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
Whether you’re a seasoned mixologist or are just starting to enter the world of premium drink garnishes, it is always a good time to come up with creative, new ideas. Updated garnishes serve to increase the perceived value of your drinks and your bar, which creates buzz, increases your sales, and draws in curious customers. No matter what you’re looking to improve in your bar, garnishes are frequently a good way to bring in some changes for the better. Here are a few tips to get you started, or, if you’ve been using standard garnishes for years, to get get you thinking about new, innovative designs. Read more
In her recent article “How Millennials Are Changing the Wine Industry,” Kathryn Buschman Vasel stated that Millennials are drinking more wine than other generations did at the age of 21, and that this is rocking the wine industry as we know it. Specifically, Millennials are rocking the wine marketing industry as we know it. This younger age group, born between 1980 and 2000 is pressing wineries to make a change in the way they present their wines, and restaurateurs and bar owners should ensure that they also understand what wine marketing is all about today. Here’s your cheat sheet for wine marketing that speaks to Millennials and more. Read more
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
The recent mixology and cocktail fever sweeping America can be seen as nothing but good fortune for today’s bars and restaurants. However, even good fortune can have its downsides, and the recent cocktail craze has left some in the food and beverage industry scrambling to invent new and exciting drinks to tempt their customers’ palates. Here are the three top tips that you can use to spice up your cocktail menu.
Digital wine menus are the future of restaurant menus, but they’re useful for so much more than just wine. Savvy restaurants use digital wine menus as a fun, interactive tablet-based menu experience that gets customers excited about exploring the menu. Not only do digital wine menus provide customers with in-depth information about their drinks (which only a sommelier, a cicerone, or a bartender could provide previously), they also provide restaurant owners total freedom from expensive menu printing costs. Wondering how you can use a digital wine menu like Uncorkd even if you don’t serve wine? Here are three surprising ways.
Oh no! You’ve hit the slow season for bars! You’ve celebrated New Years, Valentine’s Day, Restaurant Week, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick’s Day… but now you have to wait until Cinco de Mayo before another big drinking holiday happens. Here are 10 ways to get some butts in those bar stools of yours, even when it’s not a traditional drinking holiday. Read more
Is your restaurant doing well right now? Are you happy with its growth and profits? Even for those of you who said “Yes,” this industry is so dependent on public perception and the local economy that just one financial set back can push your restaurant from “trendy” to “end-y.” However, if you use the techniques that the most profitable restaurants are using, you’ll find a firmer footing to stand on when unexpected problems arise.
I know I’ve spoken before about upselling in your restaurant, but I can’t stress enough that if you want your restaurant to succeed, you need to teach your servers to be salespeople. Read more
You’ve put a lot of work into making your restaurant a wonderful place to be. You have beautiful ambiance; the dishes that you serve are delicious, healthy, trendy, and fairly priced. You have a great wine menu and are good at getting people to order wine—but they only order less expensive wine, and you need your restaurant to make more money. If this sounds like you, you might need to be employing more sales techniques to convince your guests to buy higher ticket items. If you feel like you don’t want to jeopardize good relationships with your regulars by being a pushy salesperson, here are some tips and tricks for how you can get your digital wine menu cross-selling and upselling for you to sell more expensive wines, beers, or cocktails. Read more
Scotch has a mystique to it that makes contemplative businessmen swirl it in glasses, makes mothers shy away from it, and makes posing frat boys glug it… but what the heck is it? Here is your definitive guide to Scotch: short enough to teach your staff, and flexible enough to add to your digital wine menu. Read more