Bar-i's co-owner Jamie was recently conducting a trial liquor inventory audit for a new client in Colorado, and was impressed by the fact that this bar went to great lengths to attend to the small details of their operation.While these small details do not determine how profitable your bar is, we have consistently found that the bars which do all of the little things correctly are also the bars which excel at taking care of the bigger details. It should come as no surprise that these bars are also typically the most profitable.
Taking care of the finer details also helps you make a good impression on your customers and lets them know you run a quality establishment. By cultivating this type of reputation, you should ultimately notice an increase in business over time.
It is common for bars that have been in business for many years to get into the rut of adhering to the same protocol year after year, even when it is not the most effective way to run the bar. By making a few simple changes to their processes, these bars can run their operations much more smoothly and significantly improve profitability.
We notice that the best-run bars we work with typically do the following 6 things very well. While the casual bar customer may not notice these fine details, we have found that they tend to be indicators of a successful, profitable establishment:
- Liquor bottles all have caps for speed pourers.
Speed pourers are an important way to help your bartenders pour drinks consistently, and in the hands of a well-trained bar staff they help prevent over-pouring. Well-run bars use speed pourers with some type of dust caps on them. Capping your speed pourers prevents fruit flies and other insects from getting into the liquor, and they prevent liquor evaporation over time.
We recommend using the following speed pourer covers:
These speed pourer covers are very inexpensive (they range from 7-16 cents per cap before shipping). There is no reason not to use them. If you save even one bottle from fruit fly contamination this summer, they have more than paid for themselves.
- Liquor bottles are clean and wiped down.
Often, lights shine on the liquor bottles adorning the shelves at a bar. When these bottles are clean, they sparkle and appear shiny. This makes a good impression on your customers. It shows your bar is clean and you take pride in what you do.
Well bottles and bottles stored in speed wells should be wiped down daily since they are handled all the time. Bottles on the back bar should be wiped down at least once a week.
In Part 2, we will discuss the next 2 fine detail actions which are typically performed by well-run bars.
To learn more about the liquor inventory services we offer, please contact Bar-i today or call us at 303-219-0196 to schedule your free consultation. We provide services to bars nationwide from our offices in Denver, Colorado.
