Opening a bar can be an exciting time, but it’s essential to do it right. So here are four tips for running and operating a small wine and beer bar.
Most people dream of owning their own business, especially in the food industry. The restaurant business is a competitive and exhausting yet rewarding experience. However, it’s essential to run your food business right and accept that mistakes can happen.
It’s especially true for running a bar: carrying specialty beverages, having a general or niche idea to draw in customers, and learning how to tackle customer service head-on. So let’s look at four small wine and beer bar tips to help you run it effectively.
Host Events and Happy Hours
While the weekend tends to be the busiest time for restaurants and bars, you can easily pull customers in by hosting happy hours and events. Providing a discount on domestic beers and specialty wines or hosting a special occasion can grab the attention of new customers.
Hosting events and happy hours can allow you to improve service further and increase profits throughout the week rather than only on certain days. Besides drinks, you can offer delicious snacks and designated driver specials to entice customers and boost profits.
Offer Beer and Wine Flights
A good tip for running a small wine and beer baris providing beverage flights. It can allow guests to experiment with their palates or share them with others without emptying their wallets. Beer and wine flights allow customers to spend their money effectively without only having one glass or buying a full-sized bottle.
Additionally, using kegged wine can save you money for wine flights. You can provide nearly endless amounts of wine for customers who enjoy their different wine flavors. While you can give more drinks to customers, you’re saving money and selling more flights throughout the week.
Monitor Expenses and Budget
It’s easy to go overboard carrying a plethora of wine and beer selections or being generous with your pours. As a result, it can quickly cause you to lose profits and spend more money than initially expected.
So keeping track of your expenses and adjusting your budget is essential to save money. An efficient way to save money is tracking your pour costs through diving expenses of depleted inventory by gross sales from inventory over a month. Keep beer and wine costs separate, as prices can vary.
Have Essentials Consistently Stocked
As time goes on, you’ll notice some items might sell out faster than others. Additionally, preparation tools and equipment can wear out quickly through constant use. So consistently stocking your wine and beer bar will prevent frustrated customers and product waste.
Keep a close eye on what sells the most and least in your establishment. For example, maybe your pinot noir is outselling your sauvignon blanc, or your Pilsner isn’t selling as consistently as your red ale. So track your inventory and constantly stock more of your better-selling products than your lower-selling ones.
Running a bar can become a rewarding experience if you do it right. As you provide specialty drafts and flavorful reds and whites, your customers will prefer your place over the competition.
