Beverage Nip and Tuck
It's Time for an Extreme Bar Makeover

A great way to prepare for the holidays is by making over your bar. When you first think of making over your bar, you probably associate huge costs and major construction with it, but the procedure actually can be done with a limited budget without ever closing your doors.
    Our company, Patrick Henry Creative Promotions Inc., recently conducted a massive bar revitalization for Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern in which 266 units were tasked with successfully making over their bars. The following are phases of a bar makeover to assist you with making sure your bar is efficient and profitable. 

Phase I: Evaluate Your Product Mix
    Run a p-mix for at least six months to determine your top-selling items. If you do not have hard data from a computer system, then meet with your bar staff to decide what is actually selling. You could even track sales for a few weeks and review your purchases for the month.The p-mix data will reveal how your bar should be set up by determining your top-25-selling drinks. If you sell a lot of bottled beer, you should make sure your coolers are working at top performance. You could also consider adding an iced down beer bath for your top-selling beers.
    If you sell mostly Martinis and specialty cocktails, then look at bottle placements on the back bar to make sure the top brands are in easy reach for your bartenders. If you have multiple stations behind the bar, you should have more than one bottle open of the most popular brands.
    There is no rule that says top-shelf brands can’t be in the speed rail. If you pick up the Ketel One bottle 30 times in a shift, then put it in the speed rail. You would still want one on the back bar so guests know you serve it, but make it easier for the bartenders to make the popular drinks.
    The final information that you can use from the p-mix is if a product is just not selling, you can get rid of it. Lighten up the number of brands you have on the back bar to those you are selling and those you have for limited-time-only promotions. You might still have a few brands that are kept for special customers, but inventory should be kept low. If you are not selling at least a bottle per month, then you probably don’t need the brand. There are always going to be exceptions to the rule, but stay away from cluttering up the back bar and bringing in every new brand that comes along.

Phase II: Deep-Clean the Bar
    You more than likely conduct monthly general cleanings where you order a pizza and invite the entire staff to help clean the bar from top to bottom. These cleanings provide a time to discuss upcoming promotions and other important matters.
    The deep bar cleaning is different, however. You should break down the entire bar, including emptying every cooler and every storage area. Pull all bottles from the back bar and each station. You should look at installing new bar matting for under the glassware and purchase new bar tools for the bar staff.
     The bar should be set up to be most efficient at making the new top 25 drinks. One way to do this is to get a label-maker and make labels for placement of top-selling spirits. Top-selling spirits should also be arranged next to each other when they are combined to create the top 25 cocktails. The placement labels should be placed on the back bar and speed rails behind where the actual bottles sit and should be out of guest view. We recommend placing a strip of black electrical tape under the labels to make them easier to read and to help keep them straight.
    The most popular beers should be in the coolers closer to the bar stations. If you have reach-in coolers, place the popular beers in the middle, near the opening. Low volume beers should be placed closer to the door hinge and/or on the bottom shelf.
Look at your glassware and determine if it is up-to-date. Glassware says a lot about your establishment and creates a perceived value with your customers. If you are still using a 5-ounce rocks glass and filling it with a few ice cubes or serving wine in a 6-ounce glass and filling it to the top, then you might want to consider new glassware. If you use plastic cups, try to use better quality clear plastic, and, if possible, still serve wine in a nice wine glass.

Phase III:
Merchandising Materials
We have all received a branded backbar or bartop piece. Even though these are free, we don’t want our bars to start looking like a stockcar pit. Try to keep the logo merchandising to a minimum.
    On the back bar, your space probably is limited, and more times than not the bottle platform is simply too big. If you have a complete line of flavors from one brand of vodka, and they give you a lighted back bar piece, then it might work. As for the bar top area, try not to use too many branded items. Pour mats are very popular, but usually the free ones are too thin and just don’t work that well. The same is true with straw and napkin holders.
    Although they are great marketing tools, table tents can get in the way. “Visual pollution” is becoming more and more a problem in our bars. Try to figure out the best vehicle for communicating specials to your customers and focus on that. If you have a dinner menu, drink menu, banners, table tents, well-trained staff, fliers at the door and a calendar of events on the table, you might be going a little overboard.
        A well-trained staff is your best form of marketing. If your staff is talking about a particular item, then your guests are more likely to take part in a promotion. If you have a consistent format for communicating promotions, your customers will know exactly where to look for them.

Phase IV: Fine Tuning
    After the bar is clean and organized, it is time to finish the bar makeover. Start by checking all of your juices, mixers and garnishes. Have your soda provider come out and “BRIX” your soda guns. You order your own kit with directions, but be sure to request the separator for a bar gun. By balancing the syrup to soda ratio at least every three months, you will ensure your soft drink mixers taste great.
    Next, take a look at your juices and make sure you are serving quality brands. Mixers make a big difference in drink quality. Only great products make great drinks. Be sure your bar staff is rotating your juices as well. A great tool for this is to color code your juices with colored electrical tape and label them with day dots. As for garnishes, establish a par system and only cut enough fruit for each shift. Shelf life for cut garnishes is only 24 hours.                                                 NCB