OK so you can create a beautiful cocktail that is a flavor sensation, but are you ensuring the balance between taste and profit? Read our tips to make sure your cocktails look and taste great but also make your bar’s bank balance smile.
COCKTAILS, COCKTAILS EVERYWHERE
Cocktails are growing in fashion everywhere in the world. There is no doubt about it. However, this growth in cocktails is also bringing more challenges to bar managers and owners. For a start, how do you differentiate from the competition while being profitable? How can you be creative enough to delight customers while still ensuring your serves are profitable?
Thankfully, spirits are a very versatile liquid that can create great drinking experiences for your customers, while also helping boost value for your venue. But before you start creating lots of cocktail lists for your venue, always remember to be clear about your menu’s purpose - Why are you actually thinking of having one? Here’s a tip – the answer is not “everybody has one”!
5 KEY COCKTAIL PROFITABILITY TIPS
- Be creative: To delight customers even with simple and yet delicious recipes is an art and challenge. It takes a lot of thinking from someone to create the right balance between flavor and presentation while being within your cost targets. You might consider different glassware, seasonal fruits, local ingredients that could be at a good price that could add an interesting touch to your offer.
- Less is more: Include only a number of drinks that can be prepared perfectly by the less experienced member of your team during peak hours. Many operators tend to think they need to have a broad offer of cocktails to please everyone. What is really important is to balance flavors and options in different categories.
- Train your bar staff (bartenders and waiting staff) to be salespeople: In many parts of the world, customers interact directly with bartenders who are very knowledgeable about their own cocktail list. In venues where decision takes place at the table, waiting staff need to know their thing. Make sure they try every cocktail on the list to know how to recommend skilfully to their customers.
- Include a group serve: People love to share. Try something new and include a sharing serve for 3-4 people in your cocktail list. It is an opportunity to create a very profitable offer while also offering your customers something different.
- Remember to consider some hidden costs: Like time of preparation, glassware, ice and garnishes. Finally, you need to keep a record of your costs and sales. Be prepared to make tough decisions if one of your creations is not reaching the expected targets.
IT WORKS!
A well-known bar in Sao Paulo, Brazil experienced a 30% sales increase in cocktails with a very simple action during peak hours. All they did was replace their 50 serve cocktail menu with an 8 serve cocktail menu every time peak hours started. Every bartender was ready to deliver great cocktails and every waiting staff was trained to sell every cocktail on that list.
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