The US spirits category is in high spirits after experiencing 4.1% overall growth in 2015. Those percentage points translate to $72 billion in revenue for spirit producers. The spirit leading that growth is the whisk(e)y category. Every segment of the whiskey category is experiencing global sales growth. But US whiskey – Bourbon, Tennessee, and Rye – grew by 4% in 2015, which exceeds overall US spirit growth by .6%.
This is good news for whiskey producers. But lets dive deeper into these numbers and look at consumer interest for on-premise venues like restaurants and bars. These insights, pulled from Uncorkd’s proprietary digital menu data, will give readers insights into what customers actually want, and how to build a menu that capitalizes on consumer preference. Read more
How to Bullet Proof Your Menu With Menu Engineering
/in Customer Experience, Restaurant Management, Tips & Tricks /by Kyle ThackerYou want to build a successful menu. But what is a successful menu? In general, it’s a menu that helps you increase sales. But after you’ve defined what success means for you, how can you measure that success over time and ensure that your menu stays successful. One strategy that has been kicked around for many years, but is now really gaining traction in the restaurant industry is menu engineering. This is a strategy that you need to know about. Read more
The Check Out: Weekly News Bites for Restaurants October 14th
/in Industry Trends /by Kyle ThackerEvery Friday Uncorkd compiles the top restaurant and beverage industries news that had us talking. Here are the must-read stories from October 8th – October 14th. Read more
Menu Study Shows What Kinds of Beers Restaurants Should Stop Selling
/in Beer, Industry Trends, Restaurants /by Kyle ThackerThe craft beer market has exploded. Even toddlers and teetotalers are aware of this. This explosion has left a beer industry pock marked with craters and rumbling tremors have reshaped its landscape. But while the craft beer market is constantly being explored and its trends teased out, it is too often talked about as a single unit. But in fact, the beer market, like all alcohol markets, is actually split in two: on-premise and off-premise. As restaurant and bar operators look at beer trends, it’s important to note the distinctions between consumer interest trends in retail and liquor stores (off-premise) and restaurant and bars (on-premise). In an effort to add nuance to the zeitgeist, Uncorkd has analyzed it’s restaurant menu data and broken down millions of data points to see what trends have the best chance to increase sales and have impact in restaurants and bars. Read more
Consumer Trends for Whiskey Reveal Surprising Insights
/in Industry Trends, News & Information, Spirits /by Kyle ThackerThe US spirits category is in high spirits after experiencing 4.1% overall growth in 2015. Those percentage points translate to $72 billion in revenue for spirit producers. The spirit leading that growth is the whisk(e)y category. Every segment of the whiskey category is experiencing global sales growth. But US whiskey – Bourbon, Tennessee, and Rye – grew by 4% in 2015, which exceeds overall US spirit growth by .6%.
This is good news for whiskey producers. But lets dive deeper into these numbers and look at consumer interest for on-premise venues like restaurants and bars. These insights, pulled from Uncorkd’s proprietary digital menu data, will give readers insights into what customers actually want, and how to build a menu that capitalizes on consumer preference. Read more
The Check Out: Weekly News Bites for Restaurants October 7th
/in Industry Trends /by Kyle ThackerEvery Friday Uncorkd compiles the top restaurant and beverage industries news that had us talking. Here are the must-read stories from October 1st – October 7th Read more
5 Mistakes Even Veteran Servers Make
/in Customer Experience, Restaurant Management, Tips & Tricks /by Kyle ThackerEvery journey begins with a single step. And a server’s career begins with several missteps. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, or anywhere for that matter, has made mistakes traveling along their job’s learning curve. Most aren’t a big deal and can be laughed away, or used as fodder for hazing newbies and rookies on staff. Some mistakes an be charged to inexperience, but there are a handful of bad habits that even veteran servers fall into. It’s up to management to identify and coach these bad habits out of servers through proper training. Here are 5 mistakes that all severs make, and tips to correct them. Read more
Fixing Small Plates: Common Problems of Small Plate Restaurant Service
/in Customer Experience, Industry Trends, Restaurant Management /by Kyle ThackerWhere do you stand on the trend of small plate dining? Have you ever grumbled at the wee bit of food that you’re expected to share with a group of four? Or maybe you’ve marveled at the range of dishes you were able to try. The small plate trend has been building for a few years, and now more new restaurants are pledging themselves to the small plate zeitgeist. There is a division of opinion on small plate dining that, like properly placed forks and knives, occupy space on either side of the plate. But despite conflicting views, there is one problem that both sides must agree on: some restaurants are flat out doing small plates wrong. See for yourself, here are the most common problems with small plate dining, and tips to fix them. Read more
The Check Out: Weekly News Bites for Restaurants September 16th
/in News & Information /by Kyle ThackerEvery Friday Uncorkd compiles the top restaurant and beverage industries news that had us talking. Here are the must-read stories from September 10th – September 16th. Read more
The Check Out: Weekly News Bites for Restaurants September 9th
/in News & Information /by Kyle ThackerEvery Friday Uncorkd compiles the top restaurant and beverage industries news that had us talking. Here are the must-read stories from September 3rd – September 9th. Read more
The Check Out: Weekly News Bites for Restaurants September 2nd
/in Industry Trends /by Kyle ThackerEvery Friday Uncorkd compiles the top restaurant and beverage industries news that had us talking. Here are the must-read stories from August 27th – September 2nd. Read more