The Food Service Professionals Guide To: Bar & Beverage Operation Bar & Beverage Operation: Ensuring Maximum Success

By Chris Parry

This series of fifteen books - The Food Service Professional Guide TO Series from the editors of the Food Service Professional magazine are the best and most comprehensive books for serious food service operators available today.

These step-by-step guides on a specific management subject range from finding a great site for your new restaurant to how to train your wait staff and literally everything in between. They are easy and fast -to-read, easy to understand and will take the mystery out of the subject. The information is boiled down to the essence. They are filled to the brim with up to date and pertinent information.

The books cover all the bases, providing clear explanations and helpful, specific information. All titles in the series include the phone numbers and web sites of all companies discussed. What you will not find are wordy explanations, tales of how someone did it better, or a scholarly lecture on the theory.

Every paragraph in each of the books are comprehensive, well researched, engrossing, and just plain fun-to-read, yet are packed with interesting ideas. You will be using your highlighter a lot! The best part aside from the content is they are very moderately priced. The whole series may also be purchased the ISBN number for the series is 0910627266. You are bound to get a great new idea to try on every page if not out of every paragraph. Do not be put off by the low price, these books really do deliver the critical information and eye opening ideas you need to succeed without the fluff so commonly found in more expensive books on the subject. Highly recommended!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 12, 2003
• ISBN: 9781601381088

Book preview

$19.95

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Hospitality, Travel & Tourism 244C

FS11-01

Bar & Beverage

This new series from the editors of the Food Service Professional Magazine

are the best and most comprehensive

books for serious food service operators g u i d e t O S e r i e S

available today. The information is

g u i d e t O

The following books are also

boiled down to the essence and covers available in this series:

all the bases, providing clear explanations and helpful, specific information.

RestauRant site

ensuRe MaxiMuM

Plus, all titles in the series include the Location: Finding

ResuLts

negotiating & securing

isBn # 0-910627-19-3

phone numbers and web sites of all

Opera

the Best Food service site

companies discussed.

for Maximum Profit

WaiteR & WaitRess

isBn # 0-910627-11-8

tRaining: How to

Bar &

develop your staff For

" In each book you will find

Buying & seLLing a

Maximum service & Profit

practical, easy-to-understand, and ti

RestauRant Business:

isBn # 0-910627-20-7

crystal clear explanations that will O

For Maximum Profit

take the mystery out of the given n

Beverage

isBn # 0-910627-12-6

BaR & BeveRage

subject. They are filled to the brim oPeRation: ensuring

with up to date and pertinent

E

RestauRant MaRketing

success & Maximum Profit

information, ready for application,

nsuring

& adveRtising: For Just

isBn # 0-910627-21-5

ensuring your financial success"

a Few dollars a day

OperatiOn

isBn # 0-910627-13-4

successFuL cateRing:

— Ed Manley, CFE,

Managing the catering

President and Chief Operating Officer

Success

RestauRant PRoMotion operation For Maximum IFSEA - International Food Service Executives Association

Ensuring Success & Maximum Profit

& PuBLicity: For Just a

Profit

Few dollars a day

isBn # 0-910627-22-3

&

isBn # 0-910627-14-2

M

Food seRvice Menus:

aximum

contRoLLing

Pricing and Managing the

RestauRant & Food

Food service Menu For

seRvice oPeRating

Maximum Profit

costs

isBn # 0-910627-23-1

P

isBn # 0-910627-15-0

r

• A Complete Course in

ofit

RestauRant design:

Bar Business Management,

contRoLLing

designing, constructing &

and Operation

RestauRant & Food

Renovating a food service

seRvice Food costs

establishment

• Provides Practical and

isBn # 0-910627-16-9

isBn # 0-910627-24-x

Realistic Examples on

contRoLLing

incReasing RestauRant

Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

Maximizing Profits

RestauRant & Food

saLes: Boost youR &

1210 SW 23 Place • Ocala, FL 34474-7014

seRvice LaBoR costs

• Real World Time

PRoFits By seLLing

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

isBn # 0-910627-17-7

MoRe aPPetizeRs,

Tested Examples

www.atlantic-pub.com

desseRts, & side iteMs

From the Experts

contRoLLing LiquoR

isBn # 0-910627-25-8

Wine & BeveRage costs

isBn # 0-910627-18-5

BuiLding RestauRant

PRoFits: HoW to

For all your answers to questions on hospitality management go to www.atlantic-pub.com 11

365 InsIder secrets revealed!

$19.95

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Hospitality, Travel & Tourism 244C

FS11-01

Bar & Beverage

This new series from the editors of the Food Service Professional Magazine

are the best and most comprehensive

books for serious food service operators g u i d e t O S e r i e S

available today. The information is

g u i d e t O

The following books are also

boiled down to the essence and covers available in this series:

all the bases, providing clear explanations and helpful, specific information.

RestauRant site

ensuRe MaxiMuM

Plus, all titles in the series include the Location: Finding

ResuLts

negotiating & securing

isBn # 0-910627-19-3

phone numbers and web sites of all

Opera

the Best Food service site

companies discussed.

for Maximum Profit

WaiteR & WaitRess

isBn # 0-910627-11-8

tRaining: How to

Bar &

develop your staff For

" In each book you will find

Buying & seLLing a

Maximum service & Profit

practical, easy-to-understand, and ti

RestauRant Business:

isBn # 0-910627-20-7

crystal clear explanations that will O

For Maximum Profit

take the mystery out of the given n

Beverage

isBn # 0-910627-12-6

BaR & BeveRage

subject. They are filled to the brim oPeRation: ensuring

with up to date and pertinent

E

RestauRant MaRketing

success & Maximum Profit

information, ready for application,

nsuring

& adveRtising: For Just

isBn # 0-910627-21-5

ensuring your financial success"

a Few dollars a day

OperatiOn

isBn # 0-910627-13-4

successFuL cateRing:

— Ed Manley, CFE,

Managing the catering

President and Chief Operating Officer

Success

RestauRant PRoMotion operation For Maximum IFSEA - International Food Service Executives Association

Ensuring Success & Maximum Profit

& PuBLicity: For Just a

Profit

Few dollars a day

isBn # 0-910627-22-3

&

isBn # 0-910627-14-2

M

Food seRvice Menus:

aximum

contRoLLing

Pricing and Managing the

RestauRant & Food

Food service Menu For

seRvice oPeRating

Maximum Profit

costs

isBn # 0-910627-23-1

P

isBn # 0-910627-15-0

r

• A Complete Course in

ofit

RestauRant design:

Bar Business Management,

contRoLLing

designing, constructing &

and Operation

RestauRant & Food

Renovating a food service

seRvice Food costs

establishment

• Provides Practical and

isBn # 0-910627-16-9

isBn # 0-910627-24-x

Realistic Examples on

contRoLLing

incReasing RestauRant

Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

Maximizing Profits

RestauRant & Food

saLes: Boost youR &

1210 SW 23 Place • Ocala, FL 34474-7014

seRvice LaBoR costs

• Real World Time

PRoFits By seLLing

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

isBn # 0-910627-17-7

MoRe aPPetizeRs,

Tested Examples

www.atlantic-pub.com

desseRts, & side iteMs

From the Experts

contRoLLing LiquoR

isBn # 0-910627-25-8

Wine & BeveRage costs

isBn # 0-910627-18-5

BuiLding RestauRant

PRoFits: HoW to

For all your answers to questions on hospitality management go to www.atlantic-pub.com 11

365 InsIder secrets revealed!

Bar &

Beverage

OperatiOn

Ensuring Success & Maximum Profit

By Chris Parry

The Food Service Professional’s Guide To: Bar & Beverage Operation Ensuring Success &

Maximum Profit: 365 Secrets Revealed Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. Copyright © 2003

1210 SW 23rd Place

Ocala, Florida 34474

800-541-1336

352-622-5836 - Fax

www.atlantic-pub.com - Web Site

[e-mail] E-mail

SAN Number :268-1250

All rights reserved. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. No warranty is implied. The information is provided on an as is basis.

International Standard Book Number: 0-910627-21-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Parry, Chris, 1956-Ensuring your bar & beverage operation is a success : 365

secrets revealed / by Chris Parry, Douglas Robert Brown.

p. cm. -- (The food service professionals guide to ; 11) Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-910627-21-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bartending. 2. Food service management. I. Brown, Douglas Robert, 1960- . II. Title. III. Title: Ensuring your bar and beverage operation is a success. IV. Series.

TX950.7.P37 2003

647.95'068--dc21

2002010830

Printed in Canada

Book layout and design by Meg Buchner of Megadesign www.mega-designs.com • e-mail: [e-mail]

CONTENTS

intrODUCtiOn

1. tHe BaSiCS

Fill a Local Need .............................................. 9

Define Your Customer Base ........................... 10

Expand Your Customer Base ......................... 12

Engage in Continuous Market Research......... 13

Sample Market Research Questions ............... 15

Would Your Bar Benefit from a New Theme? ....16

Observe the Successful .................................. 18

Try a Theme for a Night ................................. 19

2. tHe HarDWare

Bar Design ..................................................... 23

The Front Bar ................................................ 24

Good Hygiene through Planning ..................... 26

Consider Customer Comfort ........................... 27

Color Schemes Influence Buyer Behavior ....... 28

Service Streamlining ...................................... 30

The Under-Bar ............................................... 31

Anti-Fatigue Floor Mats ................................. 32

Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning ...... 34

Is Your Ice Machine Handling the Pressure? .. 35

Blenders or Slush-Makers? ............................ 37

Don’t Let Your Customers Be Waiters ............ 38

3. tHe StOCK

A Wide Selection Pays for Itself ...................... 41

Coffee............................................................. 43

Glassware Selection ....................................... 44

Mix Your Beers—Boost Your Sales! ................ 46

Glassware Care .............................................. 48

Vodka Ethics ................................................. 50

Reducing Spoilage .......................................... 51

Nonalcoholic Drinks ....................................... 53

4. tHe StaFF

Finding the Best Possible Staff ....................... 55

How Do You Test for Honesty? ....................... 58

A Few Important Integrity Questions Will Tell You a Lot About a Person ................... 59

Security Staff ................................................. 60

Do Your Bartenders Create Regulars? ............ 63

Scams to Watch For ....................................... 65

Common Excuses for Theft ............................ 69

Theft-Reduction Procedures ........................... 70

5. tHe Serving

Establishing House Drink Recipes ................. 73

Mixed Drink Tips ........................................... 76

Glass-Handling Rules .................................... 77

Quality Mixed Drinks ..................................... 79

Servers Don’t Have to Be Boring .................... 80

The Service Bar .............................................. 81

Dealing with Intoxicated Customers ............... 82

6. tHe LUre

Signature Drinks ........................................... 85

Good Food, Happy Customers ........................ 88

Exterior Tuning .............................................. 89

Human Entertainment Doesn’t

Stop at Live Bands .................................... 92

Can Discounts Do You More

Damage than Good? .................................. 94

Good Marketing Is Essential .......................... 95

Treat Your Customers Like VIPs .................... 97

You Got Them Here -

You Might As Well Keep Them ................... 98

The Internet Can Help You ........................... 100

7. tHe prOFitS

What Does Each Drink Cost You? ................ 103

Protecting Your Profits ................................. 105

Structuring a Price List ................................ 107

Up-sizing Is Essential .................................. 109

Extracting More from Every Customer ......... 111

Vending Machines Pay ................................. 113

The Business Plan ....................................... 115

Business Plan Outline .................................. 117

8. tHe eXpanSiOn

Starting a Nightclub ..................................... 119

DJ or Computer? ......................................... 120

Creating a Dance Floor ................................ 123

Sound Systems ............................................ 124

Coins In - Customers Happy ........................ 125

Pinball Machines .......................................... 128

Darts ........................................................... 129

Pool Tables .................................................. 130

Jukeboxes .................................................... 131

Beer Isn’t the Only Beverage

That Comes Brewed ................................ 133

Bars Need Cigars ......................................... 134

New ideas to make

your bar and beverage

operation a success.

INTRODUCTION

Running a bar is perceived by many outside the hospitality industry to be a relatively simple vocation. But to those whose job it is to make sure that their customers have an outstanding outing, the employees don’t disappear with the take, and the owners maintain