Variety, visuals help chains sell special soft drinksVariety, visuals help chains sell special soft drinks

Bret Thorn

Low-cost, high-margin soft drinks can be great check boosters, but it takes finesse to convince many diners to splurge.


Operators say that mixing up the offerings and altering promotional tactics helps keep beverages top of mind — and harder to resist. 


“Any time there’s water on the table, there’s a missed opportunity,” said Kurt Hankins, senior vice president of culinary and beverage for LongHorn Steakhouse.


So he makes sure that there’s always a soft-drink special for guests to select, and he changes the selection every few months.


“They’re developed on a parallel path with our alcoholic beverages,” Hankins said, adding that they’re included in lunchtime menu inserts. At the moment, that insert features a hamburger next to a picture of raspberry lemonade. 


The pictures are important, Hankins said, because lunchtime specialty-drink purchases tend to be impulse buys.


Server interaction is important, too, he said. At LongHorn Steakhouse, a 352-unit subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, they’re not trained to ask, “Can I get you a drink?” but rather to mention a specific beverage.


“That goes a long way in getting that sale,” Hankins said, noting that a drink special can account for up to 3 percent of total sales, “which is pretty good for an individual drink.”


Recent LongHorn offerings have included pomegranate iced tea and cherry limeade.


“We found a very positive reaction to limeade,” Hankins said, noting that it seems to strike a summertime retro chord with his customers. 


“They started as a promotional offer, and they sold so well that we decided to make them part of the regular lineup,” he said.


Specialty soft drinks, like regular soft drinks, usually come with unlimited refills at chain restaurants.


That’s true at LongHorn as well as at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a 431-unit casual-dining chain based in Greenwood Village, Colo., whose Freckled Lemonade — sweet strawberries and lemonade — is a signature item. 


Responding to customers’ demand for lower-calorie offerings, senior beverage manager Jill Helmerick recently introduced an “Under 10 Calories” line that includes peach- or raspberry-flavored lemonades and tea. A light version of the Freckled Lemonade also is available.


“Nearly 12 percent of our guests order a specialty non-alcoholic beverage with their meal,” she added.


Soft drinks aren’t just a way to boost check averages, said Drew Peterson, corporate beverage director of the five-unit Sushi Samba chain, based in New York.


He said his alcohol-free cocktails bring the restaurant’s festive feel to people who, for whatever reason, don’t feel like drinking.


“A couple the other night was pregnant. I came over and dropped a couple of Watermelon Mojos for them, and they loved it. They felt like they were having a Martini,” he said.


The Watermelon Mojo, made from watermelon, lime and guava, is served in a Martini glass. The Berry Smash, made from muddled blackberries, raspberries, lime and sparkling water, is served as a long drink.


Also available are the Açai Fizz, made with açai, passion fruit and mango, and the Coco Leite, with coconut milk, pineapple and mango. Each one is $8. 


Another New York-based five-unit chain, Mercadito, takes a similar approach with its “refrescos de frutas.” The blends of fresh juices and soda available in strawberry, cucumber, mango and pineapple are $4.

Notable soft drinks across the country


Cupola Pizzeria, San Francisco

Ginger’s Island: lemon, candied ginger, pineapple juice and ginger beer

Prickly Berry Spritzer: prickly pear, blueberry, lemon and soda


Castle Hill Inn; Newport, R.I.

Castle Hill Chill: apple juice, orange juice and mango syrup blended with ice

Berry Chilly: blueberries, pomegranate and cranberry juice blended with ice and a splash of lemon-lime soda


Oceana, New York 

Chipotle Limeade: lime juice with chipotle-infused simple syrup

Mandarin Mist: muddled lime, mint and sugar shaken with ice and lime juice, strained over ice and topped with bittersweet Mandarin-orange soda


Towne Stove and Spirits, Boston 

(drinks are unnamed)

Mango juice, vanilla, lime and elderflower syrup, iced with a bit of sparkling water

Guava juice, muddled basil and agave nectar shaken and served up


Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].