Bar Business March 2018

March 2018

THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

ID SCANNERS

Do more than verify Ids

MARKETING

Change your strategy

Beer

Breakthroughs Exploring new trends, brews, and best practices

www.barbizmag.com

5

Types of Must-Have

Insurance

Contents HOW-TO COLUMNS

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March

ID Scanners Go Beyond Security ID scanning systems do more than verify IDs.

20

The Marketing Mix-Up

28

Tuning Up: LED Display Leads the Way

Marketing is for strangers, not regulars.

An exterior LED display enhances a very unique restaurant venue.

44 Q+A

Dr. Nicola Nice – CEO of Pomp & Whimsy

DEPARTMENTS

4

From the Editor

6

On Tap

A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray Industry news and announcements.

10

Behind the Bar

16

Happenings

42

In-depth analysis of beer, wine, and spirits.

Important dates for the month.

Inventory

Featured product releases.

FEATURES

34

Sweeten the Pot

38

Five Types of Insurance Every Bar Should Have

Rethink the use of honey in cocktails.

Make sure your bar has coverage you can count on.

Cover Photo: guruXOX Contents photo: pomp & whimsy

barbizmag.com

March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

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THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

March 2018

Vol. 11

No. 3

Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published

by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004

subscription department 800-895-4389

executive offices President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com

editorial

Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Walt Capell, Elyse Glickman, Erik Shellenberger

art

Art Director Nicole Cassano Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand

production

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com Digital Ad Operations Associate Kevin Fuhrmann

circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com

advertising sales Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com

Bar Business Magazine (Print ISSN 1944-7531, Digital ISSN 2161-5071) (USPS#000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, and December. January, March, May, July, September, and November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified U.S. Bar Owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified 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 & 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 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT Š Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2018. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Art Sutley, Phone (212) 620-7247, or asutley@ sbpub.com. For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail barbusiness@omeda.com or write to: Bar Business Magazine, SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled craftspeople with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers 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.

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Bar Business Magazine

March 2018 barbizmag.com

from the editor

From The Editor

There is no love sincerer than the love of food.

-George Bernard Shaw

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Bar Business Magazine

I

attended the New England Food Show (NEFS) at the end of February, which was a three-day tradeshow dedicated to food, drink, and the equipment and tools needed to make and serve it.

The show, held in the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, featured a number of education sessions; keynotes

by TripAdvisor’s Stephen Kaufer, Chef Robert Irvine, and Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer; as well as a show floor packed with hundreds of exhibitors. The NEFS is produced by the National Restaurant Association, which also puts on the larger NRA Show in Chicago each year. (Note: This year, the show will be held May 19-22 at McCormick Place.)

As I walked (and sampled) around the show, I was struck by just how many food options exist for bar owners.

It used to be that you didn’t expect more than the usual “pub fare” at your local bar—mozzarella sticks, some chicken tenders, and maybe some French fries. Now patrons expect dishes crafted with care and quality ingredients alongside their craft cocktails.

Fortunately, the industry has risen to meet the demand. Companies providing salads, fresh produce, quality pizza crusts, gluten-free bread options, and a wide range of cheeses—not to mention the manufacturers of cooking equipment and tools—were just some of the exhibitors on the show floor. Attendees could also sit in on sessions dedicated to explaining regional and national food trends as well as how to source local food.

Sustainable options could also be

found all over the show floor in products like eco-friendly flatware and tableware and sustainable building products.

This movement toward sustainability is not a trend or a fad with a limited shelf life. It’s a collective effort that’s having some real effects on our industry and the way it operates.

Take Malibu, California, for example.

The town recently banned plastic straws and cutlery over concerns for the environment and keeping its picturesque beaches clean. When the bill takes effect June 1, Malibu businesses will have to offer paper, wood, or bamboo single-use dining utensils.

At the state level, California is currently considering a proposed bill that would prohibit restaurants from using plastic straws unless specifically requested by a customer. For more on this topic and the proactive actions of one bar, check out “Ditching the Plastic Straw” in the On Tap section on page 8.

And the bans aren’t limited to California. On the East Coast, Florida beach communities in Marco Island and Fort Myers are also banning plastic straws.

Your kitchen is changing, right down to the straws, so make sure you’re equipped to handle the coming trends and new laws.

Ashley bray, Editor

March 2018 barbizmag.com

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From ON TAP The Editor

ON TAP Urban Axes proves that an activity can be the primary draw for customers even in a venue that serves alcohol.

H

A Unique Business Concept Hits a Bullseye

ere’s a concept you probably never thought you’d see together: alcohol and axe throwing. But it’s something that Urban Axes has brought together—to great success. In fact, in addition to its three current locations, the company plans to open ten to twelve more by the end of this year.

The idea for the concept came after Co-Founder Krista Poll attended a birthday party. “I was living in Toronto for work in 2014 and got invited to a friend’s birthday party. We went to a BYOB axe throwing place,” she says. “It was awesome, and I was like, ‘Why don’t we have these in America?’”

There were a few hurdles to overcome before Poll was able to hit a bullseye on her business concept, including finding an insurance provider who was willing to insure a company in the business of axe throwing and drinking.

One of the biggest challenges Urban Axes continues to face is getting people to understand its concept. “The biggest

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Bar Business Magazine

challenge is explaining axe throwing as a business to someone who has never seen it or heard of it,” says Poll. “Once people see it, they get it and think it’s awesome, but trying to overcome the unknown

Axe throwing is fun—having one or two drinks makes it even more fun.

aspect of it was challenging—at first.”

Urban Axes offers eight-week leagues, group bookings, and walk-in sessions at certain locations. At the moment, Urban Axes doesn’t have an in-house food menu, but they do offer catering packages for group events. The

Philadelphia and Austin locations are BYOB, but the Baltimore location has a built-in bar that serves beer and wine.

Urban Axes proves that an activity can be the primary draw for customers even in an establishment where alcohol is served. “One of the benefits of Urban Axes is that you get to do something fun and hands-on, while having a drink,” says Poll. “We’re an axe throwing place that happens to have a bar, instead of the reverse, and the reason we are popular is that axe throwing is really fun. Like most things, having one or two drinks while you do it makes it even more fun (and makes it feel even more crazy!).”

Urban Axes’ tagline is “bringing people together,” so you could say camaraderie is what draws people in as well. “It gets people out of their comfort zone and on an even playing field,” says Poll. “Our leagues generally start as 30 strangers, and by the end, these 30 strangers are friends. It’s amazing to watch and to be a part of.” urbanaxes.com

March 2018 barbizmag.com

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From ON TAP The Editor Ditching the Plastic Straw

A

ccording to the movement The Last Plastic Straw, the US uses 500 million straws a day, which is enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times.

It’s no wonder that California recently made strides to eliminate plastic straws through a proposed bill that would prohibit restaurants from providing plastic straws unless specifically requested by a consumer.

Depending on the outcome of this bill, restaurants in California will have to change their ways.

San Diego-based restaurant Cloak & Petal is ahead of the curve. It was the proposed state bill along with a sense of environmental responsibility that led the restaurant to ditch plastic straws for paper ones.

It doesn’t hurt that the colorful designs on the paper straws fit in nicely with the restaurant’s aesthetic. “Since

we wanted to create a unique fusion of Tiki and Japanese flavors, the designs seemed like a natural fit for the look we wanted to achieve,” says Cloak & Petal Managing Partner Cesar Vallin.

Cloak & Petal opened in December 2017 and offers a unique “Japanese social dining” experience meshed with eccentric artwork and Tiki cocktails.

Their concept is drawn from their name—“cloak” implies secrecy and the concept of a social sphere humming beneath the levels of ordinary life, and “petal” alludes to the Japanese tradition of “hanami,” when family and friends gather under blooming cherry blossoms to savor food, drinks, and fellowship.

Cloak & Petal even features two true-tosize cherry blossom trees by the bar.

In addition to its environmental efforts to remove plastic straws, the restaurant also believes in responsible sourcing practices.

“[We] are very conscientious about not purchasing foods or products that hurt or endanger our environment,” says Vallin. cloakandpetal.com

Tactics Every Digital Marketer Should Learn to Love in 2018

C

ommitting to specific digital tactics can be difficult as there are so many different approaches. Here are a few key tactics that every digital marketer who wants to improve the effectiveness of their efforts should learn to love this year.

1. Fast-Loading Mobile Content.

One SEO approach that’s sure to work with search engines this year: fast-

loading mobile content. In fact, Google has openly stated that it’s going to roll out changes to its algorithm in 2018 that incorporate mobile page speed as a ranking signal. Consumers are shifting to mobile, they demand pages that load quickly, and search engines are going to give them what they want. Marketers should follow suit or risk losing rank and traffic.

2. Online Review Management.

It’s become essential for every brand to 8

Bar Business Magazine

monitor and manage its online reviews because customers across all verticals increasingly look at reviews and trust them. Some 97% of consumers say they check the online reviews of local businesses and 67% of B2B buyers say they check vendor reviews.

3. Data and Privacy Protection.

In May, Europe’s far-reaching GDPR regulations go into effect. These rules create strict boundaries around what companies can do with people’s personal information and are backed by heavy fines for non-compliance. While the regulations won’t directly affect most US businesses, they’re a clear sign that many consumers are unhappy with how their data is being treated by firms.

Give your brand’s privacy policies and data protection approaches some love.

4. Voice-Driven Interactions. Nearly every smartphone has a voice-activated virtual assistant, and the number of voiceassisted devices, such as Amazon’s Echo, is expected to reach 69 million in the United States by 2019. This trend could affect digital marketing across a wide range of areas, from how pages are search optimized (more for natural language queries) to the way in which content is

presented (audio friendly).

5. Messaging Platform Engagement. Over the past few years, a number of messaging services, like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, have been steadily growing their user bases and some now eclipse established social platforms such as Twitter in size. These platforms have been adding features such as sponsorship opportunities and branded accounts that make them not only robust communication tools, but also powerful advertising and customer engagement channels.

6. Branded Video Pieces. A recent study of the content preferences of different generations found that consumers of every age find video to be the most memorable format, and more than half of consumers age 54 and younger want to see more videos from brands. That means that although branded video requires a larger investment, it can also have a larger payoff.

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March 2018 barbizmag.com

Let’s talk

Behind The Bar: BEER

Ashley Bray

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Bar Business Magazine

T

hese days, customers sidling up to your bar in search of a beer may be overwhelmed by the number of choices. As an owner, you may be even more overwhelmed when deciding which brews to bring into your establishment.

Much of this increase in choice and product is thanks to the proliferation of craft beer. “There has been a new ‘Gold Rush’ of thousands of breweries and bars opening up over the last several years, which indicates that there is a strong desire for new beers and new beer experiences,” says Anchor Brewing Company’s Brewmaster Scott Ungermann.

This also means the craft beer market

has not reached its saturation point.

“More than 6,000 independent breweries are innovating and developing beers all across the country, creating new jobs and supporting their local communities,” says Scott Hempstead, Director of National On-Premise Accounts, Boston Beer Company. “As of 2016, craft beer is only about 12.3% of the total US beer market, which leaves an enormous amount of room for us all to grow.”

But craft beer isn’t the only segment responsible for the bevy of choices and flavor innovations. HEINEKEN USA, the leading importer of upscale beers in the US, recently released the first entry in its new Wild Lager series—H41, a limited-

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ Joshua Resnick.

A look at beer’s brand-new trends and best practices.

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Behind The Bar: BEER

No more than 20-25% of taps should rotate.

Many brewers are experimenting with yeast strains.

Craft beer is only about 12.3% of the total US beer market, so there’s room for growth.

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Bar Business Magazine

edition lager created from a rare wild yeast discovered in Patagonia in 2010.

This yeast is the “mother yeast” of all the lager yeasts, including the Heineken® A-yeast. The company expects to explore additional Wild Lager Explorations in the future, with a new offering most likely coming in 2019.

“In recent years, there has been increased interest from many brewers in experimenting with new yeast strains all over the world,” says Raul Esquer Lopez, Heineken Brand Team at HEINEKEN USA. “What is different with the Wild Lager series by HEINEKEN is that the yeast used to brew these new lagers was discovered out in the wild versus being created in a laboratory.”

Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams has also been experimenting and recently released Sam ’76, a union of lager and ale. Brewers began with two active fermentations, a base lager and a base ale, each with their own respective yeast strains. The base beers were brewed then combined during a final maturation step when both yeasts depend on each other during a tagteam fermentation. The combination of multiple yeast strains and dry-hopping during a late stage of fermentation creates flavors not possible in a typical brewing process.

“Brewers are always looking for ways to push the envelope and using unique

ingredients has been a great way to do that. But experimenting with a crucial ingredient like yeast, that hasn’t really been tampered with before, appears to be the next frontier,” says Hempstead.

“Yeast really affects the flavor of the overall beer so changing that can have a big effect on the end result.”

At Anchor, hop experimentation has led to creations like the Brewers’ Pale Ale, an aromatically complex, double dry-hopped ale. The first version of this ale highlights the Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand, providing a fruity character. Anchor brewers will continue to experiment with different hop varieties to showcase evolved recipes and new hop blends in the Brewers’ Pale Ale line throughout the year.

With so many options, how do you choose what to offer at your establishment? Further complicating matters is the trend toward draft versus bottles or cans. “We see a trend in the way consumers prefer to enjoy their beer on-premise; there is a clear preference for draught beer,” says Cormac McCarthy, Project Lead – The Blade at HEINEKEN USA. And in the draft beer world, tap real estate is a commodity. “The on-premise segment is definitely a battleground for tap handles,” says Ungermann. “[But] as many venues continue to add handles, we see velocity drop per account.”

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Anchor Brewing Company.

In its Brewers’ Pale Ale line, Anchor Brewing Company will continue to experiment with different hop varieties throughout the year.

Behind The Bar: BEER

Hempstead agrees. “More taps does not necessarily equate to more sales,” he says.

“It may actually have the opposite effect as freshness becomes an issue, costs increase, and it’s more complex for your staff and can slow down service.”

Hempstead says a good rule of thumb is to be sure you’re going through at least a keg every two weeks of a certain beer.

Ungermann sees many on-premise accounts chasing the latest and greatest.

“There is a constant demand for ‘new,’ and we see the impacts of this constant rotation with the increasing frequency of ‘one-and-done’ special releases,” he says.

Hempstead warns against constantly rotating taps, “While craft beer-loving guests might seek out variety, if draft lines rotate too frequently, it can be confusing to drinkers and waitstaff alike. We recommend no more than 20-25% of taps should rotate. Rotating beers too often can slow down knowledgeable and service.”

HEINEKEN USA is hoping to help alleviate some of the demand on tap handles with its new countertop draught beer system, Blade. Blade fits on a countertop in a 12-inch square area, requires no cleaning, no installation, little to no maintenance, and weighs only 38 pounds. It uses HEINEKEN USA’s proprietary BrewLock® system that pushes air between multiple layers within an 8-liter disposable PET keg, squeezing the inner wall and driving the beer out.

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Bar Business Magazine

The beer remains untouched by outside influences and is served only with the natural carbonation already in the beer.

“Blade is a way for smaller volume accounts to boost their beer profits with a unique draught system that guarantees brewery-fresh draught for 30 days and, with nearly 100% yield, ensures less waste,” says McCarthy. “For larger accounts with multiple handles, Blade can be the incremental handle that can be added with less hassle that eliminates the inevitable decision on which handle to cut when adding other beers.”

Blade may also open up areas that may not be producing profits, such as patios and parts of the bar with limited space.

Once you’ve got your beer mix down, how do you ensure it actually sells? There are a few methods to guarantee success.

Cleanliness. On the draft side, it’s important to pay attention to the quality of the experience you’re providing.

“Ensure all kegs are in code and always stored cold, clean your lines every two weeks, use “beer-clean” glassware, and if possible, signature glassware that the brand has available,” says Hempstead.

Proper pour is also key. “Presentation in the glass is also critical—get your temperatures and pressures right, and teach your bartenders how to pour a proper glass of beer,” says Ungermann.

“Freshness matters too—make sure your stock is properly rotated and make sure

HEINEKEN’s Blade is a countertop draught beer system.

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Photos (top to bottom): Boston Beer Company; HEINEKEN USA.

Samuel Adams’ Sam ‘76 is a unique union of lager and ale.

you are presenting the best possible beer drinking experience.”

Training. “Train staff not just about beer itself, but how to properly store, serve, and pair it,” says Hempstead.

Menus. Beverages should be at the front of your menu since guests first consider their drink. Hempstead also recommends thinking outside the beer list. “Consider pairing craft beer and food.

Flavorful beers, like Sam Adams, pair better with most foods than wine,” he says.

Packaging. Just as a proper pour gets a reaction, so does the packaging of bottles, cans, and tap handles.

Much of Anchor’s eye-catching packaging is created by artists. For example, Anchor’s annual Christmas Ale portrays a new label hand-drawn by Bay Area artist James Stitt each year. In April, Anchor will release San Franpsycho IPA, with artwork from longtime collaborators San Franpsycho. “A good-looking tap handle will catch someone’s eye and invite them to try the beer,” says Ungermann.

“The same can be said for a cool can or an iconic bottle.”

Promotions. On-premise drinking is about the experience, and events can cultivate a good time and larger checks.

“Owners and operators can sell more beer by offering their customers differentiated products served up in occasion-based, experiential, and engaging promotions,” says McCarthy. “Give them a new and different value proposition.”

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Happenings April 2018

april 22 National Jelly Bean Day Chances are you have some leftover jelly beans from the Easter holiday.

Use them as inspiration for interesting cocktail flavors or even as garnishes!

25 APRIL 25 World Penguin Day

april 26 National Pretzel Day

Pay homage to this cold-weather bird with black-and-white cocktails or winter-themed sippers. Bonus points if it’s mixed up in a penguin-shaped shaker (yes, they exist).

Line the bar with bowls of this favorite salty snack and keep your guests thirsty.

april 14 National Pecan Day

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Bar Business Magazine

April 1 April Fool’s Day/Easter Sunday You get two-for-one holidays to start out the month. How about putting together a cocktail menu of some humorously named Easter drinks?

March 2018 barbizmag.com

All Photos: Shutterstock.com.

Turn to pecan whiskeys and liqueurs to create some “nutty” cocktails.

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Happenings

APRIL 7 National Beer Day It’s the perfect day to push draft and bottle specials. For more information on beer trends, turn to page 10.

Upcoming EVENTS

APRIL Baltimore Cocktail Week April 22-29, 2018 Baltimore, MD

APRIL 9 Name Yourself Day

baltimorecocktailweek.com

We propose a twist on giving yourself a new name.

Invite your patrons to name a cocktail instead.

April 22-23 Portland, OR

Northwest Food Show

https://www.nwfoodshow.com/

Wine and Spirits WholesaleRs of America April 30-May 3, 2018 Las Vegas, NV

12

April 12 Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day This is a crowdpleasing item to add to your bar menu.

Spice up this simple sandwich with different cheeses and additions like tomato and bacon.

wswaconvention.org

MAY National Restaurant Association/BAR Show May 19-22, 2018 Chicago, IL

show.restaurant.org

JUNE Rum RENAISSANCE FestIVAL June 9-10, 2018 Fort Lauderdale, FL

april 5 National Dandelion Day

rumrenaissance.com

We’re not suggesting you use dandelions as an ingredient, but today is a great excuse to experiment with floral garnishes and ingredients.

barbizmag.com

March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

17

How To

How To: ID SCANNING

ID scanning systems do more than verify IDs.

Scanners Go Beyond Security 18

Bar Business Magazine

By Ashley Bray March 2018 barbizmag.com

How To: ID SCANNING

Photos: (left) Shutterstock/ Focus and Blur; (right) IDScan.net.

I

dentifying fake IDs and stopping underage patrons at the door has always been a battle for bars. But thanks to new ID scanning systems, that fight has gotten easier.

“It’s important for retailers to understand that the fake IDs of today are so sophisticated and so good that it’s almost impossible for the untrained naked eye to catch a fake ID,” says Intellicheck CEO Bill White.

ID scanning systems also eliminate any lingering doubt that an ID is real or fake.

“Our system takes the onus off of bars and bouncers,” says White. “The software is telling you it’s fake, so it stops a lot of the arguments at the door or at the bar.”

Intellicheck (intellicheck.com) offers a variety of ID authentication solutions, but White says Age ID® is the best option for bars. This solution is also used by 27 law enforcement agencies across the country.

The Age ID application works with smartphones, tablets, and can integrate into a POS system. To keep fake ID manufacturers from using the system to perfect their craft, Intellicheck vets every user before giving them a download code.

Once downloaded, the app is easy to use. White says if you can take a picture with your smartphone, you can use the app. There is a monthly fee for the app, which varies depending on the number of devices it is installed on.

The cloud-based service does more than read barcodes to verify that an ID is real—it authenticates it. The system is constantly growing and changing as Intellicheck adds and updates ID types when necessary. “There are about 250 known, valid ID formats,” says White.

“We have all of those known formats in our proprietary database, and we got those directly from the manufacturer.

“When a state comes out with a new ID, we will get an advance copy of that ID, and we will go through that ID in our lab and improve the security features. So we’re involved in it right from the start.”

In addition to authenticating the ID, the app will provide a sample ID from the state being scanned so that the person checking can see a sample.

The system is constantly updating its database of fake ID features, as well.

“Because our customers are scanning millions of IDs a month, we run into a barbizmag.com

ID scanning systems authenticate IDs but also provide valuable demographic data.

lot of fake IDs,” says White. “As we run into those IDs and identify those IDs, we program those rules into our proprietary database. So we have thousands of rules that we’ve used to catch fake IDs.” Another system on the market is IDscan.net, which recently developed an affordable, off-the-shelf “Bar Bundle” designed specifically to meet the needs of bars. The Bar Bundle is a cloud-based mobile solution with a robust parsing engine that captures and verifies the data on any government-issued ID within seconds and with 100% accuracy. The system combines IDScan.net’s VeriScan Online software with a handheld device.

IDScan.net was first to market with mobile technology, and their features include text and email notification upon group member arrival, self-expiring name tags/VIP bracelets, customizable agreements or waivers, and payment processing separately or through a POS system, which can prevent chargebacks.

“Our ID scans are time stamped, and we can add custom agreements that patrons can sign for larger purchases, such as bottle service,” says Petrov. “It is a lot harder for a credit card company to charge you, the bar, when you have on file a time-stamped ID scan and a customer agreement with a signature.”

IDScan.net also offers PC and tablet solutions as well as a PC add-on facial recognition solution. “Our facial recognition technology allows you to capture an image of both a guest’s face and their photo on an ID. State-of-the-art biometric software then compares the two images to determine how much of a match they are. Businesses can use this

to ensure customers are who they say they are,” says Petrov. “Once a face or ID has been entered, that person will no longer need to stop to have their ID or face scanned. Our software will automatically recognize that person’s face and pull up their ID, along with any comments such as banned or VIP.” To get the Bar Bundle, bars register for a software account, and IDScan.net sends them a handheld scanning device.

Staff can immediately start using the user-friendly system. IDScan.net can also work with a bar to arrange payment plans or create customizable solutions to fit any bar’s needs and budgets.

Solutions like IDScan.net and Intellicheck also offer additional benefits beyond the identification of fake IDs. For one, the systems can help in meeting state compliance requirements.

“If you’re accused of selling to a minor, you have a history of that scan so you can prove that you did in fact scan that ID,” explains White.

ID scanning also automates the age and ID verification process, which means shorter lines, faster processing, and patrons spending money sooner.

Scanned patrons can also be put into groups like VIP or blacklist/banned.

“When those patrons arrive to your bar, you know who they are and how to handle them,” says Petrov, who says the Bar Bundle also allows users to keep track of additional details about guests like what a particular VIP likes to drink and where they like to sit.

In fact, the systems collect a variety of information that bars can use to better market and serve your customers. “By scanning a patron’s ID, you’re collecting demographic data such as gender, age, and zip code,” says Petrov.

Bars can use this information to track customer behaviors like what groups spend the most and when they’re visiting. The information is cloud-based, so staff can access it anywhere, even across franchises.

Bars can even market to specific patrons. “If you know on Thursday nights you typically get women in their 30s from a particular part of town, then you can target your advertising and social media accordingly,” says Petrov. “This can help greatly reduce costs while increasing the effectiveness of marketing.”

March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

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How To

How To: Marketing

The Marketing Mix-Up Marketing is for strangers, not regulars

T

By Erik Shellenberger

Pro Tip Social media only accounts for about 4% of what drives new customers into a particular restaurant or bar.

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Bar Business Magazine

We have all traditionally relied on word of mouth spreading the news of a new restaurant opening as our only tactic. Word of mouth is extremely powerful to drive business, no question.

As a marketing guy, I don’t have the power to influence word of mouth, but I do have other options at my disposal that are very rarely used.

New customers find new bars or restaurants overwhelmingly from two sources—searching online reviews and search engines, which are second only to the power of word of mouth.

In my research, social media only accounts for about 4% of what drives new customers into a particular restaurant or bar. (If they haven’t yet heard of you, how would they ever see your social media posts?)

Yet social media is considered the most important tool at our disposal for driving business despite it’s main purpose being brand awareness and brand exposure for a business that the

users have already heard of.

I know you may be silently yelling, “Yes, but what about paid, targeted Facebook/Instagram ads?” Paid ads are different and do reach this audience if done correctly, which is a topic for another time.

Respond Without Emotion and Set the Record Straight.

By responding to online reviews on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Google, we are able to tap into a new customer base that may or may not be familiar with your restaurant and are looking for a “right-here-right-now” purchase decision to be made.

Without responding to these reviews—both good and bad—there’s no voice on the restaurants’ end, which is a big missed opportunity. Don’t allow a one-way conversation to happen about your establishment.

Responding to reviews can help you with very simple misconceptions. Take,

March 2018 barbizmag.com

All Photos: Shutterstock/ SvetaZi.

hese days, when people think of bar and restaurant marketing techniques, the first things that come to mind are social media, email blasts, database collection, and every other method that relates to marketing to a customer who’s already heard of you.

Very little effort, if any, is put into reaching out to new potential customers that have never heard of you before, which is pretty insane to me.

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How To: Marketing New customers find new bars or restaurants from online reviews and search engines.

for example, the person who posts, “stay away from this place, drinks are 14 bucks!” Without a response explaining that drinks actually start at $6 and go up to $14, the public may think you’re incredibly overpriced for your area.

Whatever you do, do not bring emotion into your response. We are all very passionate about our business and take bad reviews as personal attacks, but this will almost always result in more harm than good.

Keep in mind that when we respond to reviews, we are not just talking to the reviewer, we’re talking to the public. Public perception is of the utmost importance at this stage when people are making a decision on where to dine.

Another advantage of leveraging online reviews is flagging negative reviews that violate terms and conditions, are personally offensive, or are otherwise flag-able. If some of these can be flagged and removed, it’s well worth the effort since every negative review will cost your business 30 customers.

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Bar Business Magazine

However, Yelp does not allow reviews to be flagged for being straight-up lies.

You read that right. Their official stance is that they do not get in the middle.

Unfortunately, people have the power to post whatever they’d like these days— true or not—and Yelp is going to let them do it.

Respond to both good and bad online reviews.

Do not ignore online review sites— leverage them to your advantage.

Love it or hate it, Yelp is not going anywhere. You have an account whether you like it or not, so you might as well take advantage of it and attract customers instead of turning them off.

Don’t Ignore Google.

Your Customers Sure Aren’t.

The other source people use to find a new place to grab dinner or a drink is Google. Search engines are second only to online reviews in marketing aspects that we can manipulate.

Most restaurants and bars know that they may not rank well on search engines, but they have no idea how to fix this and assume it’s too expensive to look into.

Restaurant owners shouldn’t have to understand how search engine optimization works, but they do need to understand its importance. Search engine result rankings and consistent and accurate online information are make-or-break concepts in today’s online world. There are countless services that can do your SEO and/or monitor review sites for you from a couple bucks a month to thousands.

This is one of the services I offer at Bar Marketing Basics, as well.

The Days of Free Post Reach on Facebook Have Come to an End. On the subject of social media, with

March 2018 barbizmag.com

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“Together, we’ve built a cocktail station that’s perfect for everything from craft cocktail bars to high-volume nightclubs and 5-star/5-diamond hotel environments. It’s the tricked-out station every serious bartender has dreamt about and every savvy operator has hoped for.”

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How To: Marketing

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which crawl these pages to gather Facebook’s new algorithm change, our analytical information. business pages are more worthless than What can we do to combat this? For ever before. Our post reach is going to every technological problem there is a be zero quite soon. technological answer. There is a brand Sure, you can still post on Facebook, new company called System Social but the only “people” seeing your posts (systemsocial.com) that will allow you to are usually your staff (because they’re send all of your business’s posts on the people trained to hit the “like” Facebook directly to your employees’ button on PBC-bar-business-ad-s2.pdf every post) and “bots,” 1 2/13/2018 5:30:17 PM

phones via push notifications. They can hit the post button, and it will automatically post to their personal profile, which is not being censored by Facebook like our bar and restaurant “pages” are. The best part? Analytics will tell you which staff member is using the system and how often.

Rewards and penalties are now easier than ever to monitor!

System Social is going to be a gamechanger as far as Facebook social media reach and getting your message out there to new audiences and people who may not have heard of your location yet. Your staff has their own demographic and database of followers that will now see your message, and it will look like it’s been organically posted by your staff member and not a mindless advertisement.

Entertainment > Advertisements.

In my opinion, this is where social media is headed—more posts by actual people and less by businesses.

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March 2018 barbizmag.com

How To: Marketing The value of creativity is at an all-time high right now. The days of mindless flyers or pointless advertisements are behind us. This is the real reason why the social media post reach for businesses is censored so much. People don’t want advertisements; they want to be entertained. Business posts, including those for bars and restaurants, have

gotten so bad that it started to generally affect Facebook’s user experience. I welcome this new change because it is forcing people to pay-toplay and use their creativity instead of going through the motions.

When Every Post Will Cost You Money, the Mindless Posts Will Stop.

And creativity will start. If Instagram is

Hangs bags under the bar.

Charges cell phones.

Makes customers happy.

abused in the same way, then their free business post reach will also cease to exist, and they will turn to an exclusive pay-to-play model as well.

I’ve said it a hundred times before: “Creativity is free.” Business managers, and especially marketing people, need to get it out of their heads that a large social media reach is going to be expensive. A social media campaign is only expensive if creativity is not applied, and if we don’t learn from our mistakes.

When we keep going through the same motions without measuring failures and successes and modifying our approach from there, overall failure is a guarantee.

One viral video has a better ROI than six months of posting happy hour flyers and cell phone pictures will ever have.

Creativity leads to successful social media campaigns.

I’ve seen viral videos that cost absolutely zero to produce, get hundreds of thousands of impressions across every social media platform you can imagine, and all it took was a little bit of creativity.

It’s an under the bar hanger with a USB port for cell phone charging. Customers will love it.

O R D E R N OW 7 8 1 - 8 2 6 - 2 4 0 0 o r C H A R G I Q U E . CO M 26

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Erik Shellenberger has been in the restaurant and bar industry since he was 13 years old and worked for his mother in the food and beverage department at a ski resort. Since then, he has held every position from dishwasher to bartender to marketing director and everything in between. With a decade of corporate marketing experience, he has gone from student to teacher and now runs Bar Marketing Basics (barmarketingbasics. com). He has quickly grown his client base from his hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona to across the nation with clients as far away as Caldwell, New Jersey.

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Tuning Up

How To: LED displays

HOW TO

LED Display Leads the Way

A

restaurant’s brand is no longer only about food.

According to a recent Deloitte study titled “Through Guests’ Eyes,” the restaurant companies that are able to pull ahead of the pack are the ones that have committed to innovation in customer experience— 28

Bar Business Magazine

changes that go beyond just good service and focus on establishing connections with guests.

The creators of FR8yard had all of this in mind when they looked at a 1/3acre parcel of land located between two buildings in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, which had sat vacant for decades.

Spartanburg-based Johnson Development Associates and Hub City Hospitality Group saw the land’s potential. They knew that to attract patrons they needed a unique concept that would result in an exciting customer experience.

Similar to establishments like Dallas’ Truck Yard and the backyard of

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Hilton Displays.

An exterior LED display enhances a very unique restaurant venue.

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How To: LED displays

is a nod to the city’s railroad history

the name

display can withstand the elements

the exterior

the restaurant

Chicago’s Parson’s Chicken and Fish, they envisioned an entirely outdoor restaurant, a first in the Carolinas.

The budding concept—part beer garden, part family tailgate—garners a near cult-like following at the previously mentioned establishments.

Retaining McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the team created FR8yard, a vibrant beer garden with ample outdoor seating, delicious cuisine, and live music that opened this past December.

The name FR8yard gives a nod to

Spartanburg’s history as a major railroad hub.

FR8yard’s menu consists of a variety of house-made sausages, street meats, pretzels, loaded fries, salads, hummus, and more, along with a selection of craft and canned beer, wine, and house-made tapped cocktails.

The new, cash-free hybrid outdoor eatery and entertainment venue is made up of re-purposed shipping containers that have been connected and turned into a full commercial kitchen and bar as well as restroom areas.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the first container constructions for hospitality in South Carolina, and certainly in Spartanburg,” said Eric Holman, a partner of Hub City Hospitality. “It’s really a family-friendly, dog-friendly social hub.”

FR8yard has a variety of seating areas, including tables with benches, wooden drinking rails, and “rooftop” seating above the shipping containers.

Patrons can order drinks and food from within the old shipping containers while playing cornhole, bocce ball, or

is family and dog friendly

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2/7/18 4:25 PM March 2018 barbizmag.com

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- Miles Gould owner of The Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant, Winnipeg Canada

How To: LED displays table tennis; hanging out by the fire pit; or watching sports on a massive LED digital screen.

Initially the plan was to have a giant projection screen to show sporting events and movies. However, Hub City Hospitality Group Partner Richard Heatley said they instead decided on a large LED digital screen after commercial display systems integrator

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Bar Business Magazine

Hilton Displays of Greenville, South Carolina counseled them that this technology would better meet all of the venue’s needs.

“We wanted something that would enable us to show big-time events outside during the day, as well as in the evening,” explains Heatley. “Whether it’s sports or other types of live entertainment, we’ll now be able to

show it.”

Hilton Displays turned to its longtime display partner California-based Optec Displays, Inc., to find just the right solution.

“The company is innovative in solving unique installation challenges,” said Hilton Displays Director of Sales Scott Andrews.

The 16-by-10-foot, 6.667mm pitch INFINITY-SMD™ LED display can be seen from a 160-degree horizontal viewing angle, which is important for this outdoor venue.

And because much of the programming featured on it will be sporting events, the INFINITY-SMD’s 60fps and fast refresh rate provide smooth video playback, as if the viewers were watching on a sports stadium’s Jumbotron.

The exterior display has weatherproof features, including waterproof modules that are certified IP65/IP54, making it resistant to harsh external elements like rain, strong winds, dust, and direct sun.

Optec Displays’ software is used to set up the video scaler that then pushes content to the LED display.

The software also offers on-demand brightness timing, which allows the LED display to adjust its brightness based on the exterior light—allowing for viewing both day and night.

What will make FR8yard successful will be the energy generated in an open-air venue with high-quality food, beverages, and unique recreation components like the large-scale LED digital display.

By installing this anti-glare, antireflective dynamic display, a unique venue becomes an even more vibrant and high-tech atmosphere that is quickly turning into a popular community gathering place.

FR8yard patrons may watch everything from college football and basketball games, premier sporting events (such as the Kentucky Derby), or even unique entertainment programming (like the Academy Awards).

This large outdoor LED display provides the perfect viewing opportunity for accommodating the venue’s 350-guest capacity.

March 2018 barbizmag.com

HOney

Sweeten

The Pot 34

Bar Business Magazine

By Elyse Glickman

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Honey

Rethink the use of honey in cocktails.

Photos: (left) Shutterstock/ Gorgev; (right) Beercade.

T

he “Bees’ Knees” cocktail has been around for about a century but feels as fresh as ever. The ginand-honey cocktail, in classic and updated forms, is flying around cocktail menus in every genre of bar and restaurant.

“The Bees’ Knees appeals because of its simplicity, and it will often be common clover honey in that recipe,” explains Ross Kupitz, beverage program director for restaurant developer D’Amico & Partners, whose latest work is the menu for The Continental in Naples, Florida.

Today, many bars are even making their own honey syrups, showing both customers and creative bartenders are sweet on this time-honored ingredient. “You can add lemon and thyme into honey when making a syrup,” says Kupitz.

“The added components add an extra layer of complexity and herbaceous notes to a recipe.”

Kupitz adds that while honey provides more options in adding complexity to a cocktail’s flavor profile, other benefits include its being a cost-effective way to make a recipe pop without compromising the bottom line. And in an era when demand for “whole,” “artisanal,” and “natural” ingredients are gathering momentum on the trade and consumer level, honey is poised to have a moment.

“Honey has stood the test of time, but bartenders are increasingly using it for cocktails because they are assured that it is natural,” says Kupitz. “With so much focus on fresh juices or local produce produced with biodynamic farming, this reflects customers want the purest representation of flavor they can get.”

Sticking Points: Which Honey to Choose Honey, like spirits, has a huge range of expressions—from supermarket barbizmag.com

to small, artisanal batch. This means that as much care may go into selecting the honey for a given cocktail recipe as the spirit.

Michael Flannery, Bar Manager at Bar Belly in New York City, favors artisanal honey. “I see it in a similar fashion to a chef looking for the best ingredients,” he says. “Simply put, with better ingredients, you’ll have a better cocktail. Also if you’ve ever enjoyed a honey tasting from different varieties, you can see some incredible flavor changes from clover to blueberry to orange blossom.”

Deciding on which varietal of honey to use all depends on what flavor profile you want to add to a cocktail. “Flavors of honey rely upon what nectar the bee chose to feast on. Clover honey is lightly sweet and mildly floral, [making it] extremely versatile for cocktail use,” says Kelly Coakley of Beercade in Nashville. “Orange blossom honey is made from nectar of citrus blossoms, so its mild flavor and hints of citrus will work well in gin and vodka cocktails.

“If you are looking to add delicate berry flavor without using berries, use blueberry honey that’s made from the nectar of blueberry bushes.

When using rum, bourbon, rye, or even a peaty scotch, using a more complex honey such as Buckwheat honey pairs well, where the rich, dark flavors won’t overpower the other ingredients.”

Allison Kave, Bar Manager at Brooklyn’s Butter & Scotch, points out that different honeys, like wines, have very distinct and discernible terroir. “It tastes of where it was made, and as such, tends to taste good with other local ingredients,” she says. “I’ve tasted piney, alpine honeys that pair beautifully with the juniper notes of dry gin, whereas softer floral honeys like orange blossom complement the sweet warmth of bourbon.”

Artisanal honeys can also add

Berry Smash 1½ oz Knob Creek Bourbon ½ oz lemon ¼ oz honey syrup Three blackberries

Combined all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake hard. Double strain into double old fashion.

Chelsea Melvin, Rooftop at Exchange Place

Velvet Stinger

1½ oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey ½ oz John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum Liqueur ½ oz fresh lemon juice (fresh squeezed and strained to remove pulp) ½ oz Florida honey syrup (equal parts local honey and filtered water) Shake hard to create a slight froth. Single strain into a chilled coupe glass, garnish with a long lemon twist.

Chad Bromley, The Continental

US Mint

1½ oz Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye Whiskey ¾ oz lemon juice 1¼ oz honey mint syrup 2 dashes mint bitters Shake liquids thoroughly. Strain into a glass over ice and top with bitters.

Kelly Coakley, Beercade

US Mint

March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

35

HOney

Barnaby’s Lil Battler 2 oz Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin ½ oz Cherry Heering ¾ oz blood orange juice ½ oz lemon juice ¾ oz honey syrup Build all together in a small shaker tin. Fill with ice and vigorously shake. Strain into highball with fresh ice and top with a lemon wheel with a tarragon sprig.

Michael Flannery, Bar Manager, Bar Belly

interesting nuances to a recipe, according to Soy Chiever, Corporate Director of Operations at STK Chicago.

“Instead of manually infusing a syrup, you can experience nature’s first bartender to infuse—bees,” she says.

Danny Ojinaga, Bar Manager of Mario & Johns in Petaluma, California, also favors artisanal honey. His customers love the stories that go with local products, and there are many benefits to building relationships with

local providers. “Using a local honey gives us an opportunity to get a certain flavor profile, whether it is flavored or just from being able to taste and get a feel for the terroir the honey comes from,” he says. “There’s also the fact that honey is sweeter than regular sugar, [which results in] using less product but getting a richer flavor and a better mouth feel from the viscosity of honey.”

Chelsea Melvin, Corporate Director of Beverage Operations at Rooftop at

Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey, in contrast, thinks a reputable supermarket honey is a good choice if consistency and volume are the priority.

“Honey will taste different from year to year due to environmental changes, and this is why it is important to be mindful that large producers will blend honey to achieve a consistent product,” she says. “This is great for making a constant cocktail, especially in large volume situations. However, other drink

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Honey recipes are better suited for local honey and show off the nuances of the honey and the place it comes from.

This can also translate into a wonderful interaction with the guest.”

Honey How-Tos Sometimes combining honey with another sweetener helps add extra smoothness. “With agave, you get a more herbaceous flavor profile than you do with honey,” says Angel Meza, Head Bartender at Crossings in South Pasadena. “Agave also allows for slightly more aggressive flavor notes, while the honey imparts sweetness and smoothness. This means people who do not necessarily like mezcal or whiskey will still enjoy the overall flavor of the drink while some of the characteristics of the spirits will still shine through.”

Kaye, meanwhile, finds herself swapping out agave with honey, especially with Butter & Scotch’s Smash the Patriarchy recipe, which is made

with fresh lemon, sage, añejo tequila, and clover honey syrup.

Flannery and Melvin both recommend adding honeycomb directly as an edible garnish that adds flavor and texture and using honey as an adhesive for spices when rimming a glass. Kupitz recommends using bee pollen as a garnish.

Melvin and Coakley also offer their suggestions on making a versatile honey syrup. “Warm up 12 ounces of wildflower honey first so it is less viscous, and then mix thoroughly and date,” she says. “This will be good up to four weeks. I prefer wildflower honey in most of my recipes, but as I grew up in Michigan where we have a ton of blueberry honey, I love to use it in a berry smash.”

“For a richer syrup, up the recipe to 2:1 or 3:1 ratios,” recommends Coakley.

“You can also make an infused honey, just as you would a simple syrup, by adding an herb or spice of choice to the pan and then straining it out when the

syrup has cooled. Mint, sage, ginger, lemongrass, or any pepper in moderation can make a great infusion.

If you like a more savory or spicy margarita, you can substitute simple honey syrup for a spicy honey or a sage honey. I use an elderberry-infused honey in a Collins for a nice burst of flavor or a vanilla-infused honey in an Old Fashioned.”

Olingas uses honey when making shrubs and foams to intensify cocktail flavors and presentation. From time to time, he may also infuse other flavors into the honey and add honey to coconut milk or cream for more viscosity and a brighter flavor.

To smooth out neat shots, Kaye will dissolve honey into the spirits. “There’s no reason to buy industrially-produced sweetened spirits when you can flavor and sweeten your own,” she says.

“Once you find a recipe for an infusion or syrup involving a good honey, this is when the creativity starts,” says Kupitz.

PBC-bar-business-ad-s3.pdf 1 2/13/2018 5:30:49 PM

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Insurance

5

Types of Insurance

Every Bar Should Have

B

ars face a lot of risk.

Those risks might come in the form of a customer getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink, getting enough customers in the door to make payroll each month, or even a person slipping and falling in 38

Bar Business Magazine

the bathroom after an employee mops the floors.

No matter the specific hazards that may threaten your business, it is important to have an open conversation with your insurance agent to properly protect your business from the risks you face on a daily basis. Here are five

insurance policies that every bar owner should strongly consider.

1. General Liability Insurance General Liability is required by law in most states for most businesses. For this reason, it is commonly the first coverage a business owner purchases.

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Insurance policy that is also required by law for most businesses in most states. Because of this requirement, it is typically the second policy a business purchases. A Workers’ Comp Insurance Policy covers your bar for injuries to your employees that may occur as part of normal business operations.

With this coverage, employers can feel confident they will not be sued for most injuries that occur to their employees. This is unless the employer meant to cause harm or was willfully negligent. Employees benefit from this coverage by having some lost wages replaced and medical costs covered for injuries that occur while on the job.

Because of the mutual benefits workers’ compensation coverage provides, it is frequently referred to as the “exclusive remedy.”

Make sure your bar has coverage you can count on.

Shutterstock/ Viktor Gladkov

BY Walt Capell

This insurance policy will protect your business from bearing the full cost of damage to property and bodily injuries that occur on your property as a part of normal business operations. Things like people slipping and falling on their way to the bathroom are covered under this policy. barbizmag.com

Depending upon the specific policy you have, it may also cover something like a waiter dropping a hot plate in the lap of a customer dining at your establishment.

2. Workers Comp Workers’ Compensation is the second

3. Liquor Liability Insurance Liquor Liability is essential to protecting any bar or restaurant. This coverage will protect your business from bodily injury or property damage caused by an intoxicated person who was served liquor by the policyholder.

Depending upon the laws within the state in which you operate, your business could be liable in a lawsuit if an intoxicated person causes bodily injury to a third party after consuming alcohol at your establishment.

It is important to be honest with your insurance agent about the type of food and alcohol you serve and the amount of each.

Failure to disclose what your business actually serves can cause a claim to not be covered, or it can cause your carrier to drop you from coverage mid-term.

When this happens, you and your insurance agent may be scrambling to find a new carrier in a pinch. If you do not get coverage in place quickly, it can cause you to have a lapse in coverage, which will make it much more difficult to find a carrier willing to insure your business and will result in a higher premium if you can find coverage.

4. Commercial Property Commercial Property Insurance is another coverage that every bar needs in some form or fashion. This is true March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

39

Insurance whether you own or rent the property where your business operates.

Unfortunately, this is one type of coverage that far too many business owners misunderstand.

Many business owners incorrectly think about Commercial Property Coverage like they think about their homeowner’s policy.

A homeowner’s policy is typically a common policy that most business owners have purchased before becoming a business owner.

Unfortunately, Commercial Property Insurance Policies are sold on either a replacement cost valuation or on an agreed upon value.

In most cases, replacement cost is better because it covers the total cost to tear down the property, remove all necessary debris, and cover construction costs to replace the building.

If you buy this policy on an agreed upon value, the premium is typically cheaper. Even though it is cheaper, it does come at a price. That price is that

the policy will more than likely not cover all costs to replace the building should something catastrophic happen to the property.

No matter which type of policy you go with, one of the first steps a business owner should take is to get an accurate valuation of the property.

For more information on property valuation, visit http://bit.ly/2o1xDVa. 5. Business Income and Extra Expense Coverage Business Loss of Income Coverage is the final type of insurance property owners should strongly consider.

This type of coverage will compensate your business for lost income during the period of time you have to be closed as the result of a covered loss. The key to this policy being triggered is that the underlying reason your business is closed has to be a covered loss.

If you fail to purchase coverage for the main cause of the business being

closed, then this policy will not kick in.

A primary example of this would be flood insurance. If the facility that you operate your bar in is damaged by a tornado and causes you to be closed for an extended period of time, but you do not have proper insurance in place to protect against the loss, this policy will not kick in.

If you live in an area where natural disasters are likely, it is important to discuss these types of situations with your insurance agent to ensure you are covered in the event of a loss.

Walt Capell is President/Owner of The Insurance Shop LLC (insuranceshopllc. com). Capell founded The Insurance Shop in 2005. It has been a rapidly growing national insurance agency with a strong reputation for forward-thinking, out-ofthe-box products and solutions for business owners. Capell would like to use his experiences in the insurance industry and as a small business owner to inspire the next generation of leaders.

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Bar Business Magazine

2/21/18 3:32 PM

March 2018 barbizmag.com

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT BAR BUSINESS:

Deemed as “Bar Industry’s Bible.”

David Rosengarten – Television Personality and Journalist for Forbes, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Harper’s Bazaar, Departures, The Wine Spectator and Newsday

“Bar Business Magazine is full of valuable how-to information for the bar owner or operator.

It should be one of your essential tools in your bar.”

Jon Taffer – Renowned Hospitality Consultant and Host & Executive Producer of Bar Rescue

“Bar Business Magazine is my immediate recommendation to our Ark Restaurants bar managers and staff as the trusted premier educational resource for smart industry trends and practices.”

Jeff Isaacson – VP Beverage Operations, Ark Restaurants

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Inventory

Cash Management Made Easy

A Whiskey Worthy of a Bar’s Anniversary

DAVO Technologies, the developers of DAVO Sales Tax, is releasing two new applications to help businesses with all of their cash management needs. The DAVO Sales Tax app automatically sets aside the exact amount of sales tax a merchant collects daily and then files and pays it to the state when due. DAVO’s two new apps, DAVO Sweep & Save and DAVO Savings Club, use the same innovative proprietary fractional daily funding technology. Fractional daily funding uses sales data directly from a merchant’s point-of-sale platform or accounting software to set aside a fixed dollar amount or percentage of daily sales. DAVO Sweep & Save sets aside this dollar amount or percentage and then returns the funds back to the merchant monthly. This automatic daily cash management of recurring expenses may be used for any monthly needs such as rent or equipment leases.

DAVO Savings Club also sets aside the amount or percentage but returns funds back to the merchant annually. All three DAVO Apps are available on Square, Clover, Poynt, Revel, and QuickBooks Online and range in price from $9.99/month to $39.99/month.

World-renowned Irish Whiskey Master Distiller Darryl McNally of The Dublin Liberties Distillery has teamed up with The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog Co-Founders Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry to create The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey.

The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey is a unique blend of Irish single malt and grain whiskeys.

The whiskey is first aged in seasoned bourbon casks for five years. Next, it is finished in halfsized small, specially crafted, virgin American oak barrels. On the nose, The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey is light and aromatic with toasted oak notes and a hint of caramel. Upon tasting, there’s a deep rich mellow feel, finishing with a long soft hint of vanilla, with a bit of Dead Rabbit attitude.

It is best enjoyed on the rocks, as the base for mixed drinks, or even in an Irish Coffee. The five-yearold, 44% ABV, premium blended Irish whiskey will mark The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog’s five-year anniversary.

DAVO Sweep & Save and DAVO Savings Club

The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey

davotechnologies.com

deadrabbitwhiskey.com

A New Stout Rolls Out

Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout 2018 Rogue Ales & Spirits’ Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout 2018 has hit the shelves. From the only farm-brewery-distillery-cooperage, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is brewed with ingredients grown at Rogue Farms, and then ocean aged for nine months in barrels made by hand at Rogue’s Rolling Thunder Barrel Works. The barrels, which previously held Dead Guy Whiskey, add notes of whiskey and vanilla to Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout. Rogue brewers annually change some of the ingredients in Rolling Thunder, and this year’s version pours black with a creamy head and features deep sherry notes accentuated by hints of raspberries, brown sugar, and vanilla held up against a dark roasted malt backbone with earthy hops. The beer is available in hand-numbered 500 ml bottles. rogue.com

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Bar Business Magazine

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Inventory

Brew Your Own Custom Craft Beers In-House PicoBrew Z Series

PicoBrew, maker of the world’s first line of automated craft beer brewing appliances, launched the PicoBrew Z Series, their first professional-grade, all-grain brewing appliance line. The Z Series is targeted at restaurants, bars, brewpubs, and craft breweries interested in producing small batches of custom craft beers and kombucha. The new Z Series builds on the pioneering technology created in 2013 for the award-winning PicoBrew Zymatic and extends it with a blend of unique, data-center-industry-inspired functionality to produce a family of modular, scalable brewing appliances. The upgraded fluid distribution and heating components work together with the new modular, rackable and stackable chassis components to create truly scalable brewing solutions. The Z Series gives brewers the capability to produce between 1 to 10 gallons of beer at a time, with each model increasing the output by 2.5 gallons. It even has the ability to brew cold brew coffee! The appliances begin shipping in July.

A New Bitter-Cherry Liqueur Cerasum Aperitivo

Washington D.C.-based distillery Don Ciccio & Figli launches Cerasum Aperitivo, a bitter-cherry liqueur. The naturally tart spirit is available this spring and is based on a traditional Italian recipe from 1906. Today, this recipe is being resurrected stateside by fourth-generation family Owner Francesco Amodeo. Cerasum is a bitter aperitivo based on an infusion of three types of cherries from Michigan, sakura blossoms from Virginia, and 10 selected roots and herbs including juniper, chamomile, and hibiscus. It rests at 23% ABV, and the medium-to-high bitterness level was designed with cocktail aficionados and fans of bitter aperitivi in mind. donciccioefigli.com

Featured

PRODUCT

picobrew.com/z

New Gin Inspired by Nature MALFY® Gin

MALFY® Gin, the largest premium gin distilled in Italy, is pleased to announce the launch of MALFY Gin Originale, joining the brand’s initial offering, MALFY Gin Con Limone. MALFY Originale is distilled to a recipe that pays homage to the originators of gin, Italian Monks, who first distilled juniper spirits at their monasteries along the Amalfi Coast as far back as 1050. However, for MALFY Gin Originale, the creators took inspiration from the famous terroir of their own Piedmont Region and decided that quality ingredients would be perfect for MALFY Gin Originale—a crisp, juniper-forward gin. MALFY Gin Originale will be distributed nationally at an average SRP of $29.99 per 750 ml. malfygin.com

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March 2018

Bar Business Magazine

43

Q&A

with Dr. Nicola Nice

1

Why did you choose to move from consulting into distilling?

I saw this big gap in opportunity in the way women as consumers are treated by the industry. It’s obviously a very male-dominated industry— both internally but also from a branding and marketing point-ofview. Women’s liquor brands don’t have to be pink, sparkly, and syrupy; they don’t have to be diet oriented.

They can be sophisticated, elegant spirits that are rooted in a distilling tradition that just happens to be formulated more for a female palate and female ways of drinking.

2

Founder and CEO of Pomp & Whimsy (Los Angeles, California)

T

rained sociologist and brand strategist turned distiller Dr. Nicola Nice has made a career advising Fortune 500 companies on international branding and consumer insights. Over the past 15 years, as she worked in the UK House of Lords and London- and New York-based research firms, Nice watched as major producers ignored or misrepresented their female audiences. On a mission to bring the female consumer perspective to the forefront, in 2015, Nice turned insight into action. “As a consultant, you see your ideas being taken and twisted and sometimes getting lost in the politics of large, global organizations and never coming to fruition,” says Nice. “I wanted to put my intellectual capital into a brand and into a product and actually see it through to fruition.”

That product became Pomp & Whimsy, a uniquely distinct botanical gin liqueur.

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Bar Business Magazine

Why specifically gin liqueur?

I’m British, and I’m very well aware of the explosion in gin that has been happening across the pond over the last five to ten years. I knew it was only a matter of time until it hit here as well.

There’s been, since the early 2000s, a cocktail renaissance happening in America that is now very much in the mainstream. And if you go back to the original recipes, you’ll see that more classic cocktails are made with gin than any other spirit. We knew that gin was, as a category, something that was going to come back. If you look back over the history of gin, and you look back toward the Victorian era and before that during the years of the gin craze, a lot of the gin was being consumed by women. What’s interesting about that time is that the style of gin that was mostly being consumed was a cordial style. A lot of this was due to the fact that it was low quality, but the retailers at the time would add flavoring and sugar to it to make it more palatable. This style of gin cordial has gotten lost in the annals of gin history. We knew perhaps there was a way of bringing that back.

3

would that gin taste like that is perfectly suited to what we think women are imagining when we describe the idea of gin?” We set out to create what we think it should taste like based on the description. It’s very light, easy to drink, and versatile.

4

How do you hope to impact women in the spirits industry?

By focusing on the branding and the marketing side of things; bringing brand experiences and events that are geared more toward a female way of drinking; and participating in this wider movement of empowering women, being there when women are feeling strong, feeling celebrated, and so on. We are in a unique position where we’re by women, for women. We’d like to bring together all of the women who are making strides within this industry and create not just a safe place, but an exciting place for women to be in this category.

5

What’s next for Pomp & Whimsy?

We have this unique opportunity right now to work within this very unknown category of gin cordials. I’m excited to explore different aspects of the gin flavor wheel through this cordial format. Pomp and Whimsy is very much the floral expression.

We have plans to explore citrus expressions, spice expressions, and the more traditional, verdant green gin expression.

6

Advice for others in our industry?

It’s a great time for anybody to be coming in, innovating and creating. Just go for it. You only know if you try. There’s no such thing as failure, only successes that haven’t worked yet.

How did you create the gin liqueur?

When I talk to women about the concept of gin, just this basic idea of infusing botanicals into a neutral spirit base, it’s very appealing and it even sounds like a feminine idea.

Yet this didn’t match up with their experience of how the London Dry gin tastes. There’s this cognitive dissonance between the idea of gin and the experience of gin. We said, “what

March 2018 barbizmag.com

Ad Index

Company

Contact

Inventory COMPANIES

25 1849 wine company

1849wine.com

DAVO TECHNOLOGIES davotechnologies.com

29 ami entertainment

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36 Barritt’s Ginger Beer

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26 chargique

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33 cwd

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7 directv

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3 donna italia pizza

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13 FLOH Vodka

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5 knob creek

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C2 JOn Taffer

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27 national restaurant

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21 paradise pos

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23 perlick corporation

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31 plug in & pour

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24 portable bar

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37 portable bar

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15 rezku pos

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11 sacramento tomato

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9 shift4 payments

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32 smarttab pos

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30 ultimate bars

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THE DEAD RABBIT IRISH WHISKEY deadrabbitwhiskey.com don ciccio & figli donciccioefigli.com MALFY Gin malfygin.com picobrew picobrew.com Rogue Ales & Spirits rogue.com

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