By David Henkes

   Whether you are an independent operator or positioned within a corporate structure in the industry, it pays to take time, evaluate your concept's beverage program and see if you can improve some facets of it can be improved ----- and usually you can. Observing what other outfits and operators are doing also is more than a means to an end. It’s a solid approach for identifying weak points in a program and forming new strategies to fix them.
   As competitive as the hospitality industry is today, take the revenue opportunity to revamp or recreate your beverage program –– the resulting buzz will be well worth it.

A Winning Beverage Strategy
   When looking at which concepts have a winning bar strategy, a good starting place is looking at those concepts that are outpacing overall industry unit and sales growth.
   One such concept is Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza. Although many may recognize the chain as a Canadian concept, much of its recent growth has occurred in America and the division function independent of the Canadian chain through its base in Dallas. Since entering the domestic market in 1999, Boston’s has grown to 40 outlets and continues to add new restaurants to its U.S. system; 20 are slated to launch by year-end, and another 35 are scheduled to open in 2007.
   For those unfamiliar with Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, the chain is primarily positioned as a family friendly restaurant but it does feature a sports-themed bar area, which typically takes up about one-third of a 6,400 square-foot unit. Because of the size of restaurants, the bar and restaurant areas typically don’t overlap, giving patrons in both an opportunity to enjoy their space without affecting others. The concept believes that its ability to house a restaurant and a bar area without polarizing one group or another has been key to not only its bar program but also the concept as a whole.
   As its name indicates, the focus of the food menu is primarily on the chain’s signature pizzas, ranging from standard, traditional offerings to tasty gourmet selections. The varied menu also includes appetizers such as mozzarella sticks and potato skins, and entrees such as ribs and pork chops.
   The bar menu is equally diverse, with a selection that is divided into Margaritas, Martinis, specialty cocktails, beer and wine. See the sidebar for highlights from this menu.
   Boston’s has worked beyond its menu to develop its strong bar business. In 2003, the company reported that its bar business accounted for 15-20 percent of total sales. That figure has jumped to 22-30 percent today. Of that business, the majority is derived from beer sales (70 percent) and spirits-based drinks (25 percent); the remaining 5 percent is attributed to wine.

Drink Menu Highlights

Margaritas Classic Margarita: available frozen or on the rocks; can be customized with a shot of Sauza Conmemorativo for $2 Millionaire Margarita: Gran Centenario Reposado, Cointreau Orange Liqueur and sweet and sour Premium Tequini: Patrón Tequila, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, Grand Marnier Liqueur, sweet and sour and fresh lime juice Blue Lagoon Margarita: 1800 Silver, Blue Curacao and sweet and sour Emerald Margarita: frozen Margarita with Midori Melon Liqueur and Blue Curacao Martinis Pineapple Upside Down: Bacardi Coco Rum, DeKuyper Tropical Pineapple, pineapple juice and Grenadine Ultimate Appletini: Grey Goose Vodka, DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker and sweet and sour Specialty Cocktails Deep-Dish Bloody Mary: Absolut Peppar and Finest Call Loaded Bloody Mary Mix, served with a twisted breadstick Lynchburg Lemonade: Jack Daniel’s, Cointreau Orange Liqueur and sweet and sour Starburst: Bacardi O Rum, Tuaca Italian Liqueur and Red Bull   Beer and Wine  Light  Bass  Beck’s  Blue Moon  Budweiser  Bud Light  Coors Light  Killian’s Irish Red  Miller MGD  Miller Lite  Samuel Adams  Blackstone California Merlot  Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay  Sutter Home White Zinfandel  Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon  Korbel Sparkling Wine

 

 NCB

David Henkes is senior principal of Technomic Inc., a fact-based consulting firm, providing knowledge and insights on the on-premise industry. For 40 years, its consultants have helped clients anticipate and respond to customers’ needs and competitive threats. The company’s services encompass a broad spectrum of offerings, ranging from large-scale customized studies to simple fact-finding assignments. Technomic’s Adult Beverage Insights Group provides on-going intelligence in the on-premise channel to beverage alcohol and related suppliers. For more information, call (312) 876-0004 or visit www.technomic.com.