Training your wait staff on your beverage menu can be difficult. With frequent turnover among servers, new wines, beers, spirits and cocktails to learn and so much else to do, we hear frequently that staff training if one of biggest challenges for restaurant owners and managers. Most of your staff already has smartphones and tablets, or at the very least, access to the internet. So why not have your servers brush up on their knowledge away from the restaurant using their own devices?
Uncorkd digital menus make it easier to train wait staff on wine and other beverages. Servers can use their own iPads or borrow them from the restaurant to study up on all your drinks, reading tasting notes, understanding producer information and learning food and wine pairings. Many of our customers allow staff to take an iPad home for the night to study up on the menu, which can be very helpful when new beverages are added.
Beyond the iPads, Uncorkd provides a web-based version of the menu, complete with pictures and tasting notes. Staff can access the beverage menu online from their computers or smartphones, to read up on things as well. With access to the internet everywhere, there’s no excuse for servers to not be up to date on your latest menu changes.
If you’re focused on ensuring your staff is knowledgeable and well-trained, and all successful restaurants are, then Uncorkd can better educate your staff (and your customers) on your beverage selections. Cheers!
To TV or Not to TV? The Restaurateur’s Question
/in Industry Trends, Technology /by HilaryFor the past ten years, I’ve noticed something in nearly every restaurant I’ve gone to, no matter where the restaurant is, the cost of the entrees, or the type of cuisine. Sadly, this thing I’ve noticed isn’t related to consistently great service (though I wish it was), and it doesn’t provide me with the fun and memorable experience that I can get from an iPad wine menu (hint, hint). The thing I’ve noticed is televisions.
In the past decade I have witnessed televisions that have ruined romantic, candle-lit dinners, but I have also seen televisions that have created stunning moments of togetherness in bars and breweries. Restaurateurs and bar owners, it’s time to consider the impact your televisions are having… and it’s time to think about whether you really need them. Read more
The 5 Best Sidewalk Ads for Your Restaurant
/in Tips & Tricks /by HilaryEarlier this week, I went out to eat twice in one day. A funny thing: the two places I ate at were located right next to each other. Sure, I had gone to each restaurant many times before, but before Tuesday, I had never noticed that the two were, literally, right next door. Another funny thing: Both times when I walked to where they were, I walked right past the restaurant front door and then had to backtrack down the sidewalk. If you’re wondering if one of these places was your restaurant, you should really consider better sidewalk advertising. Here are 5 ideas for sidewalk advertising to increase your sales. Read more
What to Do When You Get a Bad Review
/in Dining Out, Tips & Tricks /by HilaryOn no, the unthinkable happened! You were checking your Yelp, Google+, and Urbanspoon reviews… and you came across one review that was so mean, so untrue, so vindictive that your jaw dropped open and you started sobbing, right there in front of your computer screen. Now that you’ve washed your face and blown your nose, you’re starting to feel angry and righteous. You’re wondering how that person had the nerve to talk about your restaurant, your heart and soul, in such a horrible and dismissive way. You want to fight back. Now.
Woah, woah, woah, buddy. It’s time to simmer down. Here’s what you should do when your restaurant gets a bad review. Read more
Your Secret Treasure Trove of Customer Feedback
/in Dining Out, Technology, Tips & Tricks /by HilaryYour restaurant runs on customer feedback, right? If the chips are too salty, the fish too dry, the service too slow, or the wine selection too expensive, your customers will call you over and tell you. Immediately. If you think I’m delusional and you think that your customers would never tell you anything truthful about your food or service… well, you’re just not looking in the right places. Today’s post talks about the three main places you can find great customer feedback, and what you should look at. Read more
Why Uncorkd is the Best iPad Wine List Platform
/in Technology /by Josh SaundersiPad wine and beverage menus are becoming more and more popular as restaurants learn about the benefits of the technology. Not only do the digital menus provide a significant ROI by increasing sales, they also provide a number of other benefits, from improved staff training to saving time updating menus.
Read more
Keep ‘Em Comin’: 6 Drinks from Around the World
/in Cocktails /by HilaryIf you’re a restaurant that serves an international food, you probably also sell a large amount of one traditional drink. But what do you offer for the people who want a drink from your country, but who are tired of the same old thing? You really need to broaden your drinks menu to keep them coming back. We’ve all heard that variety is the spice of life, and today’s post serves up a good helping of hot and fresh variety for your restaurant. To serve you, I’ve compiled a list of six lesser-known cocktail drinks from around the world. Read more
12 Drinking Quotes to Use on Your Menu
/in Tips & Tricks /by HilaryAs a restaurateur, you know that you have to be unique and distinctive to stand out, so you spend a lot of time carefully crafting your food and your ambiance to create exactly the impression your guests have of your restaurant. And first impressions are everything, right? Read more
Why Wine Tech is so Challenging and How it Can Improve
/in Technology, Wine /by Josh SaundersThere is a large problem with the current state of technology in the wine and beverage industry that hinders innovation across the entire supply chain, from producer to distributor to restaurant/retailer and ultimately the consumer. It’s the reason why many tech startups in the wine, beer and spirits space have a hard time gaining traction; leaving dozens of web and mobile apps in the graveyard over the past twenty years. Whether technology at the table, such as Uncorkd, or consumer-facing apps, the problems all stem from the same place. There are huge rewards for the companies that can change the status quo and for those that get on board with the technological advances.
Read more
The Secret of a Good Signature Drink
/in Cocktails, Industry Trends, Tips & Tricks /by HilaryA lot of restaurants offer drinks. What makes you different? Is it the fact that you have a wine list filled with $200+ bottles? Is it that you offer 458 types of craft beer… or that all your drinks are straight from Japan? These key differentiators make your restaurant stand out, but unless you show off your differences, your customers will never know what you have to offer. What you need is a signature drink. Read more
Using Technology to Improve Wait Staff Training
/in Technology, Tips & Tricks, Wine /by Josh SaundersTraining your wait staff on your beverage menu can be difficult. With frequent turnover among servers, new wines, beers, spirits and cocktails to learn and so much else to do, we hear frequently that staff training if one of biggest challenges for restaurant owners and managers. Most of your staff already has smartphones and tablets, or at the very least, access to the internet. So why not have your servers brush up on their knowledge away from the restaurant using their own devices?
Uncorkd digital menus make it easier to train wait staff on wine and other beverages. Servers can use their own iPads or borrow them from the restaurant to study up on all your drinks, reading tasting notes, understanding producer information and learning food and wine pairings. Many of our customers allow staff to take an iPad home for the night to study up on the menu, which can be very helpful when new beverages are added.
Beyond the iPads, Uncorkd provides a web-based version of the menu, complete with pictures and tasting notes. Staff can access the beverage menu online from their computers or smartphones, to read up on things as well. With access to the internet everywhere, there’s no excuse for servers to not be up to date on your latest menu changes.
If you’re focused on ensuring your staff is knowledgeable and well-trained, and all successful restaurants are, then Uncorkd can better educate your staff (and your customers) on your beverage selections. Cheers!