to see and be encouraged to try.

• Give Guidance – Listing a Cocktail of the Day or a Best Selling Cocktail, e.g., “We sell over 25,000 mojitos per year” gives people an easy choice, and is a simple way to guide your guests in a particular way.  Even keeping a count of the quantity sold on something specific on the wall will encourages guests in that direction.

• Offer the Best – Listing an extraordinarily expensive (and fantastic) option will often encourage guests to upgrade their choice. Very few will pick the $100 option, but they might pick the $25 or $16 option over the $10 option.

Working with Industry Partners
from A Special Relationship: Running Your Bar With The Help of Consultants, Sales Reps and Brand Ambassadors:

• Free Help is Out There – Let brand representatives, consultants and ambassadors help you. There are good ones out there, and they often have experience in running a restaurant/bar and designing cocktails. They should be able to demonstrate ROI for their recommendations.

• Staff Training – Accept offers for staff training when they make sense for your staff. Great training should be informative, engaging, and fun, and led by individuals who really know their stuff – both on the category in general and production, as well as product features.

And for fun, a picture of the beautiful Bar on Common at the Renaissance Pere Marquette.