How Private Clubs Are Finding Success With Digital Menus
Private clubs across the country have had success using Uncorkd digital menus as a way to enhance their beverage program, engage their members, and increase food and beverage revenue. Are you thinking about bringing digital wine and beverage menus into your clubhouse? Here are some of the exciting ways private clubs are using Uncorkd digital menus.
Private Member Wine Locker Programs
Digital menus are a great way to manage and run your member wine locker program. Many private clubs are using Uncorkd as their platform to offer wine lockers to members as a way to customize the clubhouse experience. Creating a custom experience is key for restaurants, and that idea applies equally to club dining rooms. As food & dining become an increasingly important amenity for membership, creating these experiences will become even more important.
With Uncorkd digital wine menus, you can set-up wine locker selections right on your menu. It’s a perfect way for members to view their private selection. Member locker information is password protected, so only members with access are able to view selections.
Having member lockers on the menu alongside of the house glass-pour and bottle selections is a great way to promote your program. When members see that the table next to them is selecting from a personal locker, they’ll want to learn more about the program themselves.
Rotating Local & Craft Beer Selections
Craft beer isn’t just for hip bars or cutting edge restaurants. Beer drinkers of all types are enthusiastic about trying new beers. And as beer markets have grown, the styles and selections offered have become more varied, too. Clubs shouldn’t ignore the growing availability and fan base of craft and local beers.
The Clubs at St. James Plantation, a Troon Privé club, runs a “Gastro-Pub Monday” feature that promotes rotating beer specials. Managing this promotion is made simple with Uncorkd through real-time menu updates where items can be added or removed with the click of a button. This is just one example of digital menus giving dining room managers the flexibility to do more with their food and beverage programs.
How has Uncorkd help increase sales? Immensely. The results have been noted by St. James’ Asst. General Manager, David Flinchbaugh:
“[Uncorkd] has resulted in better sales…the digital menus help get [overlooked items] in front of members. Our gross wine sales are average nearly $3,000 more per month, year over year, in the three outlets we use them [in].”
Direct Marketing Tools
How can you connect with your club members when they’ve left the club? With Uncorkd, direct marketing tools help you stay connected with your members.
Custom messages allow you to better engage with the members who’ve dined with you. With Uncorkd’s favorites feature, members can select their favorite bottles of wine or a new local beer, and have the item’s name, tasting notes, and producer information emailed directly to them. When a member uses this features, which is as simple as a few taps on the menu, the club is notified and a custom message will be sent to the member. These messages are great for promotional tools, or to be used as a simple “thank you” to your member.
There are more marketing features than just messages. With digital menus, you can embed your events calendar, or webpages from your website that could promote special nights like a wine tasting, a gala event, or wine features of the month. This added marketing channel let’s you promote your club in the exact place your members are already looking- the menu.
Staff Wine and Beverage Training
Not every restaurant or clubhouse can have a sommelier on the floor. And not every server or bartender has the knowledge to act as a de facto sommelier. But one way to work around these certainties is to use the wine, spirit, and beer tasting notes on your digital menu as a way to train your staff and increase their beverage knowledge.
Uncorkd digital menus come complete with tasting notes for over 130,000 wine, beers, and spirits. The comprehensive drink database on the Uncorkd platform is what gives you the power to educate your members and guests alike.
Congressional Country Club’s Asst. Food and Beverage Director Rhys Williams on how Congressional uses Uncorkd to train staff.
“Servers sales have skyrocket and we use the iPads as training tools in pre-meal meetings. Our sales have gone up by 30-40% and continue to grow.”
A knowledgable staff leads to higher sales. And with iPad menus doubling as an effective training tool, you can see your staff’s effectiveness grow alongside your sales.
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