Resources for Beverage - Alcohol

Alcoholic Beverages Business Guide: Helping You Stock Your Restaurant's Bar

Alcoholic beverage sales can garner significant profits for restaurants, bars, and other business establishments approved to sell alcohol. Maintaining a well-stocked bar with the right mixes, drinks, glassware, paraphernalia, and knowledgeable bartenders are great ways to gain more patrons and increase sales for a successful start.

Benefits

A restaurant’s bar is often just as important as its kitchen, as profit margins for alcohol are typically much higher than food. A well-stocked bar is the key to delivering a satisfying and enjoyable experience to patrons.

The Basics

It is easy to get excited at the prospect of opening your restaurant and overlook the most basic needs behind the bar. One of the most immediate and enduring concerns should be to keep the bar clean. Wipe the bar counter, clear the area in front of the bar, and organize behind the bar. A clean bar prevents contamination and will always meet health safety standards. It also looks more attractive to customers.

Stock the cleaning supplies first, and keep them within reach so they will always be available as needed. Keep bar napkins on top of the bar for easy access by the customers. Place paper towels nearby so the bartender uses these instead of bar napkins for personal use and wiping up spills. 

Stock the glassware and bar operation tools next. Keep glassware organized and at arm’s reach from the bartender. Place any tools that are frequently used, such as corkscrews and bottle openers, at several spots around the bar.

Organize the wine and beer selection so that the highest-selling products are within close reach. These products usually happen to be the lowest-priced. Next, stock the condiments, fruit trays, mixers, and ice bins. By keeping fruit trays iced, freshness is maintained. Beware of overfilling ice bins as this will lead to a slippery floor when the ice melts. By following these simple basic guidelines, your bartender will always have everything within arm’s reach for quick and timely responses to patrons. Taking care of these basic steps helps ensure that patrons have a satisfactory experience at your establishment.

Diversify

Do not put all of your money and space into a few liquors, beers, or wines. Most restaurants carry a moderate selection of liquor. An alcoholic beverage collection is categorized in three ways—well, the cheaper brands that bartenders will use unless otherwise specified, call, the moderately expensive brands, and top shelf, the most expensive liquor brands available in the restaurant that some customers will request by choice. Just about every bar will carry a selection of gin, vodka, tequila, whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and rum in brands of varying expense.

The same concept holds true for beer and wine. Carry at least a moderately wide selection and your customers will almost always be able to find something that suits them. Obscure brands can be avoided unless the area in which your restaurant is located shows a penchant for a specific brand. Local preferences are easily discovered by frequenting other bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

Style

Try to develop a distinct style for your establishment, and one that will make an impression on your patrons even after they leave. Match your bar’s aesthetics with that style. Turn your restaurant into one cohesive unit. Choose paraphernalia, glassware, furniture, and bartenders that fit your restaurant’s aesthetic.

The Bartender

Just as important as what you stock your bar with is the person who runs it. The person behind the counter is the face of your establishment and his or her ability to make drinks, keep a clean workspace, and engage customers can make or break a patron’s experience at your restaurant.

Pitfalls

Not Knowing Your Customer

Know your patrons and choose your brands and offerings accordingly. By doing a little research prior to opening, you can find out about specific local preferences nearby residents have regarding alcohol selection and restaurant style. If a customer asks for a specific, common brand, and your restaurant does not have it in stock, the customer may be less inclined to frequent your establishment again.

Space and Storage

Know how much space you will need and plan ahead. Do not violate health regulations by overstocking your bar area. If customers see a cluttered bar area, they will be less likely to order a drink, fearing an unhealthy environment, regardless of how clean the bar actually is. Ensure the correct storage of all alcoholic beverages. Find out what temperature your wines should be kept at. Keep your storage areas clear of debris and clutter.

Clean Properly

Perhaps the biggest turnoff is an unclean bar. Being lax on cleanliness is a sure way to lose money. The customers will not order a drink and most likely will be disinclined to frequent your establishment again any time soon. If a customer gets sick because of contaminated glassware or fruit in the fruit tray, your business may experience a rapid decline in customers as word spreads of the negative incident.

Pricing

Opening a restaurant or keeping a bar well stocked is no cheap task. However, bar sales can almost guarantee a continuous string of profits, even in harsh economic circumstances.

Having a well-stocked supply of alcohol is necessary for a bar to prosper. Fortunately, customers seem to prefer quantity to quality when it comes to their beverages, often choosing the cheaper alcohol to save money. As a result, the cheaper beverages will run out long before the more expensive ones, making re-supplying an easier task. The wider your alcoholic beverage selection, the more likely you are to receive return customers.

Buying in bulk is another good way to save on your drink and bar supply orders. Companies almost always offer discounts to businesses or individuals who prefer to buy all their supplies in bulk. This makes keeping track of inventory easier and saves you money.

A well-stocked and adequately handled bar is often an important and even essential component of a successful business. With proper planning and organization, finding the right supplies with which to stock your bar can be greatly simplified. Even in tough economic times, alcohol sales tend to increase, sometimes enough to keep the rest of the restaurant afloat.