The Check Out: Weekly New Bites for Restaurants August 12th
Every Friday Uncorkd compiles the most recent restaurant and beverage industry stories that had us talking. Here is the must-read news from August 6th – August 12th.
Restaurant Tech
A study conducted by the American Marketing Association outlines the selling power of iPad and touch-screen menus. The study makes for a cumbersome read, so you can see some excerpts and analysis of the study here. The study focuses on the “direct-touch” effect, which, researchers claim, leads people to make decisions that satisfy their impulse for immediate gratification like taste and indulgence over long-term benefits like health or environment. I.e., the study claims that a touch-screen menu will cause more people to order fried chicken instead of a beet salad. The study goes on to show how touch-screen menus can increase sales as a result of lowered inhibition. Real world sales numbers from restaurants like Apple Bee’s and Chili’s back up the positive sales effect argued by the study.
Everyone is always talking about the future. What will it be like? Heaven? Armageddon? A technocratic utopia? According to this article about the Restaurant of the Future, it will be a world where everything in your restaurant is interconnected and smart™. The “internet-of-things” will give intelligence to inanimate objects and data points will rain down from the sky. Restaurants will be able to connect with their guests like never before, with messaging and personalized marketing. Sounds rosy, unless you had plans to turn on, tune in, and drop out.
Do you want to sell more wine? Learn how Uncorkd iPad beverage menus can increase your wine and beverage sales
Beer News
Beer snobs are lovers of two things: beer and beer ratings. Websites like beer advocate have launched beer geeks into a frenzy over scores and ratings. Though metrics behind scoring a beer can be as indecipherable as Olympic judges scoring gymnastics, a good rating can increase a beer’s popularity. Try adding scores to your menu to see if it boosts your beer sales.
Fruited IPAs are everywhere. They have taken over tap lists and store shelfs like political memes have taken over your facebook newsfeed. Much like this election, the explosion of these beers has created two distinct camps: citrus-crossed lovers who can’t get enough of tangerine and grapefruit IPAs, and nose-to-sky snobs who wouldn’t touch a pineapple IPA with a ten-foot pole. But, for restaurant and bar operators, the bottom line matters. And, simply put, fruited IPAs are big sellers. There are a lot of beer guzzling bar goers who will order a fruited IPA. This article Makes the Case (or Not) for the Fruited IPA with a snide eye and general suspicion of the style. But alas, they highlight some high quality expressions of the style. So, bottom line: even cynics who favor their fruit in cups can find something to like in fruited IPAs.
Wine News
Creating a stand-out wine program is as much about focus and originality as it is about a big list. This shift in preference means that small and mid-sized wine importers and distributors are becoming a hip restaurant’s best friend. This monsters-of-the-middle-men work with small and boutique wine producers and help connect them with restaurants and somms that are looking to shake up their wine program and offer their guests something new.
Cocktail News
Soon, humid days and stretched out sunshine will cool and Instagram photos will fade from Clarendon to Valencia; all signs that fall is upon us. Your local cocktail guru is probably already gearing up for their fall cocktail list by infusing teas, shaving cinnamon sticks, and softening the bite of their favorite amaro. Your bar should have autumn flavors on their mind, but, if the dog days of summer have you aping inspiration, then this article is your muse. Take a look at these Top Fall Cocktail Trends.
- 5 Fall Cocktails to Capture the Flavors of Autumn - September 26, 2018
- How Restaurants Can Ignore Sales and Increase Profits - May 9, 2018
- 2018 Spring Wine Trends - April 18, 2018
