Uncorkd Resources For Restaurant Management

It’s Time for You to Think about Your Moment of Truth

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Customer service isn’t just about providing a great product at a great price (with a smile), it’s also about who you hire. In marketing, the initial contact between your bar customer and your bartender or server is called “the moment of truth,” and your guest’s memory of that moment serves as the best indicator of the likelihood that they’ll come back again. This post is a paean to the greatest bar service EVER, and I want you to think about how you can get your servers or bartenders to increase their customer service offerings to make your bar stand out. Read more

The 4 Steps Busy Bar Owners Use to Hire a Band

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So, you’ve decided that you want live music at your bar, and you are psyched to see the crowds pour into your bar, order drinks and food, and jam out while increasing your profits. It’s going to be great…after you get over one tiny problem: How to hire the band. If the thought of going out to find a band, then negotiating with them sounds terrifying or like too much work, this guide is for you. Read more

3 Creative Ideas to Get Food into Your Bar

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Is your bar among the many that don’t serve food? Perhaps cooking isn’t your thing, perhaps your building needs some work, or perhaps you just don’t want to deal with the headache that comes with serving food. No matter your reasoning, do you sometimes have the nagging feeling that you’re missing out on profits? Does that feeling usually come at dinner time? Here are three creative ideas you can use to increase your profits—without increasing your workload. Read more

The Secret to Customer Loyalty Programs

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How many times did you hear these cringe-worthy words over the weekend: “Hey, it’s my birthday. l should get a free drink!” (What did you say in response?) This article talks about the best answer you can give to that question. Read on. Read more

How to Give Your Bar that “Speakeasy” Vibe

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Secrets are exciting. Whether customers are getting a special bargain that few are privy to or just the sense of excitement that comes with finding a hidden gem on a remote corner of town, patrons like to think they’re members of a small, elite club.

Prohibition was a relatively short period of time that ended decades ago, and yet many Americans cling to the thrilling idea of the so-called “speakeasy.” It seems that creating the illusion that a bar is difficult to find or get into means that patrons are willing to fight their way in and pay a premium for cocktails with old fashioned names and ingredients.

So what exactly makes a bar a speakeasy in an age when alcohol is perfectly legal? Technically speaking, nothing. What creates a convincing impression that an establishment is this particular type of forbidden fruit? Well, the answer to that is a bit more complicated. Read more

Keep Cafe Patrons Interested: Add Alcohol to Your Menu

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 Years ago, I had a New York City teacher friend who knew the perfect East Village bar for grading papers at 3:30 in the afternoon. As soon as she put her red pen away, she could reward herself right on the spot with something cold and refreshing. Teachers, freelancers, and aspiring novelists often have an eye out for a destination where they can get work done without all the distractions and temptations of home. When work needs to get done, it doesn’t matter what time or day of the week it is; sometimes it helps to have a pick-me-up like coffee to get through that pile of work – or, when the time is right, an adult beverage to transition out of a long day of putting your nose to the grindstone.

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How to Make Your Own Infused Alcohols

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With the slow food revolution and the ever-increasing trend toward artisan / small batch / made-from-scratch consumables, craft alcohols such as infused vodkas are only continuing to rise in status. In fact, unique mixology that capitalizes on the craft alcohol trend is the hottest customer draw out there right now, so why isn’t your bar cashing in? Perhaps it’s because you don’t know where or how to start introducing more artisan items into your menu. Since I always want to help bars make more money, I’m here to get you on the right path. This is your quick and easy guide to making infused alcohols. Read more

Why You Should Become the Barfly on the Wall

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Of course you want your bar to become the next big thing in your town—but standing out from all the other bars can be quite a challenge. When your bar sales just aren’t reaching the levels you think they should, you can learn to improve by following the methods of a dedicated scientist: Jeff Goldblum’s character in The Fly. (The character’s name is Seth Brundle, but who remembers that?)

No, I’m not speaking crazy talk here, I just think that to transform your bar into the greatest bar in your town, you should become the barFLY on the wall. Here are five ways to do that. Read more

3 Secrets to Overcoming Bar Competition

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It’s every bar owner’s greatest nightmare.  You’ve fought to get your customers, you’ve figured out exactly what they like and you’ve made your bar a great place to hang out… and then a new bar moves in down the street and tries to actively steal your customers away from you.  Bar competition is fierce and can sometimes destroy good neighborhood bars whose owners have taken years to establish a solid customer base. If you should happen to find yourself in this position, make sure to follow these three secrets to overcoming bar competition and you’ll end up fine. Read more

Bring in More Bar Customers by Hosting these Activities

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Your great drink selection speaks for itself, and your bartenders are top-notch. You also have an awesome bar menu, if you don’t say so yourself. So where are all the customers?

People come to bars to have fun, so between the alcohol and the company, one would think that patrons would be able to entertain themselves. However, the truth is that customers sometimes need a little help getting the ball rolling. It’s to your benefit if they have such a great time that they stick around for another round, spread the word, and keep coming back. That’s why offering a range of activities or events throughout the week is a smart way to draw new customers in and keep existing customers around.

Here are some suggested activities you can try hosting throughout the week or month, or just a few times a year: Read more