ONE EASY WAY TO MAKE YOUR BAR BETTER

This is part 2 of our 5 part series for Top Five Tips For Running A Successful Bar. This blog series is more geared towards commercial bars and not your average home bartender. This post specifically is written for managers and owners of restaurants.

This week we are talking about uniformity. AKA, getting everyone on the same page. 

McDonald's

Ok, why on earth am I talking about McDonald's? Because their fries are phenomenal. No matter which location you visit, the quality of the fries remains the same. The fries at the Malibu, California McDonald's will taste the same as the fries you get at some franchise location located at a dirty truck-stop on Interstate 90. That's a beautiful thing. God Bless America. 

Consistency

The same mentality should apply when it comes to the cocktails you're serving at your restaurant. Are cocktails looking/tasting differently depending on what bartender is working that night? If you answered YES to the above question, you have a problem, and you need to fix it immediately. The drinks should always look and taste great, no matter who is bartending. You will lose customers who come in expecting the same cocktail they received the last time. If the drinks aren't consistent, you can end up with a situation where customers only want to come in on certain days, depending on who's bartending.

Start by making sure there are clear and concise recipes for all those 'signature' cocktails on your drink list. These are the drinks that guests seem to order the most. Make some recipe cards and sprinkle them around the back-bar, so your bartenders have easy access to the recipe, just in case they need a refresher for the exact measurements as they are making the beverages. Ensure you provide your staff with the proper tools in a good working order to make those cocktails, or the recipes tend to be slightly useless.  

Inspect The Drinks

In my experience, managers tend to pay a significant amount of attention to the food that's coming out of the kitchen, but completely ignore the cocktails leaving the bar. With cocktail culture exploding, it's time to adjust these habits. Make sure you take the time to sample and inspect the drinks that are going out. If something looks or tastes off, address it right away with your bartender. If you see a bartender using the wrong technique or ingredients, bring it up right then and there. Don't wait until the end of the shift. Consistency in training is what forms habits, and creating that habit is essential.

Go Over The Classics

Once your bartenders are consistent with the 'signature' drinks, take time to go over some of the classic cocktails. For example, when it comes to Old-Fashioneds, some bartenders like to use simple syrup, and others prefer to use raw sugar. While both are acceptable, they will make slightly different versions of the drink. What are the ratios that your bartenders are using for Manhattan's and Martinis? Are bartenders using triple sec or agave for margaritas? Figure out how you want the classic/most ordered drinks to taste and make sure everyone is adhering to the same recipes. It's these little details that will transform your bar from good to great. 

Have A Meeting

Ya, I said it. I understand that your cheap-ass doesn't want to pay for extra labor hours, but for the love of God, have a bar meeting every few months. In the long run, it will pay off tenfold by creating a team environment. Sometimes it is necessary to have all your bartenders under one roof to talk about things. Educate them on any new wine/beer/liquor that's available and give them constructive feedback on how they are doing. It is also a great time to acknowledge their successes as well. On the flipside, bartenders should also be using this time telling you what they need from you. They are behind the bar more than you and can give great insight into what a new cocktail menu should look like or what extra equipment is needed. Happy bartenders = better drinks = happier customers = more returning customers. 

Get Help

If you are uneducated about the imbibe world, it will be hard for you to correct what your bartenders are doing. Maybe you hired some awesome bar people with lots of experience. The problem is that everyone has their way of doing things. It's not that any particular bartender is doing something wrong; it just might be different. If you don't have a keen eye for drinks, you will easily miss these differences. 

In this case, it might be worth hiring some professional help. Consulting and helping people with their bars is exactly why we started Twist & Bitters. Please shoot us an email if we can help your bar out. [email protected]

Cheers,

Sam & Stacy

www.TwistAndBitters.com