Holiday Spirit:
Cold weather and seasonal celebrations call for creative, classic cocktail ideas.
The How-To Publication
BAR BUSINE$$ November 2014
M A G A Z I N E
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BAR BUSINE$$
On Tap NOVEMBER 2014
CONTENTS
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COLD AIR COCKTAILS
HOW TO
25
17
21
25
WE’RE ALL MIXED UP
THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE
ARE YOU TIRED OF HIRING?
The latest edition of our bi-monthly section for digital issues only, where we provide a collection of cocktail recipes for mixologists.
But it takes a smart bar owner to keep it that way, so we have a few suggestions on how to avoid costly lawsuits on-premise.
Turnover is always a factor in the service industry, but hiring the right people can help keep your staff intact for the long run.
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
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On Tap
BAR BUSINE$$
CONTENTS
FEATURES 28 MEZCAL CALLING 36 BIG SIX In Las vegas, The Sayers Club has opened a new venue based around its proven formula for live music in an intimate setting that has already been successful in Los Angeles. But will it work in Sin City?.
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40 INVENTORY 42 HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS 44 OWNING UP
DEPARTMENTS 6 BAR ROOM DRAWL
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Often found in the shadow of tequila, the mysteries of Mezcal are now ready to reveal themselves to the bar industry, in Part I of our two-part look into this great spirit.
32 BIG BAR SALES II Boosting bar sales across the board requires efforts on various fronts in the on-premise, and in Part II of this series, Bob Johnson provides tips on products and profits.
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8 BOOZE NEWS Get ready to CHUG with Zane Lamprey; Holly Nog is back for the holidays; Diplomatico names a winner; The “Buzziest” bars in the U.S.; Heering Sling winner.
12 LIQUID ASSETS The craft beer boom has become big business, not just for breweries. We look at two beer bar franchises that have capitalized on the craze.
“Bar Business Magazine” (ISSN 1944-7531 [print], ISSN 2161-5071 [digital]) (USPS# 000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, & December for $45.00 per year and January, March, May, July, September, & November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2014 Simmons-Boardman. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the expressed written consent of Simmons-Boardman. Qualified U.S. bar owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified U.S. subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $45.00; Canada $90.00; foreign $189.00; foreign, air mail $289.00. 2 years US 75.00; Canada $120.00; foreign $300.00; foreign, air mail $500.00. BOTH Print and Digital Versions: 1 year US 68.00; Canada $135.00; foreign $284.00; foreign, air mail $384.00. 2 years US $113.00; Canada $180.00; foreign $450.00; foreign, air mail $650.00. Single Copies are $10.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. For subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to: Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all reader to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
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Bar Room Drawl By CHRIS YTUARTE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It's All About Business "Good people drink good beer.” — Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
As you can see in my photo, I’m all business this month. No cocktail in-hand, just some serious desk side diligence — fitting for an issue in which we strongly emphasize the business side of our own title as we focus on closing out the year with some important key operational coverage. And some holiday cheer. On running a bar, the staff of Entrepreneur.com once wrote this: “Friends, laughter, celebrations, entertainment—fun! These are the things that might come to your mind when you think about owning your own bar as you imagine rooms filled with friendly conversation, music and people enjoying themselves. Owning a bar sounds like the perfect life to many potential entrepreneurs, but it's not always fun and games behind the scenes. Owning your own bar/club can mean long hours, meticulous attention to detail, giving up vacations and weekends, and sometimes dealing with unruly customers.” Remember folks, this is a business. Sure, people who go into an office everyday don’t experience the social components of the nightlife game. But
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
they also get to go home at 5 p.m. You don’t. Your night is just beginning. It’s not all glitz and glamour. Yes, this is a business. It just happens to be built around great things, like good beer. In our Liquid Assets column, we look at the business of building a budding beer empire with two multivenue operations — one national, one regional — that have taken a ride on the beer boom express. The CEO of World of Beer and the co-owner of Croxley Ales tell us how the American love affair with craft brews has led them to franchise success with their beer bars. And there’s more business. We look at ways to hire the best people for your bars, and then ways to avoid those pesky little business-destroying inconveniences known as liability lawsuits that seem to so often stem from on-premise missteps. Our resident bar vet Bob Johnson talks about the business of bar sales; big business in Las Vegas for the new Sayers Club means booking musical acts for the club’s intimate stage; and finally, a sign of the times — we look at the business of Ebola, and how to protect your venue from it. But all business and no play makes for a dull day. So we remind you what is still fun in this business with a feature on Mezcal, some great holiday cocktail recipes in Mixed Up, and exciting news about spirits competitions and drinking on TV that you won’t want to miss. Now, get back to work — and have some fun!
BAR BUSINE$$ MAGAZINE
November 2014 Vol. 7, No. 11 Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004 EXECUTIVE OFFICES
President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Arthur J. Sutley 212-620-7200; fax: 212-633-1863 asutley@sbpub.com EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Chris Ytuarte 212-620-7223; fax: 212-633-1863 cytuarte@sbpub.com ART
Creative Director Wendy Williams wwilliams@sbpub.com Art Director Sarah Vogwill svogwill@sbpub.com PRODUCTION
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Art Sutley 212-620-7247; fax: 212-633-1863 asutley@sbpub.com CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
800-895-4389 Bar Business Magazine is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To Purchase PDF files of covers, layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212-620-7247 or email asutley@sbpub.com.
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Booze News
NATGEO TV UNCORKS ZANE LAMPREY’S NEW SERIES, CHUG
I
s authentic Malaysian alcohol worth climbing a 50-foot coconut tree for? Is it possible to outdrink an Australian beer-guzzling legend? Or to survive jumping off a bar roof in Fiji on a dare? What about going shot-for-shot in an Austrian schnapps drink off? Probably not, but it’s certainly fun to try! Beginning on Monday, Nov. 24, at 10:30 PM ET/PT National Geographic Channel (NGC) is taking viewers on a bar crawl around the world with traveling “drinkaloguer” and rum company owner Zane Lamprey (@zanelamprey; NGC’s Showdown of the Unbeatables, Three Sheets) in the new Kickstarter-funded series, Chug. In the series, Lamprey is motivated by his thirst to try local customs, food and, well, alcohol. He travels by train to an array of exotic and boozy locations and along the way interacts with the local culture and befriends new drinking buddies. [Ed Note: Lamprey was previously featured on the cover of Bar Business in our January 2013 issue: http://issuu.com/barbusinessmagazine/ docs/jan_2013_bar_business_magazine?e=4457919/1202638] Chug is not just a show about chugging beer, as the title may infer. The chugging refers to Lamprey's primary mode of transportation — trains. He chugs through each region, sipping drinks that are specific to the area and breaking down where in the world all the ingredients in each drink
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
were derived from. For example, even though they’re separated by only one stop on the train, the historic split between Austria and Germany in 1866 severely changed beer production laws in both countries. And sugarcane grows only in warm environments, which allowed Fiji, with its fields of cane ready for harvesting, to become a booming rum capital. And how do they transport the sugarcane around the island? Yup, by trains. Chug demonstrates how a community’s past drinking traditions have affected its present drinking customs and shows us that sometimes old traditions die hard. Lamprey attends a local Fijian island drinking ritual that has been passed down for generations and, by partaking, officially becomes an honorary member of the tribe chief’s family. He then explores Viennese coffee with a kick, in a coffeehouse believed to be the birthplace of café culture. But nothing can compare to the intoxicating Roman gelato he samples that is made from, of all things, red wine. Chug makes it clear that having a drink with locals is one of the best ways to gain insight into a community. While Chug may be driven by traditional customs around the globe, the series itself has made its way into the history books by being the first Kickstarter-funded series to air on television. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com. www.barbizmag.com
Holiday Spirits to Get You in the Spirit FOLLOWING UP ON THE SUCCESSFUL launch of Holly Nog spiked eggnog in 2012, Midwest Custom Bottling is introducing a new delicious flavor to its line of wine-based creams – Chocolate Mint Holly Nog. “We received terrific feedback about Holly Nog from our retail and distributor partners including many requests to expand the Holly Nog line with an additional flavor,” said Duane Maas, president of Midwest Custom Bottling. Holly Nog shipments are up over 100 percent this year with orders coming from stores that have added more than 2000 retail locations that now carry the brand. Holly Nog’s wine base allows it to be sold in wine licensed stores and it is being featured in the dairy aisles of many grocery stores. “Retailers of all kind discovered their customers’ wanted this highquality cream last year,” added Maas. “In particular, Holly Nog allows retail
wine accounts the incredible opportunity to sell in this profitable category during the holidays.” Holly Nog is the best selling premium, spiked eggnog made with wine and real Wisconsin dairy cream. The brand brings spiked eggnog back to its origins when it was originally made with wine prior to the Revolutionary War. In America, producers substituted wine with less expensive and more accessible rum and whiskey. Likewise, RumChata continues its flavorful holiday tradition for both gift givers and receivers. The RumChata Holiday Gift Box includes an exclusive bonus RumChata Thermal Tumbler and a limited time coupon good for 50% off purchases at RumChata's Online Island Store for orders up to $400. Also on the RumChata Holiday Gift Box are delicious seasonal RumChata drink and food recipes.
A Diplomático Mission
R
oberto Rosa of New York City’s East Side Cantina won the NYC qualifying round of the Diplomático World Tournament with his cocktail, “A Hop, Skip and a Jump.” Rosa will move on to compete at the country final competition in January against the winners from the Boston, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles qualifying rounds. During these heats, bartenders from across the country will compete for the chance to represent the U.S. in April at the Diplomático World Tournament. Finalists from 28 countries will compete in the World Final. The NYC heat was held at The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, recently named America’s #1 bar, and featured 11 of New York’s best and brightest bartenders including Sean Patrick McClure, Le Bernadin; Gregory Buda, Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog; Keith Cagney, Eastwood; Carlos Victoria, The Brooklyn Star; Garret Richard, Prime Meats; Sofia Present, Middle Branch; Ulysses Vidal, Employees Only; Frank Stilo, Sweet Water Social; Shinya Yamao, Priora; and Dustin Olson, Forrest Point. Roberto Rosa’s cocktail, “A Hop, Skip and a Jump”, scored points with the judges across all categories: Presentation, Taste, Originality and Technique. Rosa, who was born in Puerto Rico, called on his heritage for inspiration. He told the judges he was inspired by the
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Taino Indians who emigrated from Puerto Rico to Venezuela centuries ago. He used home-brewed Mauby, a syrup made on many Caribbean islands that has a distinct flavor resembling root beer to finish his cocktail. This touch, he says, “is a nod to history because the Taino Indians favored Mauby.”
A Hop, Skip and a Jump Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Barrows Intense Ginger Liqueur Fresh Juice of Mango Lime juice Home-brewed Mavi (mauby) Homemade Caribbean Tincture
(Hibiscus, Nutmeg, Cloves, Oranges, Star Anise, Cinnamon) Garnish: Mango peel wrapped around a brandied cherry in the shape of a flower
November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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Booze News HEERING SLING IS THE THING IN 2014
T
he prestigious global jury members and the equally as important and “Peoples Vote” slung into action — inspired by the Sling — and sipped, enjoyed and ultimately decided on the 2014 Peter F. Heering Sling Award global winner. Nick Kobbernagel Hovind, Denmark, and his “The Sloe Sling” has been announced as the winning Sling – and arguably that this Sling is now “The Sling Heard Around the World!” The Ritz Carlton, Berlin held court for the five global finalist who hailed from Canada, Singapore, The United States, Denmark and Estonia and each Sling was tasted, discussed, tasted again and well thought over until the sling inspired libation tally was complete from the global jury. Apart from the honor and media exposure, Nick Kobbernagel Hovind, Denmark, also received € 500 and a stunning silver Stelton shaker from Denmark. The 2014 Peter F. Heering Sling Award, which has grown from 27 participating countries last year to now 44 participating Sling inspired countries, has elevated the competition to one of the world’s greatest and largest cocktail competitions. “The creativity that these bartenders put into their Sling cocktail creations, has raised the standard for what a Sling can be and how truly fashionable the Cherry Heering brand is and always will be,” said Adéle Robberstad, CEO, Peter F. Heering. “The global participation was flattering considering the volume of cocktail competitions around the world, though we look at the Sling Awards as more than just a competition, we see it as an opportunity to honor one of the most classic cocktails of all-time with a Cherry Heering on top!”
2014 Peter F. Heering WINNER Sling Award | Global Finals Jury Members: David Wondrich, Cocktail Historian; David Rosengarten, Forbes Magazine; Heinfried Tacke, Drinks Magazine; Réne Riis, Four Magazine; Nikolaj Brøndsted, Good Spirits, Mash Group & Umami; Fredrik Tilander, Owner, Peter F .Heering; *Peoples Vote | Attendees of the Bar Convent Berlin show will have the unique opportunity to taste the 5 Global Finalist 2014 Peter F. Heering Sling Award Singapore Sling inspired cocktails and VOTE for their favorite cocktail. The Singapore Sling is one of Cherry Heering’s primary unique selling points – The Sling should be on the drink list in any decent bar. The winner of Peter F. Heering Sling Award 2014, Nick Kobbernagel Hovind, Denmark:
THE SLOE SLING 2 cl Cherry Heering Liqueur 1.5 cl Plymouth Sloe gin 4 cl Aalborg Taffel Aquavit 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 3 cl fresh lemon juice 1 cl simple Syrup
1 small dash egg white Garnish: lemon, mint leaves Add all ingredients in a shaker and shake hard for 8 seconds. Double strain into a very chilled Palais glass. Top with 3 cl soda and stir. Garnish!
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The Social Influence
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redictive, social analytics company, Sidewalk (www.getsidewalk.com), has published an infographic with data that shows the most influential bars in five cities: New York, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, and Houston. The data is compiled by analyzing social media activity that bars receive from fans/followers when bars share content. Considering the success and recognition of these bars, it’s a great way to visually display the importance of social media in bar/restaurant marketing today. Sidewalk automatically finds relevant businesses based on a users ideal geos, verticals, and social triggers,
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then outputs business name, URL, address, phone, vertical, contact name, contact email, and relevant social triggers across social networks. You can check out the full infographic by clicking here: 5 BUZZIEST BARS
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Liquid Assets
Let There Be Beer
The American consumer’s growing love affair with quality beer has afforded some bar owners the opportunity to expand their brand alongside the swell of suds appreciation. This month we talk to two such multi-venue operators about how the beer boom has brought their business to another level. By Chris Ytuarte
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
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F
or many independent bar owners, a major goal is to one day expand. After all, more money can be made from multiple locations than from just one (when executed correctly, that is). So the simple math of success comes down to creating a product that is worth expanding, and when part of that equation includes beer, these days you have a better chance of riding the wave all the way to the bank. Beer, once again, is big business. The craft cocktail craze and its highquality, often unusual ingredients, may have inadvertently generated a similar desire in beer drinkers for something beyond the basics. The craft beer market, in turn, has created a causeway for smart on-premise purveyors to grow their business alongside the booming beer category. “Craft beer is projected to represent nearly 15% of the beer industry by 2020 at current growth rates,” says Paul Avery, CEO of World of Beer, a new and growing franchise that is centered around a diverse selection of local and global craft beers. “That’s where having the right concept comes into play, because you have to offer guests something that does more than just satisfy their taste for beer variety.” World of Beer (WOB) is an uncommon establishment where, as Avery describes, the experience is as essential as the product. Along with great tavern fare and live music at each location, WOB offers an amazing craft variety to the beer aficionado and casual beer fan alike. “My personal involvement started prior to becoming CEO for WOB in early 2013,” says Avery. “My interest came through relationships with several friends who owned successful WOB franchises, and initially I was looking into something similar. I had been following the tavern franchise and WOB’s growing popularity for some time. What I saw was a brand on the cutting edge of the booming craft beer trend offering consumers a truly unique craft beer experience
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“ALL INDICATORS SHOW THAT GROWTH IN THE CRAFT MARKET IS EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE IN THE U.S AND AROUND THE GLOBE.” with a franchise concept rooted in strong people and culture. Who could resist being a part of that?” The WOB experience clearly taps into the booming beer business across the country. The brand currently has taverns open in 19 states, and in September opened its 62nd location. The standard beer selection in each venue includes over 500 bottles and 57 rotating taps, with WOB’s draught offerings changing on a daily basis in partnership with both local breweries and international suppliers. “It’s all about discovering the next great craft beer, and it’s what sets WOB apart,” says Avery. “All indicators show that growth in the craft market is expected to accelerate, not only in the U.S., but also in international markets like China, India, Brazil and elsewhere around the globe. This provides a tremendous opportunity for our current franchise partners and
new investors and franchisees who want to grow with the WOB concept here and overseas.” By all indications, Avery would appear to be on the track with his thinking. According to the Brewers Association (www.brewersassociation. com), 52.9 million Americans — that’s 17% of the 2010 U.S. population — now live in the same ZCTA (zip code tabulation area) as a brewery. Of that number, approximately 38 million are legal-age drinkers, all living in proximity to an American brewery. November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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Liquid Assets
“WE HAVE SO MANY BREWERIES DOING SO MANY GREAT THINGS.” “That’s astounding,” says Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association. “In comparison, in 1873 (the high point for American breweries), there were only approximately 42 million Americans, so it’s possible that more Americans now have a local brewery than at any point in history.” It’s no wonder, then, that growing a successful beer bar from one venue to multiple locations has become a slightly less daunting a task than years past. Operations like WOB, cultivating national expansion plans on the back of great beer selections, stand as a testament to the segment. More localized multi-unit brands 14
Bar Business Magazine November 2014
have also found regional approaches just as capable of generating big business by emphasizing local breweries as well as imports. “You have so many breweries doing so many fantastic things right now,” says Joe Mendolia, co-owner of the Croxley Ales group of beer bars based in the New York metro area. “Over the last 20 years, we always had Brooklyn Brewery as our local beer and that’s about it. They do fantastic stuff there, and we always carry all of their products from day one. But now you have Six Point and all the different breweries on Long Island — there are so many local beers available to us, and I think that has helped create the craze around our business.” The Croxley Ales ownership group operates six locations, including four on Long Island, one in Manhattan, and the newest, in Brooklyn. There is
also a wine bar called Novitá and the group’s Belgian beer bistro, Waterzooi, both of which are on Long Island. But it was originally a pure love of beer amongst a group of friends 25 years ago that led them to open the first Croxley Ales, long before the craft beer craze began. “Most craft beer back then was imported rather than domestic,” explains Mendolia. “But little by little, as breweries started making great beer in the States, there was a calling for it, from quite a few customers who were just getting tired of the Buds and Millers and Coors. So we started gravitating more towards that.” The success of Croxley Ales, evident in its continued growth and expansion to six units in the New York area, is also testament to the strength of the craft beer movement in the region. According www.barbizmag.com
to the Brewers Association, New York State is currently home to 165 craft breweries, which ranks it 6th in the nation. As such, in 2013, some 859,535 barrels of craft beer were produced in New York (that’s 1.8 gallons per each legal adult), which also ranks 6th nationwide. New Yorkers love their beer, and local breweries are keeping them supplied. Then it falls on great multi-unit operations like Croxley Ales to deliver the product. “It’s not like it was five years ago — you can go to a lot of different places and get a halfway decent beer now,” says Mendolia. “But we also get a lot of things that other people can’t get. There might be five or six barrels of something coming to the market and half the time we’ll get all six. There a lot of great beer bars out there but few of them have been around for 25 years like Croxley. So a lot of times the distributors will give us things that they can’t sell elsewhere, especially on Long Island. There will even be times when we turn things down just because we don’t think it’s the right fit for the right location.” As companies like Croxley Ales and World of Beer continue to grow around the consumer love affair with beer, luckily, that relationship is still trending up. Will this allow for further expansion of these two brands moving forward? “I think the creativity, authenticity and variety that are so prevalent in craft beers align well with consumers who are seeking more avenues for personal connections, growth and self-expression, particularly the Millennials,” says Avery. “The great thing is — this is more of a cultural shift than a trend, which bodes well for longevity.” “We’ve always taken on growth based on what we were ready for,” adds Mendolia. “With the craft beer movement we’ve seen over the last 20 years, it’s had its peaks and valleys quite a few different times already. Luckily, right now, it’s going through another peak. So we’ll see.” www.barbizmag.com
Redefining Beer: Guinness The 1759 ®
Just in time for the holiday season, Guinness & Co. – brewers of the iconic stout – introduces its newest innovation, Guinness® The 1759™, an ultra-premium beer brewed with both traditional beer malt and the same peated whisky malt used in the world’s finest Scotch and Irish whiskies. Inspired by a 200-year-old recipe and brewed with the same Guinness yeast that has been used for more than 125 years, this rich amber ale offers new style and flavor under the Guinness trademark. Using the mastery that comes from more than 250 years of brewing experience, the Guinness Master Brewers have created a beer unlike any other European import on the market. “The United States is driving a beer renaissance that hasn’t been seen globally for decades,” said Doug Campbell, Guinness Brand Director. “Today, the expectations of beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts are significantly higher. In continuing our tradition of setting the benchmark for quality and distinction, our Master Brewers have demonstrated the ingenuity, craftsmanship and attention to detail that has kept
™
Guinness at the forefront of brewing innovation for more than two centuries.” With only 90,000 bottles being produced, the commemorative release of Guinness The 1759 is a chance to be part of Guinness’ brewing history. The name is derived from the year Arthur Guinness signed the 9,000-year-old lease at St. James’s Gate in Dublin so he could brew what would become one of the most respected and beloved beer brands in the world. “This is the first limited edition beer brewed in the newly dedicated Brewhouse No. 4 at St. James’s Gate,” said Michael Donnelly, Master Brewer at St. James’s Gate in Dublin. “Our commitment and dedication to quality is what Arthur Guinness himself would have expected and something we cherish just as he did. The fine peated whisky malt used in the Guinness The 1759 brewing process brings a complex taste to the amber ale that gently complements the hop flavors, resulting in a liquid that is distinguished and innately Guinness.”
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How To:
Master Mixology
Mixed Up: Cocktail Ideas for the On-premise Mixologist
WARMING UP YOUR CUSTOMERS during the upcoming holiday season can be done with many a mixology idea, and we have a few great ones this month to help you get started, with recipes that feature the two classic winter spirits — rum and gin. Rum, particularly when spiced, is based in the deep, warm flavors that conjure up images of cinnamon sticks and holiday www.barbizmag.com
scents. In this edition we bring you some great rum recipes for holiday celebrations. Then there is gin, a spirit of such classic botanical beginnings that it singlehandedly smells like the holiday season all on its own. The juniper jewel makes for some amazing seasonal cocktails as well. So gather round the fireplace and fire up some of these holiday concoctions as we toast the outgoing year. Cheers. November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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How To: Rum Rum Rudolph! This holiday season, RumChata brand rum cream delivers the flavors that please both gift givers and receivers. RumChata’s real dairy cream, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla blended perfectly with five-times-distilled Caribbean rum brings the most memorable flavors of the holidays to everyone’s palate. RumChata mixes perfectly with the season’s cold weather traditions such as hot chocolate, eggnog and coffeein addition to special seasonal flavor favorites.
RumChata Gingerbread Martini
RumChata Gingerbread Martini 1-1/2 parts RumChata ¾ part spiced light rum ¾ parts ginger liqueur 1/3 tablespoon ginger spice Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, strain and enjoy.
Mint ChocoChata Martini 2 parts RumChata 1 part chocolate vodka ½ part green creme de menthe Shake and pour over ice in martini glass or swirl ingredients into a shot glass.
Cali Midnight
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Bar Business Magazine November 2014
RumChata Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Rum Old Fashioned
(photo on pg. 17) 6 oz RumChata 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 2 large eggs 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt 1 nine-inch unbaked pie crust
Created by Mixologist Eddie Fuentes from Finka Table & Tap in Miami 1 dash Angostura Bitters 1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters 0.5oz homemade pumpkin pie syrup 2 oz Caliche Rum Orange twist Toasted marshmallow Roasted pumpkin seeds.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, RumChata, spices and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife, inserted 1 inch from crust, comes out clean. Let cool. Garnish as desired.
1 liter bottle Caliche Rum 1 bottle of sparkling wine 16 oz of Ruby port 12 oz curaçao liquor 12 oz fresh squeezed and strained orange juice 12 oz unsweetened pineapple juice 8 oz fresh squeezed strained lemon juice 8 oz light agave nectar 1 large block of ice
CALICHE rum is the brainchild of nightlife aficionado Rande Gerber and sixth-generation rum maker Roberto Serrallés, whose legendary family has been producing rum in Puerto Rico for nearly 150 years. Bursting with flavor notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel, Caliche Rum makes the perfect base spirit for the upcoming holiday season.
For garnish: 1 cup of hulled and sliced strawberries 2 large lemons pitted and sliced Handful of mint leafs.
Cali Tidings Punch
In large punch bowl combine Caliche, port, curaçao, fruit juices and agave nectar, stir and refrigerate at least 4 hours. To serve add the ice and garnishes to the bowl, gently stir in the champagne. Serve in small punch cups.
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Cali Tidings Punch
Cali Midnight
Hampshire
1 1/2 oz Caliche Rum 3/4 oz port wine 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz triple sec Cinnamon stick for garnish
1 1/2 part Bombay Sapphire Gin 1/2 part Pamplemousse combier 3/4th Part East India Sherry 3/4th Part Carpano Antica Angostura Bitters
Cali Thyme
Add ice and stir. Once cocktail dilutes 20%, pour into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with grapefruit swath and cherry.
1 1/2 oz Caliche rum 1/2 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz pomegranate juice (Pom Brand is recommended) 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 1/2 oz Combier orange liqueur (or any other fine triple sec) 1 dash of agave nectar (optional if you don't like dry cocktails ) Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously until well chilled, serve in a chilled cocktail coupe, garnish with a thyme sprig.
.25 oz dry curaçao .25 oz cinnamon syrup 1 dash five spice bitters (Bar Keep)
Winter’s Kiss Created by Bombay Sapphire SF’s Most Imaginative Bartender Winner, Brian Means of Dirty Habit in SF 1.5 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin .75 oz. fino sherry .75 oz. Martini Rossi Bianco Vermouth 3 dashes bitter truth celery bitters
Good Memories Created by Bombay Sapphire NY’s Most Imaginative Bartender Winner, Vincenzo Cangemi of Ovest Pizzoteca & Bar in NYC 1.75 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin 1 oz spiced rum 1 scoop Hazelnut ice cream 0.5 oz cherry liquor Jerry Thomas bitters Cinnamon
Yuletide Martini Created by Bombay Sapphire Denver’s Most Imaginative Bartender Winner, Tacy Rowland of Bol in Denver 2 oz Bombay Sapphire 2 tsp cranberry sauce
Pour ingredients into shaker except bitters and cinnamon. Shake with no ice. Cinnamon grated on top and Jerry Thomas bitters.
BOOST YOUR BOTTOM LINE! Pumpkin Rum Old Fashioned
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Gin Is In This Holiday Season The Martini — in its many guises — makes an essential element to any holiday feast. For example, the Hampshire cocktail, created by Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender National Winner 2014, Ran Duan of Boston’s The Baldwin Bar at The Sichuan Garden, created a cocktail to pay homage to the new Bombay Sapphire Laverstoke distillery in London. The nut and spice notes, along with the crisp fruit finish make it the perfect complement to any holiday soiree. That, and other recipes, follow:
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How To:
uits s w a L d i o v A On-premise
LAW
THE OF THE LAND The Six Most Common Reasons Bar Owners are Sued (And How to Avoid Them)
R
estaurant owners come into contact with thousands of guests each year if in business long enough, it’s likely that a guest may take legal action against them for reasons of varying degrees. While the possibility of being sued cannot be eliminated, owners can dramatically reduce the odds by paying attention and taking some basic steps to manage risk. Below are the six most common reasons guests sue restaurant owners, and what can be done to minimize the risk. The partners of Pyka Lenhardt Schnaider Zell, myself included, have been serving the legal needs of individuals, public entities, private business and the insurance industry for
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By A.J. Pyka, Managing Partner, Pyka Lenhardt Schnaider Zell
more than 40 years, representing national, regional and local clients in California and Arizona. The four founding attorneys have more than 150 years of combined experience, with over 250 tried to verdict cases and a more than 90 percent success rate. So I’d pay close attention to the list that follows, because these are the six things you need to be aware of:
Slip and falls The National Restaurant Association confirms that slips and falls are the most frequent general liability claims made across the industry. What you should do: To reduce the possibility of a slip-and-fall accident,
first have a policy put in place. Having a written policy will go a long way in a trial to convince the jury that the business owner is concerned about the safety of his or her patrons. Be specific in this policy to cover routing spills by customers and employees, as well as any other reasons surfaces may dangerously become slippery. If you have a concern about any surface being too slippery, slimy or any other cause for a slip or fall, consider having it evaluated by an expert who will test the co-efficient of friction of your surface and advise as to whether or not it is within industry standards. If necessary, take action to eliminate the risk for a fall.
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How To: Altercations between patrons The second most common lawsuit filed against restaurants and bars involves injuries that arise out of altercations with other patrons, especially when excessive alcohol consumption intensifies the situation. One of the most dangerous situations for owners is when two or more guests are asked to leave the premises because of a verbal altercation. What you should do: First, don’t over-serve guests. While over-serving alcohol to adult patrons is no longer a basis of liability in California, it may still be used against a restaurant in a trial. Even though bartenders and management may not know how much alcohol a guest has consumed prior to arriving at their establishment, an intoxicated patron presents a high risk, and it is necessary need to have a policy in place. Employees must have a procedure to follow when an altercation occurs so that time is not wasted figuring it out on the fly. Make sure the policy clearly indicates when the situation requires a call to the authorities. It is insufficient to simply require the guests to leave the premises and consider the incident no longer the responsibility of the restaurant. Industry standards now require that these potentially combative guests exit from different doors at different times. Additionally, it’s a good practice to have designated employees escort the guest not only to the door, but also outside to ensure the other combative guest is not lying in wait, while still on premises.
Altercations between employees and patrons Altercations between a guest and an employee are another fertile field for lawsuits. What you should do: Some restaurants now have a completely “hands off” policy and will not touch a guest in any fashion. If a guest is asked to leave, but refuses to do so, the police are simply called. If employees are allowed to make physical contact with the guest, it is very important that they are trained in how to use only reasonable and necessary
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force, and to never escalate the use of force. Most of the time it is safer to seek the assistance of law enforcement. In these types of situations, the employment of security cameras throughout the restaurant will ultimately pay off when it comes to litigated matters. Again, a written policy specific to the business and the safety of staff and patrons should be implemented.
Serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated patron or minor While a restaurant or bar is no longer liable for serving excessive amounts of alcohol to a patron, the establishment can still be liable for serving an
obviously intoxicated patron or minor. What you should do: Prevention is straightforward in this scenario, but does involve two basic measures. First, have a written policy about not over serving alcohol to intoxicated customers. Second, have a policy for ID checks that is strictly enforced.
Allowing unruly behavior by patrons Owners will be sued if unruly guests are not controlled and end up injuring another guest. This frequently happens at nightclubs and bars where there is a crowded dance floor where guests can become disruptive, often set off by a harmless brush.
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What you should do: Again, written policies are very helpful in limiting your liability, which includes training employees on how to diffuse this situation safely. However, an important thing to keep in mind is that once you a written policy has been set, it must be followed to the letter, or it could be held against the owner in a trial.
Food poisoning or foreign substances in the food The good news is, lawsuits arising out of food poisoning and foreign substances are less frequent than any of the above mentioned type lawsuits. While most restaurants do quite well in minimizing their exposure to these two risks, they can happen and event to the tidiest of places. What you should do: Make sure written materials regarding proper training and sanitation practices are followed; and the establishment is compliant with health and sanitation requirements in the area. Document how these guidelines are followed; and be prepared to show that the location and staff have passed necessary inspections, if necessary. Taking great care in controlling the quality and safety of the food served will minimize exposure in these areas. Every restaurant should have general liability insurance to cover not only a possible loss, but the high cost of hiring attorneys when defense is needed. The attorneys of PLSZ represent both the old and new guards of law, and bring a solid combination of experience, efficiency and sensitivity to each of its clients. With expertise in a wide spectrum of civil litigation, including public law (civil rights, premises liability and school district defense), product liability, personal injury, construction defect, employment (including sexual harassment), defamation, mold and toxic tort, PLSZ attorneys bring the same care and respect to each case that comes to their desks. All the prevention in the world doesn’t protect restaurant and bar owners from ever being sued, using
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these practices will greatly reduce the risk. Reducing this risk will ultimately improve the establishment’s “loss record,” which could lessen the cost of insurance premiums. All of the above measures may seem like common sense, but accurately documenting and enforcing these practices will help diminish your chances of being sued.
A.J. Pyka is managing partner of Pyka Lenhardt Schnaider Zell, an Orange County, Calif.-based law firm.With a winning percentage of more than 90 percent, Pyka has successfully completed more than 70 Superior Court jury trials in his four decades practicing law. He was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1983.Visit www.plszlaw.com.
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November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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How To:
Hire The Right Person
Higher Hiring There are steps to the hiring process that can help you land the right person — and stay out of trouble while you’re doing it. By William J. Lynott
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n the surface, it appears to be a routine chore. You have a job to fill, so you must interview the applicants and select the most promising. In truth, interviewing job candidates today is far from a routine task. One of the toughest issues to resolve with new hires, especially in a specialized operation like a bar business, is measuring the applicant’s relevant skills. How can you tell if a prospective employee has the level of experience and dedication that you demand? You’ve probably developed your own methods for measuring hard skills in new applicants. Still, it’s important to remember,
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there are other qualifications that may be at least as important. “There has never been a time when pre-employment interviewing skills have been more important,” says Therese A. Hoehne, Director of Human Resources, Aurora University, Aurora, Ill. She cautions, “You must keep in mind that there are many complex laws that govern the interviewing/hiring process. Today’s legal constraints have made a tough job more complex and more risky than ever.” Fortunately, there are simple techniques that can help you negotiate that difficult path. Bar Business asked several experts to give us their best advice. Here’s what they told us:
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How To: Talk Less; Listen More “Most interviewers talk too much,” said Emory Mulling, chairman of The Mulling Companies in Atlanta, and author of The Mulling Factor: Get Back Your Life by Taking Control of Your Career (DC Press, March 2002). “The interviewer’s role is to get information from the candidate. Too often, interviewers spend too much time talking about the job and themselves and not enough time asking relevant questions of the candidate.”
Examine Résumés and Applications Carefully While complete honesty on a job application may not be the norm today, most experts advise employers to question the obvious. Time gaps between jobs often signal the need for a closer look at an applicant’s employment history. “Look for ‘short-timer-itis’ -- the person who seems to switch jobs every 12 months,” said Hoehne. “If the applicant is new to the job market and has already had two or three jobs, this may or may not be a warning sign. However, if the applicant has ten year's experience and ten jobs, you will want to discuss the reasons. This could indicate a ‘job-hopper’ at best and a serious problem employee at worst.”
Keep the Interview on Track As with any conversation, a pre-employment interview can stray far off its proper path if not carefully controlled. “If I had a friend conducting an interview, I would advise him to ask only those job-related questions that he needs to ask to make a lawful hiring decision,” said Labor Attorney John C. Romeo, Philadelphia, Pa. “I would advise him to pay close attention to the direction the conversation takes during the interview. An interview can easily turn into a conversation about family, religion, or national origin,” he says. “If the interviewer sees the conversation going in this direction, he should make a strong effort to stop and switch gears -- get the conversation onto a proper and legal topic.”
Prepare a Written List of Questions You may have to deal with applicants of both sexes in your business. If you do, you must not ask different questions of males and females. To do so is to risk violation of discrimination laws. “I usually create a list of questions to ask all candidates before the interview process starts,” said Hoehne. “I then put those questions on a sheet of paper with space between them to take notes.” James Walsh, author of Rightful Termination: Defensive Strategies for Hiring and Firing in the Lawsuit-Happy 90s (Merritt Publishing, 1994) also advises starting with what hiring experts call structured questions. “Ask them of every candidate and base your comparisons on their answers.” He suggests using a simple worksheet to do this, checking off each applicant’s strengths against the job skills required for the position. Bob Dickson, former Director of Labor Relations & Personnel, Merck & Co., West Point, Pa., also believes in
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using a carefully structured set of questions prepared in advance of the interview. “I recommend that you summarize what you have learned immediately after the interview. One way to do this is to list relevant answers and information next to each question on your list.”
Listen Carefully to the Answers “Even after asking the right questions, some interviewers make the wrong choice because they didn’t listen carefully to the answers,” said Mulling. “Don’t kid yourself into thinking you can overcome potential conflicts and make someone fit in just because you like the way they look or because their technical skills or past experience are a perfect match for the job.”
Be Aware of Incompatibility “Ask questions about the candidate’s preferred management style to determine if he or she will fit with your own,” said Mulling. “For example, a candidate who likes to work independently won’t fit with a boss who’s a picky micro-manager. Keep in mind that you’re looking for a person who will fit in comfortably with the existing culture in your business.
Don’t Get Tripped Up By Illegal Questions In the early 1990s, courts outlawed the use of questions the answers to which could be used to discriminate against applicants in the hiring process. Now, an interviewer who asks them may face a discrimination lawsuit. “The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1991 make
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hiring a potential nightmare,” said Walsh. It’s in an interviewer’s best interest to know what questions may lead to litigation. Interviewers must not ask any questions concerning so-called protected classes, including race, sex, age, national origin, religion, or disabilities. The law also prohibits questions about workers’ compensation or health history.
As They Say In a Courtroom, “Don’t Lead The Witness.” Mulling cautions interviewers not to give away too many details of what they are looking for in a candidate. “If you do that,” he said, “the candidate will mold his or her answers to what the interviewer wants to hear. That can result in the candidate being hired, qualified or not.”
Don’t Focus Exclusively On Hard Skills “Some interviewers take a résumé point by point and discuss only the candidate’s hard skills,” said Mulling. “Technical skills and experience are not always the best indicators of success on the job. The candidate must also be a good fit for the boss and the work environment. Two candidates can be equally qualified in technical skills, but vastly different in terms of personality and work-style preferences.” “Many technical skills can be taught to the right applicant,” says Mulling, “but you can’t teach a person how to be 1friendly d-TGf-prt-BarBusiness-Dec2014-halfpgAd-v1.pdf 10/17/14 or adaptable.”
SHIFTGIG Named Up-and-Comer Shiftgig, the premier online community for the service industry that enables people to connect with jobs, announced it has been named one of the Upand-Comer winners of the 13th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. Shiftgig’s chief innovation is its digital marketplace that intelligently connects service industry workers with jobs by collecting and analyzing client requirements, worker skills, and real-time shift data to provide smarter matches. The platform will help millions of workers get millions of shift jobs and improve their likelihood of successful employment. "We are very excited to be recognized as an up-and-comer in Chicago,” said Eddie Lou, co-founder and CEO of Shiftgig. "It validates our team’s efforts and inspires us to make 2015 an even bigger year as we continue to grow the nation’s largest service industry community and provide a superior employment solution to our clients."
9:45 AM
For more information about Shiftgig, visit www.shiftgig.com.
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Where there’s
smoke... 28
Bar Business Magazine November 2014
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Mezcal, tequila’s sultry and smoky agave spirit cousin, casts a spell on creative bartenders and adventurous customers alike. Here is Part One of our two-part look at the mysteries of Mezcal. By Elyse Glickman
T
here’s no doubt that tequila has come of age, maturing from an inexpensive go-to party spirit and the foundation of the classic margarita to a full-blown cottage industry headlined by handcrafted, carefully monitored spirits whose best representations have their own unique personalities and characteristics. However, there’s more to agave — the core ingredient of tequila — that meets the eye and the palate. This includes Mezcal, an agave-based spirit aged in charred barrels attaining a distinctive smoky flavor, produced in Oaxaca state and areas outside the “DOC” tequila regions in Jalisco state. Currently, it is undergoing a similar evolution to tequila and benefitting from the expansion and growth of that beverage category. “Mezcal can be traced back 2000 years ago to the Aztec Indians,” details Stephen Maly of In Good Company Hospitality in New York City, which oversees Winnie’s www.barbizmag.com
Refined Spirits. “Most Mezcal is produced by small farmer distilleries. Because it is not made commercially, the process can be long and pricy. The process includes harvesting the agave flower after a 10-20 year maturity, cooking in earthen for a week, crushed under a 1.5 stone wheel pulled by a horse, fermented in wooden barrels and distilled in copper tanks.” Maly observes that its appeal is a combination of the distinctive flavor and the hand-crafted, small batch approach to its creation, combined with a sophisticated consumer base seeking it out. He adds that Mezcal is also a natural stimulant, which makes for the perfect drink to start out the evening. “It’s almost like having coffee without the caffeine,” he says. “Our favorite description to use for Mezcal is ‘smoky, salty, earthy,’” explains Drew Sweeney, Beverage Director of New York City’s Bodega Negra. “Different Mezcals have differing levels of (these qualities) but that’s the most simplistic description we can use to November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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explain what Mezcal is from a sensory perspective. Mezcal is Mexico and it was around before tequila production started. I would argue that it represents the land and people in a more authentic way than most any other spirit category in the world, with the exception of maybe Scotch and Cognac.”
“Mezcal is compelling because it’s done in the same way they have been doing it for many centuries.”
Catching Fire
knowledge of tequila, though they were surprised to learn from Reyes that there were well over 1,500 producers distilling DOC-approved product. Though there are currently 45 producers in Mexico, Reyes confirms Mezcal is a sub-category of agave spirits gaining a life of its own. “I want to tell you the difference between Tequila and Mezcal,” Bravo informs the rapt group. “While Tequila has a DOC (Denomination of Origin) and is made in Jalisco from 100% Blue Agave, Mezcal comes from Oaxaca. Mezcal is produced in areas that are consistently hot all year around, while Tequila is produced in climates where it gets hot during the day but cools off considerably at night.” Bravo further explains that Mezcal, like tequila, started out as a drink of the working class that in the past eight years has become a strong cottage industry, especially with some producers working on getting a denomination of origin for the agave spirit sub category. And while quality Mezcals, on average, are less expensive for the final consumer than premium tequilas, they are developing a cache and a positive image that makes them just as appealing for on-premise accounts.
“With the explosion of the culinary cocktail movement, people are becoming much more open to new spirits, ingredients & flavors,” observes Tim Cooper, a Beverage Program Consultant shaping the bar program at Bodega Negra. “We have such a diverse culinary scene and it’s only natural that the drinking side has started to catch up. Where ten years ago women were drinking Cosmopolitans, now we’re seeing Old Fashions & Manhattans being ordered. And with so many Mexican restaurants throughout the city, most people who live here have started to familiarize themselves with this particular food and culture.” Sometimes it’s a good idea to go to (or near) the source for a little inspiration. Just outside Puerto Vallarta, the Grand Velas Rivera Nayarit was recently the site for beverage industry event hosted by Milagros Tequila for U.S. distributors and accounts. While the Lobby Bar prominently featured Milagros’ portfolio, Gustavo Bravo, the resort’s General Manager and Tequilier, was only to eager to share tips and tricks to the “general” consumers attending the hotel’s mixology class. Many attendees already had a good working 30
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Recipes These first two recipes are by Kyle West, Bar Manager, Centro Latin Kitchen, Boulder, CO:
OAXACA OLD FASHIONED
MEZCAL PALOMA 1½ oz Sombra Mezcal 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice ¾ oz agave 2 oz Squirt
ULTIMO PALABRA (*based on the classic cocktail The Last Word) ¾ oz Sombra Mezcal ¾ oz Green Chartreuse ¾ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur ¾ oz fresh lime juice. Garnished with a Maraschino cherry.
The Stuff of Legend Beyond the story of how the worm found its way into tequila bottles and urban legend (and it was actually a bottle of Mezcal, by the way), Bravo and his contemporaries in the U.S. stress that the back story behind this spirit is also a superb marketing tool to get customers out of their tequila comfort zone. “The reason Mezcal is so compelling is because it’s for the most part done in the same way they have been doing it for many centuries,” says Isaac Grillo, head mixologist for Haven Rooftop and Tender at The Sanctuary Hotel in New York City. “Even before distilled spirits, natives to this area have enjoyed Pulque, a fermented agave beverage, for 2,000 years. I’ve had the opportunity to visit many Mezcal distilleries and most haven’t changed over the centuries... Really just agave fields out back, hand harvested and roasted in a clay oven dug into the ground, crushed by a donkey turning a stone wheel, naturally fermented in wood tubs, and finally distilled in little copper stills. One of the amazing things about Mezcal is that it has historically been ‘small batch’ product and remains that way today.” “Mezcal used to be served straight, but thanks to bar culture and mixologists in the U.S. mixing them with fresh juices, herbs and other quality products, they’ve become more accessible to cocktail fans in the U.S. and all over the world,” Bravo says. “This has helped elevate the reputation of good Mezcals and the number of producers. www.barbizmag.com
By Living Room & Bar Manager Aneesh Sharma 1.5 oz El Tesoro Reposado .5 oz San Luis Del Rio Mezcal (Del Maguey) 1 barspoon Agave syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 dash Bitterman’s mole bitters 1 orange twist Mix all ingredients. Stir and strain into a rock glass over big rock ice. Garnish: orange twist.
Before, nobody thought Mezcal had the versatility of tequila, but mixologists are proving that wrong.” Kyle West, Bar Manager at Centro Latin Kitchen, Boulder, CO, observes that consumerss of his generation (he’s 28) are anxious to try something unexpected, especially as they’ve already taken a spin on the gin, vodka and bourbon bandwagons, and want to advance their experience beyond the good reposado and anejo tequilas they’ve tried. “We’re constantly looking for the next new flavor, a great discovery other people don’t yet know about, That outlook on spirits lends itself to Mezcal’s growing popularity. We’ve grown up with our fathers drinking scotch, and we’re drinking the equivalent of that, which is Mezcal.” Bravo further stresses that Mezcal is a smart addition to a bar program, especially one that’s tequilafocused. While Mezcal expands the options for drink menus and recipe development, the lower price points of even the best Mezcals means a higher profit margin for your bar. Brands he recommends that are available or soon to be available in the U.S. include Montel Ojos as well as Mezcal Rojo. “We are experimenting with Mezcal in the same ways we have been with tequila,” says Chris Donahue, head mixologist at Horchata New York. In our first issue of the new year, we’ll look at more of the mysteries of Mezcal. Keep an eye out for the January 2015 issue and Part Two of our Mezcal coverage. November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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TAKING CARE OF
BUSINESS
Part 2
The goal, as always, is to increase bar sales, but here’s a hint: It won’t happen unless management makes it happen. © In Part II of Taking Care of Business, I’ll tell you how the Three P’s — Personnel, Product, and Profits — can all come together under proper managerial structure on-premise to form the perfect storm of success. By Bob Johnson, aka “BobTheBarGuy.com” 32
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S
ure, external marketing efforts can contribute to higher customer counts, but it does not guarantee those additional patrons will come back after the initial visit. To turn a first-time customer into a regular depends on the ability of the staff to sell, not so much the marketing effort. It comes from the competency of your bartenders, servers and, most importantly, your manager’s ability to drive bartenders and servers to a higher level of performance. That was what we learned back in the September 2014 issue of Bar Business, when my Taking Care of Business Part I article talked about the first of the Three P’s — Personnel — and how to properly manage it. Now we’re here to tie up the loose ends and discuss the two other P’s — Product and Profits — and ways you can use one to create the other.
PRODUCT Control your pour. It’s key to profit. Don’t let a bartender free-pour. Your customers understand the reasons for portion control in today’s business world. An electronic liquor gun control system is probably the best and most consistent way to dispense liquor — provided it stays calibrated and doesn’t crash on you in the middle of a rush. The customer gets an exact
pour every time. The bartender gets the drink out faster. You can set up a system where the bartender has to ring up the drink first on the POS, which then activates the liquor guns. Great accountability. Your PC% will improve 2 - 4% overnight. I also favor the 1¼ 3/4 oz metal jigger to measure liquor. At least you have a way to judge a bartender’s performance. You can’t tell what a bartender is doing if they’re free pouring. Never run out of anything. Otherwise you can’t sell it. To do this you must understand the usage of all products over, say, a month period of time. In order to determine usage for this time frame, know the basic formula BEG INV + PURCH = AVAIL FOR SALE less END INV = USAGE. Knowing usage enables you to set up PARS for every item. If you have 10 cases of plastic cups on the storeroom shelf at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month you have 2 cases left, then you know to order 8 cases in order to bring the PAR for plastic cups back to 10. Create a Dead Stock inventory. Remove all dead stock liquors/beers/ wine/champagne from the bar. Put them in a closet or storeroom away from the active inventory. Do an ending inventory count on the remaining dead stock. Keep the ending inventory count on a clipboard next to the dead stock. If dead stock is used, subtract it from the beginning count,
Make sure your glassware is correct for the drinks you are serving.
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Have available any type of bar drink that includes Champagne, either in the bottle or from the split. always maintaining an on-going count that matches what’s on the shelf. Use dead stock for creating promo shooters, drink specials, “giveaways”, etc. – but be careful. Do not give out cheaper dead stock drinks all day or night. Only do so for an hour or less. Customers will drink $2 dead stock specials instead of their usual $8 drink. You’ll lose $6 every time. Understand everything about your products. Your bar staff must understand premium products, what they are, what they taste like, why they are premium priced, and anything else about them. Bring in the liquor company representatives and teach your bartenders and servers about premium products.
Have available any type of bar drink that includes Champagne, either in the bottle or from the split. For example, the French 75, or French 95, which was a staple in bars during World War II. Bring it back. It’s a Tom Collins with a Champagne float. The Champagne comes from a split. Sell them as separate drinks. Consider promoting the Champagne cocktail — the Kir Royale, the Mimosa, etc. Look at specialty glassware for these types of drinks. You can generate a lot of sales from the sale of 34
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Champagne splits. Create incentives for your employees to sell these types of drinks. Remember — Champagne is a celebratory beverage. Bars are where people usually go to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, coming of age (21), a sports win, etc. There’s no reason why you can’t sell more Champagne. Bottle service. Consider going to or upgrading your existing bottle service. If you are a high volume venue with 2 - 3 deep at the bar, figure out a way to sell bottles at a table instead of one drink at a time at the bar. Bottle service creates a more manageable environment. Hire a bartender as your VIP “bottle service host” so that he/she can explain and be a part of the drink making process at the tableside. Presentation is important. The bottle sale must be presented with the necessary juices, soda mix, garnishes, glasses, ice, cocktail shaker with strainer, etc. Accompany bottles of liquor with cordials/ liqueurs (50 ML size), then sell the same brand of cordial in the 200 ML size for an additional $25 - $50 if the customer wants more of that same cordial/ liqueur. Look into candle holders that can be turned into cordial/liqueur “spirit trees.” A bartender making change in coins is a waste of time. It cuts into their ability to get drinks out quickly. Make your drink prices in even dollar increments — no coins. Include the tax in the even dollar price (inclusive). www.barbizmag.com
There’s no such thing as a free glass A bartender making change in coins of water. You’re a bar, not a restaurant. could instead be making drinks. PROFIT The key to maximizing bar profits is management’s attention to details — the little things that add up over time. Controlling liquor cost using PC% analysis is an accomplishment, but what about the broken glassware, a foaming draft beer line, spoiled fruit garnishes, bad milk or Bloody Mary mix, a security person milking the clock, ice machine maintenance and repair, cutting out lights not in use — and the list goes on and on. Here are some suggestions for enhancing bar profit:
Make sure your glassware is correct for the drinks you are serving. For example, is your highball glass more than 9 ounces? What is your shot size? For a “shot and mix” drink using a 9 ounce highball glass, you shouldn’t pour more than 1¼ oz. Otherwise the drink won’t taste right because the ratio of mix to liquor will be more than 3:1. Make changes. Take a food item, tear it apart, and make it better. There is no such thing as “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Not true. If it ain’t broke, tear it apart anyway and see if you can’t discover an even better way to do it, or maybe you might trigger a new idea. Take the slowest part of your bar and turn it into a specialty area, like specialty drinks, a martini bar, a fresh juice squeezing station, a snack bar, etc. If you have a kitchen and you are trying to promote “bar snack” food, use the “sample” technique. Have a server walk around with a tray of sample food. It might generate food sales later. Change is good.
Does management have all the tools and product each employee needs in order for them to do their job and sell? Does everything work? Are the coolers at the right temperatures? Is the bar completely stocked? Does management work from a daily checklist of “things to do”? If not, make changes. Get informed. For the nightclub/bar industry you need to read every page of every month’s edition of www.barbizmag.com
Bar Business Magazine. It’s the best source of information for our industry. Many other hospitality industry related magazines, such as Bowling Industry magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, Class (from the UK) and others, contain human resource, updates in laws, marketing strategies and handling personnel problems that might cross over to our industry.
Attend every hospitality industry trade show you can get to. Not just nightclub/bar tradeshows, but state restaurant trade shows, bowling center tradeshows and licensed beverage association state trade shows. There are about 30 or more of them nationwide. All generate ideas and strategies you might be able to use. Use experts in the industry to help train your staff. I offer a one-week course in “The Basics of Bartending” and a one week course in bar management called “Bar Manager Workshop.” Call for details (800-447-4384).
WIN IN THE END The bartender/server controls the amount of money made simply by making people come back — by giving quality service, demonstrating an “up-tempo” personality, being knowledgeable about everything they sell and being overtly friendly and caring. If your staff is capable enough to do all of this, it means more sales, more money for them and more money for the house. It means a successful business. If they’re not good enough, people won’t come back, sales will decrease, tips will decrease, turnover will be rampant (no money) and then theft creeps in because survival becomes the issue rather than success. Bob Johnson, Bar Management expert, is a multi-unit beverage director who specializes in inventory control, bar management and bartending. His latest book release, “Manage Your Bar My Way!” is a compilation of 50 years of making mistakes and finally getting it right. It’s a “one of a kind” publication that every owner/manager should have. Contact Bob at 800447-4384 or check out his website at “BobTheBarGuy.com”. November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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What Do You Say? 36
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Semi Precious Weapons on stage at the Sayers Club. www.barbizmag.com
Traditional Las Vegas mega clubs and their over-the-top excess have paved the way for more intimate venues to capture crowds looking for something a little more personal, and the latest such endeavor is the SAYERS CLUB inside Sin City’s SLS resort, where you never know who might hit the stage. By Chris Ytuarte
Photos courtesy of Powers Imagery.
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recent scene described by the notorious gossip column Page Six of The New York Post detailed Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame, just days before winning an Emmy, stopping into The Sayers Club at SLS Las Vegas. Alongside other celebrities like Dita Von Teese, Emile Hirsch, and Cindy Crawford, Paul spent his evening here taking in a surprise musical performance by the one and only Lenny Kravitz, who rocked-out on the new venue’s stage. Yup, it was just another run-of-the-mill night at The Sayers Club. Sure, Las Vegas is full of celebrities hopping from club to club. It’s a staple. But at the newly opened Sayers Club, things are a little different. This intimate, music-focused space is a place that, in a city like Vegas, where you never know what might happen, you really never know what might happen at The Sayers Club. “I think a lot of people inside and outside the business alike felt there was a void that needed to be filled in Las Vegas and abroad,” explains Sayers Club curator Jason Scoppa. “Not necessarily in the ‘live music’ category in general, but more specifically, the multi-faceted venue that can do nightclub and full production live music in an intimate context.” Scoppa began talking about the notion with Sam Nazarian, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the sbe hospitality group, which created the SLS Hotels. “In early conversations with Sam, he talked a lot about the possibilities in what he saw I was doing [in LA] and where it should go. A few years later, here we are at SLS Las Vegas. The experience thus far has been nothing but applause from an engaged audience. The feedback has been inspirational.“ On August 28th, The Sayers Club, which has long been one of Hollywood’s best-loved music venues, opened its doors at SLS Las Vegas with a live performance by Swedish pop star Tove Lo to celebrate the grand opening. But Aaron Paul and his crew had already been witness to the scene. www.barbizmag.com
“We were ecstatic and so fortunate that Lenny Kravitz played at The Sayers Club for the grand opening of SLS Las Vegas,” says Scoppa. “Then the following week we had Tove Lo at our official grand opening to the public. Both nights were absolutely incredible. It is important to start off strong!” Following Lenny Kravitz is no easy task, but “dirrrrty pop” sensation Tove Lo christened the iconic Sayers stage with her sky-scrapping hooks and raw lyrical content. As she continues to draw crowds with her candid performances, the Swedish singer-songwriter landed on the Billboard Hot 100 list with the debut single, “Habits (Stay High),” off her latest EP, Truth Serum. And thus began the effort to turn The Sayers Club into the premiere music venue in Las Vegas with hopes of matching its LA reputation. “It is true that geographically speaking, booking artists is more challenging in Las Vegas than Los Angeles,” explains Scoppa. “However, artists are very excited about The Sayers Club’s arrival in Las Vegas. We approach everything differently than a traditional venue that is programming full live productions. That serves us well in LA and has worked for us in Las Vegas thus far. The venue semi-hovers around key shows that I customize that showcase the venue to original artists. The aim with any of my venues has been to build a place that artists want to play.” Transitioning a successful formula from the vibe of Los Angeles to the scene in Las Vegas presented its own unique challenges, Scoppa points out. But there were also benefits to the move. “Operating hours are longer and later [in Vegas],” he says. “This is an advantage to this venue due to the ability to build an entire evening based on what we are offering on the program at specific times. Las Vegas is constant calendar management to insure offerings during customer traffic, and at the same time creating a consistent November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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Swedish pop sensation Tove Lo at the opening night of the Sayers Club.
“My sound engineer is a wizard. He treats our sound as the living, breathing thing that it is. Each night and each hour is approached with the guest experience in mind.” destination location for locals and travelers alike. It is incredible to have that kind of opportunity as a business.” The Sayers Club exudes a sense of rogue sophistication and musicianship that perfectly complements its second location within SLS Las Vegas. “I have always gone for a timeless living room capable of housing full live music production,” is how Scoppa describes the club’s design. “The Las Vegas location has a little more stage glitz along with an outdoor patio. Chesterfield sofas, layered rugs, plush graphite drapes and exposed brick behind the bar are in both locations. Comfort is key and nothing is overdone, but purposed. The intimate stage is what we try to focus on and the furniture and colors around it are things you might find in your favorite living rooms.” 38
Bar Business Magazine November 2014
The Sayers Club features a fantastic beverage program that caters to the space’s identity as a lounge, live music venue and nightclub, including top-notch cocktails at a busy but accessible bar. The venue can also accommodate guests looking for private seating. The refined yet raw space is part nightclub, part live music venue, showcasing performances by emerging and acclaimed artists representing the true Sayers’ experience — one that is built on sound and space. “We are constantly evolving our sound in LA after four years and the same philosophy goes for Las Vegas,” explains Scoppa. “That doesn’t end with good equipment, but the purposed surfaces of the room as well. We went with a JBL Vertec system. My production manager/sound engineer Micah Otano is a wizard. He treats our sound as the living, breathing thing that it is. Each night and each hour are approached with the guest experience in mind. Micah is constantly tuning. These things were all considered for the room. I work closely with Micah; he understands my overall vision, which is a blessing. He is very much a part of the fabric of the venue.” From its iconic stage to its relaxed lounge and outdoor patio, the intimate venue welcomes musical talents and enthusiasts alike. “The patio has been such a great thing for us and is utilized in multiple ways,” says Scoppa. “The www.barbizmag.com
The intimate Sayers Club stage keeps fans right in front of the musical acts. indoor/outdoor option is always great to have for guests. Some of our seating is just outside the giant industrial door so guests can still see the show and feel the vibe happening inside. The patio is big enough to accommodate large and small groups that prefer to be outside. Furniture is of The Sayers Club aesthetic, but simple and movable. Clients renting the room for private events love the indoor/outdoor accommodations as well. In season, we will be programming both indoor and outdoor shows.“ As The Sayers Club continues to see growth, its place within the SLS family is key. SLS Las Vegas is an allencompassing resort and casino with more than 1,600 guest rooms and suites in three distinctive towers, 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a collection of www.barbizmag.com
sbe’s acclaimed restaurant and nightlife brands. There is, in some sense, a built-in clientele for The Sayers Club formed from the foundation of the SLS reputation for excellence in nightlife. But in Las Vegas, or any other big city in the U.S., nothing comes easy in this game, and Scoppa and the Sayers Club crew are prepared to meet the challenges that lay ahead. “I have always felt that any early challenges are to be expected and considered evolution,” says Scoppa. “But being expansive with demographics is key to what we do in Las Vegas, in Hollywood — and other venues to come. The best evenings, parties and events have all different walks of life enjoying the same thing. We are constantly trying to facilitate that on every level.” November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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Inventory Redefining Beer: Guinness® The 1759™ Just in time for the holiday season, the world’s most distinctive brewer is bringing a new level of elegance and artistry to the beer category. Guinness & Co. – brewers of the iconic stout – introduces its newest innovation, Guinness® The 1759™, a limited edition amber ale brewed to be sipped responsibly with satisfaction, savored as part of fine dining and gifted with appreciation by beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike. Guinness The 1759 is an ultra-premium beer brewed with both traditional beer malt and the same peated whisky malt used in the world’s finest Scotch and Irish whiskies. Inspired by a 200 year old recipe and brewed with the same Guinness yeast that has been used for more than 125 years, this rich amber ale offers new style and flavor under the Guinness trademark. Using the mastery that comes from more than 250 years of brewing experience, the Guinness Master Brewers have created a beer unlike any other European import on the market. With only 90,000 bottles being produced, the commemorative release of Guinness The 1759 is a chance to be part of Guinness’ brewing history. Additional information can be found at www.guinness.com.
Show Time for Jeremiah Weed Jeremiah Weed unveils a new line of flavored whiskies blended with hand-selected secret spices. Each variant is sure to bewilder and amaze as they take the stage as either a shot or mixed with cola. With these releases, consumers craving more curiosity and excitement from their whiskey will be provided an additional line of flavored whiskies to be enjoyed responsibly. Jeremiah Weed Spiced Whiskey is a smooth aged whiskey with added spices to showcase the rich vanilla bean and toasted oak barrel sweetness. At 70.6 proof (35.3% ABV), Jeremiah Weed Spiced Whiskey is best consumed mixed with cola. Jeremiah Weed Cinnamon Whiskey has a distinctive punch of spicy ground cinnamon that dials up the warm, woody whiskey character. At 71.2 proof (35.6% ABV), Jeremiah Weed Cinnamon Whiskey is best consumed as a shot. The whiskies are a strangely delicious addition to the brand’s portfolio.
STILLHOUSE Moonshine Shines Bright
Cider Rosé Perfect for Season
STILLHOUSE® Spirits Co. expands its acclaimed STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey portfolio with four new flavors: Red Hot, Peach Tea, Apple Crisp and Coconut. All are infused into the award-winning moonshine spirit, and packaged in the brand’s patented bottle. STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey uses 100% estate-grown corn in a proprietary recipe distilled five times and charcoal filtered for a superior purity and flavor. The four new infused moonshines are built on a foundation of STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey and gain their individual, artisanal personalities through the infusion of all-natural flavors. Consumers can enjoy STILLHOUSE at top restaurants, bars and lounges throughout the U.S. building upon an Americana-based “Moonshine” theme. STILLHOUSE Moonshine Whiskey is launching a marketing campaign integrating all-American adventures in sports, music, food, art and fashion. www.stillhouse.com.
With Fall in full swing, the surge of hard ciders sales, and a successful launch of Possmann Pure Cider in the U.S. market, favored amongst beer drinks and non-beer drinkers alike, Niche Import Co. welcomes a new addition to its growing cider portfolio: Possmann Pure Cider Rosé. Fresh natural apples ripened all Summer long, picked and pressed immediately then fermented into a perfect cider with an added splash of black currant are what makes Possmann Pure Cider Rosé so uncompromisingly perfect and full of real-fruit flavor. The resulting taste? A perfect balance of rich apple flavor with just the right amount of black currant; not too sweet and finishing dry. The flavor comes from Possmann’s unique source of apples, which are harvested exclusively from over 800 farmers in the Hessen region of Germany. What’s more, Possmann Pure Cider Rosé is not only refreshingly crisp, effervescent, and delicious, it’s gluten-free and has far less sugar than many of the other ciders out in the market. The sugar content depicted on the nutritional label of this black currant-apple hard cider comes only from the natural sugars in the apples used to ferment Possmann Pure Cider Rosé. Today, Possmann holds true to a spirit of Old World Craftsmanship and a dedication to quality. www possmann.com.
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Flood Buzz™ Leak Alarms Let You Know Flood Buzz™ Pro is an easy-to-use, low-cost, loud and effective water leak alarm that is an essential tool for the food service and hospitality industries. The alarms are designed to immediately detect water leaks, alerting that a possible flood condition exists. With many municipalities issuing violations for leaking water, these small alarms help owners and operators avoid fines for undetected and unsanitary water leaks. By placing a Flood Buzz Pro alarm at every possible water leak location – under sinks, next to refrigeration equipment, under piping, in bathrooms, etc. — an alert will sound to any leaking water condition so that an owner or operator can repair the leak proactively and immediately. Leaks waste both water and energy supplies, and may cause building damage. A pipe leaking hot water forces the water heater to work harder, adding thousands of dollars in extra costs. Dripping pipes may also cause costly damage to floors, walls and other parts of a building. Dampness or standing water in restaurant basements may result in mold and mildew growth or rodent infestations. www.FloodBuzzPro.com.
ID Scanner Helps Protect Your Liquor License Bar & Club Stats announces the launch of its Android ID scanner app. You can now use the camera of your Android phone or tablet to scan IDs, protect your business, and become smarter about your customers. BCS’ software works on all U.S. Canadian and military drivers licenses. BCS’ iPhone, iPod and iPad camera ID scanner app was released in January 2014. However, BCS is not your typical, dumb ID scanning solution. It helps you become smarter about your customers. After an ID is scanned four piece of anonymous information (time of scan, age, gender and zip code) are sent to BCS’ server. In real-time this data is analyzed so you can see population, the gender split, average age, number of repeat customers, income level, compare days, weeks, months, etc. Become smarter about your marketing and draw the most profitable demographic. BCS is the official age verification app of MillerCoors and has been seen on Bar Rescue, NY Daily News, AM New York and TechCrunch. Visit www.barandclubstats. com or on Twitter @ barandclubstats.
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Bowmore® Small Batch is Big Bowmore, the first distillery on Islay established in 1779, is proud to introduce its latest expression – Bowmore® Small Batch Single Malt Scotch Whisky – a perfect and accessible embodiment of the Taste of Islay. The distillery has used its centuries-long experience to create a perfect combination of flavors that encapsulate Scotch from Islay, known as the Queen of the Hebrides. Exclusively matured in first and second-fill ex-bourbon casks, Small Batch evokes the Islay house character of gentle peat smoke, salt, citrus and vanilla. Considered by many to be among the most well-balanced whiskies, Bowmore Small Batch makes for a wonderful dram for those wanting to experience an Islay single malt. Crafted from two different types of bourbon cask which are married together, Small Batch exhibits the best qualities of both: First-fill ex-bourbon casks imparts a delicious vanilla sweetness, subtle spices and a bourbon-style oak smoke, created by charring of the barrel in the bourbon production process. The second-fill ex-bourbon casks impart fruit and salty flavors. For more info, visit: www.bowmore.com.
Accessorize Your Walking Dead Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines, announced today the availability of four licensed and custom-developed pinball accessories for its latest release, AMC’s The Walking Dead. In response to market demand, Stern is now offering unique, game-specific accessories that further enhance the appeal of its pinball machines and enable pinball fans to customize their games to suit their personal tastes. The Walking Dead accessories include: A fish tank topper full of three fully detailed zombie heads designed and sculpted by Greg Nicotero, Executive Producer of The Walking Dead. The topper is accompanied by game-integrated lighting that attracts players and adds zombie ambiance to any room; An authentic zombie head shooter knob that adds tactile art to a player’s first interaction with the game; Custom-designed, artistic inside-panels that add dimension to the playfield area. www.sternpinball.com.
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Holiday Happenings
December 2014
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Dec 5: Faux Fur Friday Encourage your customers to avoid wearing real fur by offering them a free drink if they show up wearing faux fur on this night; any male customer gets a bonus free drink for daring to wear any kind fur in public.
Dec 6: Bartender Appreciation Day They do all the work, so on this night, let your bartenders know that every dollar in their tip jar will be matched by management. Then watch the battle for this shift heat up every year!
Dec 10: Jane Addams Day Jane Addams was a pioneer American settlement social worker, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in women’s suffrage and world peace. In other words — ladies drink for half-price tonight! Jane’s work is done.
Dec 12: National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day One of the easiest nonHalloween theme parties to pull off each year. Customers will clamor to compare sweaters while drinking in your bar and the winner gets a prize. Win-win.
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Dec 20: National Sangria Day Seems a little odd to be serving Sangria in the middle of winter, but to each his own. Put your best batch on special tonight and see how it goes.
Dec 21: Humbug Day Anyone who says “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” on this day has to buy one drink for the person next to them. Unless that person also speaks one of those forbidden phrases, in which case, all is lost.
Dec 4: National Dice Day Honor this holiday by putting one die down in front of each new customer. They get one roll to determine how much they will be paying for their first drink of the night.
16 Dec. 16: Barbie and Barney Backlash Day Do any two characters deserve a backlash more? I don’t think so. No pink or purple drinks are allowed to be served tonight, and anyone who orders one is 86’ed. Bring on that first Cosmo request…
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Dec 19: Underdog Day Suzanne Muldowney, aka Underdog Lady, finally gets her own holiday, which is beyond well deserved, as any Howard Stern fan knows. We drink in your honor tonight, Suzanne.
Bar Business Magazine November 2014
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Dec 24: Egg Nog Day Holly Nog is back! Check out this cool seasonal spirit this December, perfect for celebrating Egg Nog day or pretty much any day this month. www.facebook.com/ drinkhollynog
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BARNEY IMAGE: PAISAN HOMHUAN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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Index of Advertisers COMPANY
WEB SITE ADDRESS
PAGE #
Agave Loco LLC (RumChata)
www.RumChata.com
3
Barzz.net
www.Barzz.net
24
Buzztime
www.GoBeond.com/barbiz
16
Global Billiard Mfg
www.GlobalBilliard.com
15
Harbortouch Corp
www.Harbortouch.com
5
Harbortouch CA
www.iHarbortouch.com
11
Modern Line Furniture
www.ModernlineFurniture.com
Royal Penn Products LLC
www.ez-squeeze.com
19
TouchTunes
www.TouchTunes.com
7
Ultimate Bars
www.UltimateBars.com
20
Western Spirits
www.WesternSpirits.com
27
C2-Pg 1
Inventory Companies Bar and Club Stats
www.BarAndClubStats.com
Bowmore Scotch
www.Bowmore.com
Cider RosĂŠ
www.Possmann.com
Flood Buzz Pro
www.FloodBuzzPro.com
Guinness The 1759
www.Guinness.com
Jeremiah Weed Stern Pinball
www.SternPinball.com
STILLHOUSE Moonshine
www.Stillhouse.com
To advertise in Bar Business Magazine contact, Art Sutley, Ph: 212-620-7247, e-mail: asutley@sbpub.com
www.barbizmag.com
November 2014 Bar Business Magazine
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Owning Up
GOING VIRAL: KEEPING YOUR BAR CLEAN AND CLEAR
T
he Ebola virus has shown us that viral strains of any kind can be an issue in crowded environments such as bars and clubs. But protecting your venue can be as simple as keeping it clean, starting with proper procedures for any staff members who might clean the bar or the bathroom, as well as professional crews that come in after hours to do so.
United States, this will probably become routine and frequent for cleaning crews throughout the country."
Kaivac (www.kaivac.com), a cleaning specialist company that created the No-Touch® and OmniFlex™ systems, suggests one way to protect against viral disease is to avoid handling dollar bills — easiear said than done in the bar business.
1) Wash your hands in hot, soapy water before using or cleaning the restroom; accept the fact that any surface you have touched before entering the restroom might have been contaminated. 2) Avoid placing anything on the restroom counter or on the floor; should the counter or floor be contaminated, germs and bacteria potentially could be transferred from the surface to your hands when you pick up the items. 3) When using a restroom stall, always grab toilet paper before touching the partition door handle...before and after use. 4) Use a paper towel to turn manual faucets off and on. 5) Before using a toilet or urinal, flush first; stand a couple of feet away from the fixture when it is being flushed to avoid any "spray" from the fixture. 6) Use a toilet seat cover, or use toilet paper to create a makeshift toilet seat cover. 7) If a restroom looks unusually soiled, look for another restroom to use; if cleaning an unusually soiled restroom, accept the fact that every surface may be contaminated, and take added precautions (wear gloves, wear goggles, avoid skin contact with soiled items or surfaces). 8) In place of traditional cleaning methods, select what ISSA calls "sprayand-vac" cleaning systems to avoid direct contact with surfaces. 9) Wash hands again after cleaning restrooms, and have paper towels at hand so you do not have to grab them from a dispenser.
"While this sounds a bit extreme, the truth is infections can and do live on paper bills for many days after they have been touched by a person with the flu or some other infection," says Matt Morrison, Communications Manager for Kaivac. "What this is really telling us is that when it comes to stopping the spread of infection we have to be on guard and take precautions at all times." Morrison advises cleaning workers to wear gloves and wash hands frequently as well as keeping a ready supply of hand sanitizers nearby at all times. Whenever the spread of infection is a concern, he advises the following: 1) Avoid shaking hands; use the knuckle bump instead. 2) Do not share tools with other cleaning workers. 3) Do not wear personal protection gear (gloves, etc.) used by someone else. 4) Install hand sanitation stations. 5) If concerned about touching something, don't; refer the matter to a supervisor. "This is a perfect time to also develop an infection-control training program," adds Morrison. "Should there be more Ebola cases in the 44
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The bar’s bathroom, of course, becomes an area of concern during times like these as well. Accordingly, Morrison says cleaning pros and staff who maintain restrooms should implement the following steps:
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