Wine, Beverage & Technology Blog for Restaurants by Uncorkd

Three New Restaurants in Milwaukee Switch to Uncorkd iPad Wine Menus

July 17, 2014/in Dining Out, Technology, Wine /by Josh Saunders

Three well-known restaurants in Milwaukee have started using Uncorkd digital beverage menus in July. The restaurants include:

Mason Street Grill (425 E Mason St) inside the Pfister Hotel

Kil@wat (139 E Kilbourn Ave) inside the InterContinental Hotel

Milwaukee ChopHouse (633 N 5th St) inside the Hilton City Center Hotel

All three restaurants feature an extensive wine list currated by Sommeliers and also highlight specialty cocktails, local and craft beer. If you’re in Milwaukee, be sure to dine at one of these great restaurants to experience the digital menus.

It’s Time to Stake Out Your Turf

July 17, 2014/in Industry Trends /by Hilary

When you started selling drinks at your restaurant, you (hopefully) assessed your competition to price yourself properly, to offer enticing specials and signature drinks, and to understand what was working and failing for your competitors. You built your drinks offerings around those and hey, you’ve been successful! Give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work… because now it’s time to do more hard work. Today is the day you really start establishing your “turf.” Read more

increase drink sales with a picture uncorkd

How to Increase Your Drink Sales without Saying a Word

July 11, 2014/in Cocktails, Spirits, Technology, Tips & Tricks, Wine /by Hilary

A lot of my tips revolve around training your servers or bartenders to memorize information and repeat it back when needed, or to ask key questions at opportune moments. Sometimes though, words just get to be too much. Here’s a tip to increase your drink sales without having to say a single word. Read more

Sell more wine. It’s the law.

July 10, 2014/in Tips & Tricks, Wine /by Hilary

Okay, okay. It’s not illegal to have bad wine sales, it’s just a darn shame. However, today’s post offers a method for using a law of psychology to sell more wine. Get ready to learn all about the Law of Reciprocity.

What’s the Law of Reciprocity?

This psychological law states that when you give people something, or you do a favor for them, they are much, much more likely to return the favor. Apparently, this human behavior is a throwback from our prehistoric days, but it affects us all the time in the modern world. Don’t believe me? Here’s an example of this law, using something you’ve probably experienced recently.

5 Summertime Wine Drinks for Your Menu

July 6, 2014/in Cocktails, Wine /by Hilary

Ah, summer is here. At this point, we’ve all had a few very hot days, and customers are beginning to shun even room temperature drinks in favor of ice cold ones. Tired of serving gin gimlets and beers? Here are five summertime wine drinks that’ll push those beverage sales sky high. Read more

World Class World Cup Cocktails

July 3, 2014/in Cocktails /by Hilary

It’s sad that the US was eliminated from the World Cup… but that means that more people will be going out to eat again! Even though we can’t root for our own team, we can root for soccer in general, and with the sport on everyone’s minds right now, it’s a perfect time to highlight quarter-final-friendly World Cup cocktails on your menus and table tents. Here is one drink to get you started. If you think of others, please let us know about them by commenting. Read more

Here’s What the CIA Knows about Bars

July 1, 2014/in Tips & Tricks /by Hilary

Out of ideas about what you should be doing next in your bar? Has your bar had great sales in the past, but recently been facing a sales drop-off? No matter if you have a neighborhood bar or the hottest new nightclub, the best place to look for sales-boosting tips is the CIA.

Yeah, you read that right.

The CIA knows all about dealing with hostile opposition, and when you modify their tactics, you’ll be ready to take down your enemy in Operation Steal Back Customers. Ready for your mission to start? I hope so, because now it’s time for you to roll up your sleeves and spy on your competition. Here’s how. Read more

3 Things You Should Say to Sell More Sake

June 27, 2014/in Cocktails, Industry Trends, Spirits, Tips & Tricks /by Hilary

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve got to tell you: you’re missing out on sales. Sure, your bar is selling enough beer and wine, and man, your cocktail sales are killer. But why aren’t you selling sake? Many bars don’t feel confident in selling this super-premium beverage because they don’t think they know enough to advise a customer—or to stock their own bar. All that’s about to change though, because here are the three things you and your servers need to be saying to get your sake sales going.

Want to Use Discounts in Your Restaurant?

June 25, 2014/in Industry Trends, Tips & Tricks /by Hilary

Popular discounting methods such as offering coupons, putting your bar on Groupon or Living Social, or taking part in an annual coupon book can seem like a great way to get more customers in the door and increase sales, but frequently lowered prices just serve to lower the value of your restaurant in your community. Here’s the main reason why you might want to think twice about discounting your drinks or food–as well as an idea that’ll help you think of something else you can do.

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

June 25, 2014/1 Comment/in Dining Out, Tips & Tricks /by Hilary

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