Beverage menu best practicesBeverage menu best practices

Fifty percent of diners don’t order beverages when they go out, according to beverage consulting firm MarkeTeam. But a carefully crafted beverage menu can change their minds and increase sales, said Mark Vidano, vice president of premier accounts for the Mission Viejo, Calif.-based firm. Here’s how to do it:

Determine what you want to be known for. You might already have a reputation, but that doesn’t mean it’s the one you want to have. Do you want to have a great wine-by-the-glass program? Inventive cocktails? A massive craft-beer selection? Vidano recommended looking at current trends. For example, with the new popularity of brown spirits, you might consider invigorating your whiskey selections, he said.

Look at your current product mix. Determine the worst-performing 10 percent to 20 percent, and get rid of those drinks — unless they are signature items or “there for a statement,” Vidano said. He pointed to Red Robin Gourmet Burgers’ beer milk shakes as an example. They might not be huge sellers, but they identify the casual-dining chain as an innovator, he said.

Think about what you can realistically execute. Fresh-squeezed juices might seem like a good idea, but does your staff have the wherewithal to do it? If not, you might look to a company that can provide high-quality prepackaged juice.

Vidano also suggested taking a hard look at how many signature drinks your staff can executive consistently. And before contemplating carrying dozens of local beers, look at how many draft lines you have and how much space you have for beer bottles. He recommended against having more than five or six drinks in one category. 

“It does you a disservice” by frustrating customers and “paralyzing them with choice,” he said.

Consider your glassware. Presentation is important, particularly for drinks. Beautiful cocktails can turn heads and increase orders. Appropriate wine and beer glasses can enhance your guests’ experiences.

Examine your pricing strategy. Having a 20-percent cost of product is all well and good, but if using a premium spirit costs you more and also lets you charge more, it might be the better bet.

“That drink may cost me an extra 50 cents, but if I can charge 55 cents more for it, it brings me 5 cents more to my bottom line,” Vidano said.

Develop signature drinks. Ideal signature cocktails are easy to make and serve and are widely enjoyed, giving servers confidence that they won’t be sent back.

“Having one or two signature drinks is probably the best thing an operator can do for themselves,” Vidano said. Consumers love them, they differentiate brands, and, if developed correctly, they’ll make good money.

One good example is the visually striking Blue Glow-tini at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, which, as of last year, accounted for 10 percent of all adult beverage sales there, Vidano said. Another is O’Charley’s Tangerine Grapefruit Margarita.

“It has unique flavors, great garnish, and it’s great tasting,” Vidano said.

He recommended finding inspiration from liquor companies, which have plenty of recipes for their spirits, then adjusting the flavors to suit customers’ tastes and adding an additional garnish or other flourish to make it your own.

Beyond the spirits

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Don’t forget beer, wine and nonalcoholic drinks. With consumers’ growing interest in craft beers, particularly local ones, determine which will work best in your market and make them available. Also, pay attention to what types of beer are on the menu. Have a good mix of different types, including lagers, stouts and pale ales.

When it comes to wine, make note of varietals that are gaining popularity among young drinkers, particularly Moscato.

“If you’re a wine-focused concept, you should be looking at wine cocktails. They’ve become a lot more sophisticated,” Vidano said, noting that mixologists are now adding splashes of Cabernet or Merlot to their drinks and making Margaritas with Moscato instead of triple sec.

Also, consider developing signature nonalcoholic drinks, such as made-from-scratch lemonades or virgin strawberry daiquiris.

Design your drink menu. Take pictures of signature, high-margin and beautiful drinks.

“We understand that high-end restaurants don’t like to do that,” Vidano said. “But if you’re anywhere in casual or casual-plus, or anywhere where English isn’t the first language [such as cruise ships or resorts], pictures really make a difference.”

Remember to place the drinks you want to sell a lot of on the right side of multipage menus. And just as with food items, it helps to put boxes around them.

“If I have five Margaritas on the page, I want the top contributor to be the photographed drink, the second to be the boxed drink and the third to be the first drink on the list,”
Vidano said.

Also, take into account what you want to be known for. Those drinks should be at the front of the menu, where customers are likely to see them, Vidano said. For most casual-dining chains, Vidano said, Margaritas should be up front, rather than Martinis. That way, mainstream drinkers can quickly find what they’re most likely looking for.

Although Vidano recommended against promoting most classic cocktails on the menu because people who like those drinks already know how to order them, some will sell better if called out — notably beach-themed drinks such as the piña colada, mai tai and Bellini.

Standardize procedures. Determine whether the host or greeter will deliver the drink menu. If it’s already on the table, will it be opened or closed? Remember to have drink menus on the bar and at bar tables as well as in the dining room.

“Just making sure the menu’s out is half the battle sometimes,” Vidano said.

Train the staff. Bartenders should know how to make all of the drinks efficiently, and servers should taste them so they can identify their favorites and discuss them with customers.

Roll the menu out strategically. With multiple units, make sure the procedures work at one or two locations and tweak them, if necessary. If you have specialty items or obscure ingredients, resolve any distribution issues before making the beverage menu available systemwide.

Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @FoodWriterDiary.