Your Bar and Product Range
First impressions count, look at your bar and ask yourself whether it gives your customers the impression of a well kept, clean bar that serves high quality products? Is there too much clutter on your bar that is not relevant to the drinks that you are serving and therefore not making you profit?
Merchandising
Ensure that your customers can see all of the products that you want to sell, make sure that your back bar display is relevant to the time of year and promoting your key brands. Make sure that lighting is sufficient throughout the bar area and that all of the lights within your fridges work, check the seals on your fridge as well to ensure products are chilled properly. All product labels should be facing the customer, for further advise online- www.planyourfridge.com.
Serving quality drinks that your customers will want to come back for
All beer lines should be cleaned at least once a week. Make sure you have a regular line cleaning system in place and stick to it. Glassware cleaning should also be a priority, check
your glasswasher regularly and use commercial quality glass washing and rinsing chemicals, there will often be offers on this sort of product in Agenda. Use branded glassware, it is the same price as unbranded and makes a positive visual impact on your customers. Spirits with mixers and soft drinks should be served in tall glasses with fresh ice and fruit. Spirits can be served in 25ml or 35ml measures (not both).
Wine can be served in 125ml or 175ml measures, customers often prefer a 175ml measure with an option to increase to a 250ml measure. Glasses should be stylish and of a commercial quality-buying glasses from your local supermarket will cost you in the long run because they break in commercial glasswashers.
Your Product Range
Getting to know your customers and establishing your trading style will help you achieve your ideal product range and ensure you don’t stock too many brands, particularly draught beer brands. You should focus on your key successful brands and ensure that you serve them at their best following all of the advice given to you by your BDM. Too many products will take up unnecessary space on your bar and
could lead to wastage; if it doesn’t sell, don’t stock it. Extra cold lagers outsell any “normal” versions, this also applies to Guinness and many smooth ales and draught ciders.
