Restaurant Wine List

Restaurant Wine List

Everyone has an opinion.

Your team has one (collectively and individually), from years of experience working at other venues. Your distributors/wholesalers have one, because they are trying to sell what they are trying to sell. Your customers have one, preconceived from life on earth. And management has so many things on its plate, some guided delegation is in order.

Often, the wine list is one of the first acquaintances a customer makes at the restaurant. What's that experience like? Do you need a list that drives itself or is your concept one of the "food & wine handhold"? Every list SHOULD be different because every restaurant is different. 

Questions:

Do you want all of the wines to be the same wines that restaurants around you promote?

Do you want the wines on your list to be known or not to be known? What ratio?

How educated is your staff? What is important to management when it comes to the beverage program?

Where is the true bottom line profit? Do you let the distributors/wholesalers be in control of your success or do you want to drive?

Often, restaurants will let distributors' sales reps drive their beverage program, with the reps' own bottom lines, agendas, and quotas. I am a huge fan of working with the distributors, but I am completely against letting the distributors/reps unofficially/influence-wise "direct" the program. It's very possible that a talented rep will have "insight" to what is happening in the market, knowing which product is selling at your competitors, retail, and the like, but more often than not the rep just doesn't know. It's hard work being a rep and easy to get stuck in your own little world having NO idea what is happening in the market. Reps tend to not be well rounded outside of their company's portfolio and accounts. You need to control your interests/investment/future!

The way I prefer to work:

I prefer to work with someone on your team that will be the "go to" guy/gal. I will help that person get their stride.  I will help train that person and that person will train the team. I usually do an initial consultation to check the health of a program, work with ownership/management to determine goals, and help foster distribution relationships. I want your business to have attention from distributors that understand that you DO need them to succeed, but that it's your business and that YOU are in charge! It's all about the setup! Many restaurants are on the wrong road because they got on the wrong road and won't take an exit to turn around. Setup is everything. It has always blown my mind how often restaurants are going the wrong way and don't regroup to address the issues...

Increase your beverage sales and profitability! Create an Outstanding Wine List! (doesn't necessarily mean quantity or high cost!) What are your inventory practices? The design, presentation, and organization of your list? Is your staff comfortable "selling" what you want them to sell? Make your By-the-Glass (BTG) program work for you, whether it be classics, trends, and/or complements. Your distributor relationships are critical. Do you have the right reps working with you? YOU are a customer. You are unique.

Find that "sweet spot" for your unique mission. Let's assess your needs, get you in healthy shape, and get the passion flowing. Real Solutions. Real opportunity. Your guests depend on it. Your entire program depends on it!

CONTACT ME

All consultation is done on a confidential basis at hourly rate.