July 2014 Bar Business

story behind a brand can make all the difference in selling it to curious customers.

Tall Tales: The The How-To Publication

BAR BUSINE$$ July 2014

M A G A Z I N E

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Summer Sweets Ice cold cocktails to beat the heat

management: hiring big six: NYC Police Bar design: small spaces

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BAR BUSINE$$

On Tap JULY 2014

CONTENTS

MIX AND MINGLE

17 25

HOW TO 17

21

25

WE’RE ALL MIXED UP

SIGNIFICANT SHRINKAGE

A BLOODY GOOD TIME

The latest edition of our bi-monthly section for digital issues only, where we provide a collection of cocktail recipes for mixologists.

Designing a new bar in a small space requires some clever ideas, from the front of the house to the back, and we have a few suggestions.

Now is a bloody good time to look at the new ways you can spice up your Bloody Mary service to boost sales of this classic.

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

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Welcome to the all-new QuickBooks

Haymaker's Restaurant

Home Customers Vendors

®

Income $2,493

$751

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OPEN INVOICE

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Employees

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Get Paid Faster

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Smarter. Faster. Simpler. The all-new QuickBooks helps you do more than ever before. Track sales, pay employees, scan receipts and get paid however and whenever you want. Turn on only what you need — it all works together so your data syncs automatically. This is your business on the all-new QuickBooks. Run with it.

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Free offer applies to QuickBooks Online, Online Payroll and payments monthly service fee; transaction fees apply. ©2014 Intuit Inc. All rights reserved.

On Tap

BAR BUSINE$$

17

FEATURES

CONTENTS

12 LIQUID ASSETS As a spirit, rum has always come with its fair share of stories, but we look at two new brands that have the kind of background that curious customers live for.

38 BIG SIX

DEPARTMENTS 6 BAR ROOM DRAWL 8 BOOZE NEWS A real kick in the flask; Global spirits consumption market slowed in 2013; LiFE Nightclub debuts in Vegas; Virgil Kaine Ginger-infused Bourbon; MyHouseTab.com.

28 SUMMER SIPS Inspired by the drinks of the Caribbean and South Pacific, we look at some seasonal classics being revamped in bars this summer.

32 TEAMWORK TIME Bringing new staff onboard can be a delicate process so as not to disrupt the existing culture, and Bob Johnson knows how to do just that.

A retired New York City police officer takes everything he knows from the streets and brings it into his new themed bar, made to look and feel like a precinct house.

ON THE COVER

44 INVENTORY

1 oz Hangar One Kaffir Lime Vodka 1 oz Sugar Island Coconut Rum 1 oz pineapple juice 1/2 oz fresh lime juice 1/2 simple syrup 3/4 oz egg white 5 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

46 HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS 48 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

28

BEACH BREAK THERAPY

By Josue Moreno, Assistant Manager Hello Betty Fish House, Oceanside CA

Combine all ingredients except bitters. Dry shake, then shake over ice.

Strain into a collins glass with ice. Top with bitters. Slightly stir, garnish with 1/8 lime wedge.

“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 © 2013 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 July 2014

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Bar Room Drawl

By CHRIS YTUARTE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Live and Learn "Not drunk is he who from the floor, can rise alone and still drink more; but drunk is they, who prostrate lies, without the power to drink or rise.”

— Thomas Love Peacock The continuing education of the industry in all things nightlife operations is the mission statement of Bar Business Magazine, and each month we strive to meet the standards we’ve set for ourselves as a magazine, a Web site, a smart phone app, and overall brand. We try, with every issue, to deliver to you the knowledge that we’ve acquired via our constant interaction and work with the industry’s top people and companies. The best part is — we’re still learning every day.

As you read this, I am personally knee-deep in two of the most spiritscentric educational endeavors anyone could possibly sink their teeth into, and loving every minute of it. Luckily, much of this great new knowledge gets passed along to you, the Bar Business subscriber.

For starters, I am, right now, walking the streets of New Orleans, jumping from seminar to seminar and from tasting to tasting at the always amazing Tales of the Cocktail, now in its 12th year and only getting stronger.

It’s hard to find an event in this country (or any other, for that matter) with a more concentrated and dense collection of new and classic spirits, world-class mixologists, and cocktail innovation than at Tales of the Cocktail, and this year is no different 6

Bar Business Magazine July 2014

in Nawlins. Founder Ann Tuennerman continues to deliver an array of daily education, sampling, and networking activities to keep your mind (and liver) spinning for the duration. If you need to know about spirits, you need to be at Tales of the Cocktail. We never miss it. When they say the best way to learn a culture is to immerse yourself in it, Tales of the Cocktail is what they had in mind. If you’re not here with me now, get here next year.

Secondly, my flight to New Orleans afforded me a few more hours to delve back into my new book, Proof: The Science of Booze, by Adam Rogers. After nearly a decade of covering this industry, and having discussed this book with folks who have created cocktails for several decades, we are all a wonder at the depth with which Adams dissects the very foundation of spirits, from the chemistry to the history to the modern day industry.

There is no notion left uninvestigated, and my personal understanding of this all-important component of the bar business grows with every page.

Whether you own a bar, create cocktails, or just like a good drink, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

My own education continues, in New Orleans and in the pages of a great new book. I’ll try to pass along what I can.

But really, there’s no better way to learn than to experience. So hop a flight and grab a book, and we’ll meet you at the bar.

BAR BUSINE$$ MAGAZINE

July 2014 Vol. 7, No. 7 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

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com ADVERTISING SALES

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

FLASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU...

L.A.

entrepreneur Brad Copeland and his Flasking Krew are thoroughly reimagining the humble flask— an everyday object that hasn’t had an upgrade since Carry Nation was smashing it with her hatchet. Now Copeland has put the plain silver flask on trial (really!) and found it guilty of aggravated assault

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

(on drinkers’ refined senses), of unlawful impersonation (of a proper libation-storage device), and of human rights violations too numerous to name.

The plain silver flask is now an object of the past on Flasking.com, and nowhere else can you find limited-edition flasks, signed and numbered by artists from around the U.S., plus a multitude of other handcrafted flasks to suit every taste imaginable.

They’re perfect for experienced flaskers and novices alike: anyone who wants to make a statement with a durable, beautifully designed piece of art that goes wherever they do. Break it out on the Fourth of July, the autumnal equinox, or the anniversary of your first tipple. Or, you know, any old Wednesday. (Wednesday: easily one of our seven most celebratory days of the week.) We’re also always happy to spread some cheer on our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr), where the good times never stop.

Want to learn more about Flasking.com, Brad Copeland, how its flasks are made, its artists, pocket cocktails, or anything else they can help with? Visit www.flasking.com. www.barbizmag.com

Global spirits market consumption slows in 2013 GLOBAL SPIRITS SALES INCREASED by a marginal 0.1% to 3.09bn nine-litre cases in 2013 over 2012, according to the latest IWSR research. This represents a dramatic slowdown from the 6.5% compound annual growth (CAGR) seen between 2007 and 2011. This was chiefly attributable to a big slowdown in the growth of local spirits in China and India.

Whiskey was the largest-growing spirits category in 2013, both globally and in each of the major regions.

Whiskey added just under 8 million cases in 2013 to 361 million cases. Vodka was close behind, growing by 2.3 million cases globally in 2013 to 496.3 million Rum did not fare as well as it had in past years and fell by some 4.5 million cases to 145.6 million.

Asia-Pacific remained the largest region for spirits at 1.93bn cases, following a modest 0.1% rise in 2013. Within that, China, the largest individual market, gained 0.8% to 1.18 billion cases, while India gained 1.2% to 310.6 million cases. Both markets were affected by slowing economies and spirits’ growth was significantly slower than the double-digit growth seen in previous years.

The Americas was the largest-growing region, adding some 4m cases last year, a rise of about 1% to 445 million cases. Europe posted the biggest decline, falling -2.2 million cases to 291 million cases. Economically challenged Spain, alone, lost over 900,000 cases, while Italy shed some 500,000 cases. The German market also contracted.

In Europe, whiskey saw its first year of growth since 2007; whiskey consumption in Poland grew by more than 500,000 cases, with a similar trend to the CIS of switching from traditional white spirits to more trendy brown spirits.

Whiskey is the second largest-growing category behind gin, increasing by 225,000 cases. Germany, France and Turkey reported the next-largest increases in whiskey consumption. Whiskey was also the fastest-growing category in Africa and the Middle East.

Overall, consumption in the CIS was marginally up at 363.9 million cases. In this traditionally vodka-consuming region, whiskey grew by more than 500,000 cases, with the

majority of the growth coming from Ukraine and Russia.

Conversely, vodka saw the largest loss in the region due to government initiatives to reduce excessive consumption and increasing taxes, such as in Russia.

Global travel retail spirits gained 1.4% to 21.6 million cases. Growth in Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world was offset by a significant slowdown in Asia-Pacific.

LiFE Nightclub Debuts at SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino Platinum-Selling DJ/Producer Erick Morillo to Kick-Off LiFE’s Grand Opening Event SLS LAS VEGAS HOTEL & CASINO redefines the conventions of nightlife culture with LiFE Nightclub, a fully integrated entertainment experience highlighted by provocative performance art and captivating LED installments. Debuting with the opening of the resort on Saturday, Aug. 23, LiFE presents an exclusive DJ set by EDM sensation Erick Morillo to launch the soundtrack for the newest nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip.

“LiFE is the ultimate place to live in the moment, take in your surroundings and have the time of your LiFE. We are thrilled to open the club with one of EDMs pioneers,” said Mio Danilovic, Vice President of Operations for sbe Nightlife. “Erick Morillo brings energy, innovation and an undeniable house music pedigree, making him the perfect choice to launch what we believe will be the most exciting nightLiFE venue in Las Vegas.”

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As one of the most in-demand and recognizable DJs in the EDM circuit, Morillo has remixed tracks for Whitney Houston, Basement Jaxx, Macy Gray and countless others. The renowned artist and leader of the legendary Subliminal Records empire invites guests to let loose and indulge in his exclusive set featuring the funky, sexy, tribal, soulful house sounds for which he is known.

Immersing club goers in a playground for the senses, LiFE will amplify the elements of sight, sound, scene and form to propel party goers into a world of cinematic extremes where vivid HD projections ignite to contrast the space’s industrial design. The multi-level venue boasts 60-foot ceilings, three full service bars, 70 VIP tables and an open-air rooftop pool, making for a dynamic indoor/outdoor nightlife experience. Visit lifenightclub.com.

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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Booze News VIRGIL KAINE™ is the name THINK YOU CAN’T ENJOY bourbon in the summertime? With a sip of South Carolina’s own Virgil Kaine™ Ginger Infused Bourbon, you’ll find the full-bodied spirit can be just right for the warmer months.

While many will enjoy Virgil Kaine as recommended by its creators – neat or with a cube or two of ice – the awardwinning spirit, recognized as a “Distinguished Platinum” winner in the 2013 Spirit International Prestige (SIP) Awards, also lends itself to a number of refreshing summer cocktails.

Try your hand at one of these Virgil Kaine cocktails at home, or request the combinations of your favorite bartender. Virgil Kaine is featured at many fine South Carolina and Georgia establishments and retailers.

Created by acclaimed chefs David Szalm and Jake Johnson, Virgil Kaine was born from a passion for culinary excellence and inspired by Southern legend Virgil Kaine –

a Civil War-era icon who worked the rails as train conductor by day and, by night, is said to have acted as a bootlegger across the South.

Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon conists of 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malt, and “Yellow Hawaiian” ginger.

THE FLORENCE STATION (TRAIN NO. 301) 2 oz Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon 1 oz Cocchi Americano 2 oz Pear juice TOP with champagne and a splash of lemon bitters. Shake with ice and serve in a martini glass.

Garnish with a slice of fresh pear.

Your Customers Can Send Your Drinks HouseTab (http://myhousetab.com), which publicly launched last week, changes the way users pay for food and drinks at restaurants and bars. From buying drinks for nearby strangers to sending friends meals from halfway across the world, the app has so many functions, it’s hard to keep track of them all.

Firstly, the app stores your credit card information, allowing you to open your tab with the app itself and pay on your phone at your own convenience without having to chase down a server or bartender.

“Last week, I was meeting someone at a place on our network called Local West, and this guy was from Long Island and was suddenly like ‘I gotta get out of here.’ He left and paid it on the train,” Andrew Tauber, CEO of HouseTab, told Betabeat.

There are certainly other systems out there that allow people to pay on their phones, but what sets HouseTab apart is the social angle behind it. “We’re trying to take advantage of the

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fact that mobile phone engagement is driven by social engagement,” Tauber said.

With HouseTab, you have a list of “buddies” with whom you can virtually exchange drinks and food items whether you’re both at the bar or restaurant or not.

“Buddies can send a drink, a prime rib, or a salad at any point during the day,” Mr. Tauber said. He also noted that users don’t have to be remotely close to the bar to send their friends drinks. “You can be in LA and I could be in Alaska,” he said.

For bar owners, more social means more value.

HouseTab brings you the latest technology connecting your staff with customers. Put your place on the HouseTab map and drive in newcomers while also offering personalized incentives to reward your VIPs and most loyal customers. Increased sales are driven by gifting of drinks to existing and potential customers, and more efficient checkout and better service results in higher turnover and more revenue for your business.

More visibility, new faces and better service means happier staff and customers, while faster, more secure checkouts help you say goodbye to abandoned credit cards and lost tips. Plus, unique customer data and analytics allow for targeted promotions and loyalty programs. It’s a win-win.

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Liquid Assets

Rum The Summer of

rum naturally flies off the back bar during warm-weather months, but having a backstory on the spirits you serve can help you sell those increasingly curious customers on new ways to try classic rum cocktails this season.

By Chris Ytuarte

T

he great Rudyard Kipling once said: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” And it’s true — the power of a good story, well told, can be limitless, timeless, and, in the bar business, priceless.

When it comes to selling spirits, a good story about the origin of the liquor your customer is about to imbibe can mean the difference between a good experience and a great experience; a one-time tipple and a repeat performance. But when the collection of bottles along the back bar starts to blur into one familiar face after another, patrons can get stagnant, and so can your sales.

We all know there a plenty of interesting origins for spirits on the market — tiny craft distilleries, unusual

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geographic roots, far-out ingredients — but it takes a discerning eye (and ear) to know which are truly original and what would appeal to your base. And in the world of rum, where pirates and Caribbean carousing are considered old hat, this has never been more true.

The first bottle of Real McCoy rum hit the marketplace on January 16th, 2013, which was, aptly, the 93rd anniversary of Prohibition. But the story of this excellent new rum goes back much further.

“The rum is based on the story of Bill McCoy, who was the pioneer rum runner of the Prohibition era, and he was the first guy to fill up a boat full of rum, in January 1920, down in the Caribbean, sail it up to New York, and act as a floating liquor store three miles offshore, which back www.barbizmag.com

then was not illegal because three miles out was the international boundary,” explains Bailey Pryor. “So he was in international waters and not breaking U.S. law, and he found this interesting loophole and was able to legally transport alcohol all along the eastern seaboard for the first three years of Prohibition.”

Pryor, the Founder and CEO of Real McCoy rum, is steeped in the history of his brand’s namesake because it was his research into Bill McCoy that lead him to creating this new rum in the first place.

“I was producing a documentary film about Bill McCoy for PBS when I came up with the idea to start the rum company,” he says. “While doing the research on my film I came across images that McCoy had shot down in the www.barbizmag.com

Caribbean, some of which showed people passing cases of alcohol and women repacking the boxes so they could travel better in the vessels. And there was an indication that some of the rum McCoy had been buying was coming from Barbados — there were barrels that had customs stamps on them that said ‘Barbados Rum.’ I knew he was picking everything up in Nassau, in the Bahamas, but there were no distilleries on that island, and there had never been any up until about a year ago. So I flew down to Barbados to meet with the head of the national archives and verify more images for the movie, but in talking with her she mentioned there were four distilleries on the island of Barbados and all four were operating in 1920. So it could have been any one of the four.

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

13

Liquid Assets “So I went down to Mount Gay, thinking they were the ones who did this and that was how they got so big. I met with Frank Ward, who owned the Mount Gay rum factory before it went bankrupt this year, and spoke with him about it, and he immediately said it wasn’t them, because the only distillery on the island in 1920 that would’ve been big enough to make barrels of rum was the Foursquare distillery. All the others were producing for local consumption only, and didn’t even have bottling plants. He said they didn’t really start bottling officially until 1957.

“I went to Foursquare and I met with Richard Seale who is the 4th generation master distiller there and he said he would love to do the project with us and that he was familiar with the history of McCoy and the potential for his family connection to that. So we believe the rum is being made by the same family at the same facility that McCoy was buying from, which is a really interesting possibility. We don’t have a smoking gun, we don’t have any contracts between McCoy and the Seale family — they weren’t really writing stuff down at that time because of Prohibition laws.”

Bill McCoy (and his rum) became known as “the Real McCoy” because he never adulterated his spirits. “He didn’t

add turpentine or wood alcohol or prune juice or any of the other things people were doing back then to create what later became known as ‘booze’ and ‘hooch’ and ‘rotgut,’” adds Bailey, who began working with Richard Seale and Foursquare to produce the same, unadulterated product that, since its inception, has garnered some 36 awards (and counting), including Double Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the WSWA Best in Show award, and the World’s Best White Rum at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. In 2013, Bailey’s storied little company sold 1,000 cases of Real McCoy rum, and as of early July, the three expressions — a 3-year-old, 5-year-old and 12-year-old — are now being distributed by UK independent spirit specialist Distillnation. By 2015, Pryor hopes to be in 12 to 15 U.S. states in addition to the current six along the east coast — exactly where Bill McCoy did his dealing all those years ago.

“I see the rum category split: there is the lower-end mass market, which is primarily dominated by the spiced rum,” says Bailey. “I think that’s the growth category, so you either have to have an inexpensive spiced product with potential to grow, or a super-premium product that really does live up to the name. And unfortunately I think there are quite a few companies now coming in with super-premium products, but many of them are putting the ‘same-old same-old’ in a fancier glass and trying to sell it for $300. I don’t think that’s going to work in the long run.”

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The Dirty Barbados Oyster Club Restaurant, Mystic, CT 2 oz Real McCoy Rum 1 oz ginger-infused simple syrup 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice Dash of orange bitters Shake vigorously in cocktail mixer.

Top with pinch of sea salt.

Another great story is that of Tanduay Asian rum. On the cusp of its one-year anniversary in the U.S., Tanduay has been crafted in the Philippines for over 160 years.

Founded in 1854, it is the second largest rum producer in the world, selling over 18 million cases.

Produced in Asia, the actual birthplace of rum, Tanduay has positioned itself as an intriguing, premium spirit that is silky-smooth and easily enjoyed neat or in cocktails.

Currently distributed statewide in Connecticut, Florida and Tennessee, in July it is expanding distribution to Illinois through Southern Wine and Spirits.

Whit Repp, Vice President of Marketing at Brand Action Team, Tanduay’s agency of record, sees the brand’s backstory and cultural identifier as a key to upselling the spirit —and the cocktails built with it — on-premise.

“We enjoy telling consumers that sugar cane originated in the Philippines and it was actually Christopher Columbus who brought it over from the Philippines to Puerto Rico,” explains Repp. “Rum from Asia — in this case the Philippines — pre-dates Caribbean rum by about 250 or 300 years. So we have that heritage, and educating consumers that this is the base of our positioning is really a good stor y to tell.

Then once they taste it and have a cocktail, it becomes obvious that those folks over there in Asia really know something about making rum.”

So while it’s still warm, push your rum drinks, sell your spirits, and tell their tales. Because everyone loves a good story. www.barbizmag.com

Berry Blitzer 1 ½ oz Tanduay Silver Asian Rum 3 blackberries 1 oz blackberry syrup ½ lime for juicing 1 sprig of fresh thyme Fresh cracked ice Remove leaves from thyme sprig and muddle in glass with blackberries and blackberry syrup. Squeeze juice of ½ a lime into glass then add Silver Tanduay Asian Rum and stir. Crack ice for drink and add to glass. Garnish with a blackberry and a thyme sprig.

1776 Sangria ½ oz Tanduay Gold Asian Rum 4 oz Gekkeikan Haiku sake ¾ oz lychee syrup 1 oz pineapple juice 1 oz pomegranate juice Lemon-lime soda Pour ingredients into mixing tin.

Spindle-mix, then pour over ice.

Top with a splash of lemon-lime soda and garnish with fresh fruit.

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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How To:

Master Mixology

Solerno Blood Orange & Berry Punch

MIXED Cocktail Ideas for UP: themixologist On-premise I

t’s July. Summer is in full swing. As Independence Day comes and goes, consumers are filled with national pride, and they need to be full of some great cocktails.

In keeping with the patriotic nature of the month, we’ve thrown together a collection of likeminded drinks to try out behind the bar, centered around crisp, refreshing, warm-weather necessity as well as an appreciation for

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the classics. Whether that means using the only true American spirit — bourbon — during a heat wave that might otherwise scare off softer drinkers, or sticking with the icy, sharp flavors of summer season standby’s like gin and the always lovely St-Germain, we’ve got a little bit of each for you.

After all, an independent nation needs independent thinking when it comes to its cocktails, right?

VIRGIL KAINE™ IS THE NAME Think you can’t enjoy bourbon in the summertime? With a sip of South Carolina’s own Virgil Kaine™ Ginger Infused Bourbon, you’ll find the full-bodied spirit can be just right for the warmer months.

While many will enjoy Virgil Kaine as recommended by its creators – neat or with a cube or two of ice – the

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

17

Photo by Kelly Pulieo

How To: award-winning spirit, recognized as a “Distinguished Platinum” winner in the 2013 Spirit International Prestige (SIP) Awards, also lends itself to a number of refreshing summer cocktails.

As The Band once told us in their hit song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, “Virgil Kaine is the name and I served on the Danville Train.” Fittingly, this new Americana cocktail keeps its namesake’s rail drink connection:

The Florence Station

The Florence Station (Train No. 301) 2 oz Virgil Kaine™ Ginger Infused Bourbon 1 oz Cocchi Americano 2 oz pear juice Top with Champagne and a splash of lemon bitters. Shake with ice and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh pear.

Emperor's Independence 1.5 oz Mandarine Napoléon 1 oz bourbon 7 mint leaves Muddle mint leaves, add crushed ice, top with a splash of soda. Garnish a mint sprig.

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS Sure, we celebrate Independence Day this month in honor of ejecting those pesky Brits from our turf, and a little while we later there was something called The French and Indian War here in the States, but you know what —

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

Rabbit in Manhattan we’re over it. And St-Germain, the liqueur created in the artisanal French manner from freshly hand-picked elderflower blossoms, makes for some amazing summer cocktails.

glass, then telephone your physician and regale him with stories of your exemplary fruit consumption. Serve with St-Germain spoon-straws to enjoy the fruit while drinking.

Sangria Flora

Flappers Delight

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine 1 cup St-Germain 2 fresh peaches 5-6 fresh strawberries 6 fresh raspberries 1 bunch fresh grapes Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe.

Soak for approximately 15 minutes (or longer if desired). Serve in an ice-filled

1.5 oz Bombay Dry Gin 3/4 oz St-Germain 3/4 oz fresh lime juice 1/4 oz simple syrup Fresh mint leaves muddled with simple syrup Shake and strain into a Collins glass.

Top with sparkling water. Garnish with a mint sprig.

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Solerno Blood Orange & Berry Punch (Serves 25 people) 1 bottle Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur 1 bottle Lillet Rouge 12 oz Red Zinger Tea (brewed at 2x strength) 6 oz agave nectar 6 oz fresh lemon juice

6 oz berry blend puree (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red grapes) Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl and stir well. Float an ice block in the center and garnish with floating blueberries, raspberries, halved grapes, blood orange slices and a few mint leaves.

Flappers Delight

Hendrick’s Martini 5 parts of Hendrick’s Gin 1 part Dry Vermouth (Lillet Blanc suggested) 1 cucumber wheel to garnish Stir in an iced glass until well chilled and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel and serve.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Finally, a pair of unusual cocktails, one featuring Black Walnut bitters, and the other Blood Orange liqueur. Hence the title. Enjoy.

Rabbit in Manhattan

By Summer Jane Bell, Suerte Tequila 2 oz Suerte Anejo 1/2 oz Averna 2 dashes of Black Walnut bitters Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a Luxardo brandied cherry and an orange peel.

Hendrick’s Martini

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July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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How To:

in Start a Bar a Small Space

small but sexy a good bar doesn’t necessarily need a great space, size-wise anyway. if you have a tiny template to work with, building a colossally cool venue is still possible.

By Rick Uzubell

D

o you have a small room for which you want to design a bar?

What are the criteria for designing a bar in such an instance? Where does one begin to understand the working space requirements and the type of under-bar and back-bar equipment for a space-challenged condition?

As President of Cabaret Design Group, a bar and nightclub design

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firm, I enjoy helping bar and nightclub owners as if they were our clients — offering them a blend of design insight and personal product reviews I feel are noteworthy. So let’s get started.

Designing bars and nightclubs every day, the one thing I learned is that the old adage still applies: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” In other words, no space is too small. This isn’t to say that

we cast all sensibility to the wind, because nobody wants to drink in a closet and no bartender wants to work in one; there are limitations to everything.

When talking about small bars, what I’m really addressing is how to design a bar for a small room. Recently I’ve noticed the emerging popularity of boutique nightclubs — a club within a club. This has a great deal of appeal to

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How To:

any nightclub where you want an exclusive space for high rollers. This is especially a great income stream for gentlemen’s clubs. A room such as this can be anywhere from 300 to 1,000 sq. ft.

Here are the two most critical space requirements for a small bar: For high-volume bars, the aisle in which the bartender works needs to be 36". This provides enough room for a bar back. The distance from the bar edge (where patrons rest their elbows) to the line of permanent obstructions (behind the patron) needs to be at least 48".

The bartender space is of the utmost importance; reducing it might negatively impact productivity. From a practical perspective, a nightclub owner might want to forge ahead and squeeze the bartender’s aisle. I’m totally against it for high-volume bars, but for limiteduse rooms you can use the following design criteria: For low-volume bars, the bartender aisle needs to be 30". This does not support a bar back. For limited-use

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

bars, i.e., part-time use for groups of less than 25, the bartender aisle can be as small as 24", but this is only practical where the length of the bar is less than 10'.

If you are implementing a bar into a narrow room, the first concession can be made to the back bar.

Instead of using a beer cooler with visual display, simply use an under-bar slide-top beer cooler. The back bar should be dedicated to bottle display and cabinetry, and for this I recommend a 12"-deep cabinet with a countertop set at bar top height, which is 42" – 44". In short, bars designed for narrow rooms should have all bar equipment set under the bar. Here’s an example of equipment you should have: · Dump sink, 12" x 19" · Glass washer, 18" x 24" · Drainboard with speed rail, 24" x 24" (longer units are available) · Soda gun, 6" x 19" · Ice bin with cold plate and speed rail, 24" x 24" (longer units are available) · Blender station, 12" x 24" · POS station, 18" x 24" or 24" x 24" (see discussion below) · Hand sink w/paper towel dispenser, 12" x 24" · Slide-top beer cooler, 48" x 24" (longer units are available) Some bar owners like to place the POS station (terminal, cash drawer, credit card machine, etc.) on the back bar, but for a small bar, there is virtually no space available on the back bar for a POS station. And if the bar in question is L-shaped and seats five or six patrons, you won’t want it on the bar top, either. So what do you do?

To properly accommodate your POS station, I recommend that you have a custom cabinet designed (either

18" x 24" or 24" x 24") for your bar and align it with the under-bar equipment.

Strangely, commercial stainless steel POS cabinets are set too low and are a strain on the bartender’s back.

A custom POS cabinet should be designed with high sides that protrude above the bar top. This will serve to keep liquid from spilling over the edge of the opening. Implementing a custom POS cabinet will require that the bar top be cut to accommodate the POS, but honestly, this is the best design anyone could have for their bar. I’m a firm believer that the bartender should be facing the customer when operating the POS, as having it along the backbar only impedes productivity.

Soda lines are routinely run hundreds of feet in casino bars. You have to have soda lines brought to your ice bin cold plate so you have mixers for your drinks. Typically, your local syrup and CO2 vendor can be very helpful in accommodating your request.

Your current bag-in-the-box location can often be set-up to simultaneously service a remote bar. The good news is that your syrup vendor will often provide this service – and sometimes even the soda gun – free-of-charge.

If starting a small bar (or any kind) is your goal, at Cabaret Design Group our standard bar design service includes all construction plans and equipment layouts. We would be happy to assist any gentlemen’s club, nightclub, or bar owner who would like to incorporate our time-proven design ideas into their venue. Look us up at www.cabaretdesigners.com.

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AS RENTS AND PURCHASE PRICES for large nightlife spaces continue to increase, folding yourself and your business into a smaller area is always an option worth considering. Pop-up venues, as such, have become all the rage. If you’re considering working yourself into a corner that might otherwise not fit the standard bar room fixings as ideally as you’d like, it may be time to think outside of the box.

One new and affordable product for beer service in smaller spaces is the Plug in & Pour beer-dispensing system. With no construction needed, the unit can be delivered, deployed, and be dispensing all in the same day. Perfect for smaller spaces, Plug in & Pour comes in two sizes — the larger 1000 Series, which measures 96" w x 30" d x 94" h with a storage capacity of 10 half barrel kegs, or 20 torpedoes, or any combination of half barrels, quarter barrels and torpedoes; and the more compact 500 Series, which measures 54" w x 30" d x 94" h with a storage capacity of 6 half-barrel kegs, or 12 torpedoes, or any combination of half barrels, quarter barrels and torpedoes.

The Plug in & Pour system can be set up anywhere in your small space, as it does not require a dedicated water connection, drainage line, or CO2 line. As a selfcontained unit with a stainless steel sink with a sprayer and a sump pump for disposing water, it is not only ideal for tiny, unmanageable spaces, but it is also mobile enough to be placed wherever it best serves you, rather than serving your existing utilities set-up. All you need is a standard outlet and you’re ready to pour.

While small bar spaces may not allow for expensive build-outs, walk-in coolers and messes of tap lines, the Plug in & Pour provides options for creating a tiny tippling tavern that can sell cold draught beer without breaking the budget. Find out more at www.pluginandpour.com.

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A small space requires big ideas for having draught lines that typically require a lot of room.

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INFO@ROYALPENN.COM July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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How To:

Better Your Bloody Mary

There Will Be Blood The Bloody Mary, while never truly fading, has seen a bit of a resurgence on-premise as the fresh ingredient trend naturally blends with a glass full of garden goods.

We look at some spicy scenarios for building a better Bloody, and even throw some rum into the mix. By Michael D’Arco

T

he original Bloody Mary is thought to have been concocted sometime between 1921 and 1939. The most common belief is that Fernand Petiot invented the Red Snapper at the St. Regis in 1934, half tomato juice, half vodka. Then George Jessel, in 1939, added salt, pepper, Worcestershire, Cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. In the 1960’s the celery stick was added. And some believe the cocktail's name goes back to President Richard Nixon, as the drink was mixed for him by G. Gordon Liddy during a Soviet dignitary's visit and named as a joke aimed at Soviet iconography of Saint Mary.

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When the Bloody Mary became a common hangover cure is unknown. It certainly beats the Irish cure for a hangover (burying the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand). I’ve heard of eating Menudo, the traditional Mexican soup, taking hot and cold showers, and many other cures as well. The best may actually be lots of rest, water, and starchy food. But the reasoning behind the Bloody Mary’s hangover curative properties makes sense: Tomato juice is said to coat the stomach lining. And then there are all the vitamins from the veggies, the spice gets your blood flowing, and its the hair of the dog that bit you of course.

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How To:

Morning Mary

MANY MARY’S I have had the pleasure of enjoying many a fine Bloody Mary bar all the way from NYC to the Sunset Strip — we’re talking every variation you can imagine, from vodkas to garnish. How about a Slim Jim or beef jerky garnish?

The possibilities are endless really. Just have fun with it:

Classic Bloody Mary 1½ oz vodka 3 oz tomato juice 1 dash celery salt 1 dash ground black pepper 1 dash Tabasco sauce 2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1/2 oz. lemon juice Celery Shake or stir. Garnish with a celery stalk.

Classic variations include no pepper, adding instead a teaspoon of ketchup, lime juice instead of lemon, 1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed), and various garnishes. I tend to leave the horseradish out usually. Then again I have also been known to add Wasabi, aka Japanese Horse Radish.

The Bloody Pig 1½ oz vodka 3 oz tomato juice 2 dashes celery salt 1 twist fresh black pepper from the grinder 2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce Juice of 1 lemon wedge Several dashes Bacon Hot Sauce Strip of bacon

Shake or stir all ingredients and pour into ice filled glass.

Garnish with a strip of bacon.

HAIL CAESAR! What the heck is a Caesar? I even get this questions from bartenders, believe it or not. The Caesar is also referred to as a Bloody Caesar, or Clamdigger. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been offered a Caesar salad when ordering this cocktail at the bar. Well, a Caesar is simply a Bloody Mary with Clamato, or with clam juice added to the Bloody Mary, rather than straight tomato juice. And this drink just happens

Rum Bloody?

ON AUGUST 16TH, the folks at Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum will celebrate their favorite holiday of the year, National Rum Day, by pouring their way into the Bloody Mary conversation with a few rum-based recipes for this vodka-centric classic.

“Historically when you think of the Bloody Mary you think of vodka, but the original Bloody Mary over in England was gin,” explains Sailor Jerry Brand Ambassador Paul Monahan.

“But you can look at taking the flavors of any tomato juice and blending it with Sailor Jerry and think of what that entails — you get the cinnamon and nutmeg notes of spiced rum that compliment any savory or sweet flavors of the tomato juice and you have a great Bloody Mary.”

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While Monahan admits that certain stubborn drinkers might cringe at the idea of rum in a Bloody Mary, efforts to change such minds are not entirely unprecedented. “We started looking at this three years ago at Tales of the Cocktail when we tried to smother some bacon with Sailor Jerry and brown sugar as a garnish for our Sailor Jerry Bloody Mary, and it was a huge hit. So we thought we had something really cool,” he says. “But whether you’re talking to the masses or the core followers and longtime Sailor Jerry fans, one way or another you’re introducing a different style of drinking it, so it’s always a challenge. The important thing is to have one-on-one conversations about what you’re doing and get people drinking it.”

The only insight Monahan would allow into the final recipe, which will be ready for August 16th, is that it will incorporate Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur. Well then, our interest is piqued.

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The Martini Mike Caesar

to be my personal preference. Popular in Canada I hear, but I will try to overlook that. The cocktail was invented by bartender Walter Chell of the Owl's Nest Bar at the Calgary Inn in 1969, for the opening of a new restaurant, Marco's.

The original was tomato juice with mashed clams.

Now there are also pre-made Caesar mixes available such as “sinfully good” Bloody Smitty’s Caesar Cocktail from Hell, Michigan. This hot Habanero mix was a tasty stage of my latest Experimental Drink Lab. No clams to mash,1 no6/16/14 d-WHf-prt-BarBusiness-July2014-halfpgAd-v1.pdf mess to clean up.

The Martini Mike Caesar 1½ oz Tito’s vodka 3 oz Clamato 2 dashes celery salt 1 twist fresh black pepper from the grinder 2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce Juice of 1 lemon wedge Several dashes Chipotle flavored Cholula Hot Sauce Assorted garnishes of choice; blue cheese stuffed olives, beef jerky, celery, etc.

Shake or stir all ingredients and pour into ice filled glass.

Garnish with any number of things from the fridge.

No matter what your poison, Caesar, or the Bloody Mary, it’s all a matter of taste. Find your favorite liquor, favorite hot sauce or even pre-made mix, and get mixing. Enjoy your cocktail at that fancy brunch or with a breakfast burrito. Enjoy life!

Morning Mary In a tall glass add: 2 parts Reyka Vodka 4 parts yellow tomato juice 4 basil leaves 1 dill sprig 4 dashes chilli sauce (your preference) and salt & pepper 1⁄2 part lemon juice Fill lavaAM salt rimmed hi ball glass with ice & stir ingredients to chill.

10:58 Garnish with an olive, red tomato & feta cube on a cocktail stick.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

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CMY

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Summer SEASONAL COCKTAILS: TROPIC THUNDER: MIX UP SOME!

Astute mixologists at top properties in French Polynesia and around the U.S. find continued inspiration by the endless summers of the South Pacific and the Caribbean.

By Elyse Glickman

T

Sun Kissed Cocktail

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hey say everything old is new again, and for many of your customers this summer, it will be old-school cool and a stroll down to the nearest “tiki bar” (or “Pacific Rim” cuisine restaurant, for that matter) to rediscover the enduring romance between fine rums and locally-grown tropical fruit. However, expect your sophisticated and well-traveled audience to demand their classics with a twist of modern.

“The big thing about the (revival) is not how bartenders are re-imagining tiki drinks, but how tiki drinks are helping us re-imagine other genres of cocktail classics,” observes Fred Sarkis, beverage program director of Celeste in Chicago, referring to

how tropical drinks are built upon a “compound” of two or more spirits.

“It goes along the lines of Mai Tais, which are made with two types of rum, light and dark. This idea was pioneered by Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber. One type of rum is complex, but two types of rum make the drink even more complex and interesting. Therefore, why not use two types of gin or whiskey, depending on what a recipe or flavor profile calls for.”

According to Charles Riley, Director of Food and Beverage at Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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Colinas, Irving, TX, some theorize that tiki’s allure came out of “rum running,” an activity prompted

by Prohibition. When prohibition was repealed, there was quite a community of “beachcombers” who influenced consumers in enjoying the Polynesian/Cuban/island rhythm that rum was a part of due to it’s roots.

“Today people love to look back, and there is a very popular rum brand that is one of the top five products on the market which accelerates the Tiki culture,” Riley says, alluding to the hotel’s cocktails created for them by Kim Hassarud. “I think you see current trends all over this Atlantico Old Fashioned: fewer ingredients make a better tasting product. A very interesting, fairly dark rum that 30

Bar Business Magazine July 2014

tastes excellent, a unique selection of bitters, all wrapped up in a very classic traditional cocktail that tastes fantastic. And again with the Key Lime Collins, a classic cocktail has been rewritten with a refreshing flavored rum and infused with crisp refreshing lemon and lime and a splash of effervescence makes it a home run.”

SUMMERTIME IN AMERICA Sarkis sees the re-emergence of summery tiki drinks in a similar vein to the return of pre-Prohibition style cocktails a few years ago. However, he feels what makes the revival exciting is less about how bartenders are re-imagining tiki drinks, but more about how tiki drinks prompt mixologists to re-imagine other

genres of cocktail classics.

He demonstrates this with his interpretation of “The Jungle Bird,” whose origins are rumored to be traced to an aviary in Kuala Lumpur.

Moses Laboy, the Libations Director at Le Colonial New York, says that in keeping with the restaurant’s French-Vietnamese menu and South Asian vibe, he is a fan of the Mai Tai, the Rumrunner and the Singapore Sling. He also believes the humble Piña Colada can be reinterpreted as a successful cocktail if it is well made with the right techniques and ingredients to make it modern.

“The way I have been perfecting the Mai Tai is to use only fresh and homemade ingredients,” Laboy affirms. “Orgeat is a key part of the Mai Tai, so I make a homemade almond orgeat as well as grenadine twice a week at my bar. I also incorporate newer spirits products into my recipes. Instead of rum (as the foundation), I use Solbeso, made from cacao. While one may expect this spirit to be sweet, it is closer to the 80 or 90 percent chocolate, which is nicely bitter with earthy undertones. I top the drink off with Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum to get that extra oomph!”

At Taste by Niche in St. Louis, MO, lead mixologist Kyle Mathis and chef Gerard Craft found the allure of the tiki so appealing to their customers that they dedicated a special section on their cocktail lounge menu, “Taste’s Take on Tiki,” to this liquid art form.

“They fit into the craft cocktail genre, and are a key part of the revival of older cocktail styles,” Mathis says. “However, they are also really approachable, as they are fruit forward and they are easy to drink for the beginner in the cocktail world. They are also a lot of fun to prepare and look at because of their presentations, which involve interesting glassware, fire and different garnishes. They have a sense of excitement to them, which is why they gravitate toward Tiki.”

Mathis found his niche in the tiki universe by taking familiar, www.barbizmag.com

very sweet recipes like the Zombie and the Mai Tai and drawing back the sweeteners in favor of other flavors. This allows the rums his bar uses use to shine through a bit more, as opposed to hiding the rum under all of the sweeteners and various ingredients.

“It certainly broadens the possibilities,” he continues. “In the Walker, a take on the Zombie, we use a cinnamon and grapefruit syrup, infusing it with red chile flakes that will draw out the those savory spices and deepen the rums’ natural flavors.”

According to Tim Jacobo, Scott’s Bar Manager in Costa Mesa, CA, a well-crafted tiki drink should also be in keeping with other current consumer trends, such as the market for fresher, “healthier” cocktails and using fresh fruit in lieu of sugar and processed chemicals.

“We live in Southern California, and in Orange County where everyone is always trying to look their best and impress,” says Jacobo. “More people are turning away from ingredients such as simple syrup and opting for a recipe with fresh fruit or fresh juices. That fact has really forced me find ways to sweeten a drink using different types of spirits rather than pure sugar, and in doing so, has allowed me to create drinks with better depth and great flavor.”

Relais Mahana Cocktails

Recipes SUN KISSED

By Moises Laboy, Libations Director, Le Colonial New York 1½ oz Solbeso ½ oz fresh lime juice ½ oz homemade spiced pineapple syrup ¾ oz homemade Orgeat Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum ADD all ingredients into shaker (except for Lemon Hart). Shake and double strain over fresh ice into a double rocks glass.

Float Lemon Hart on top with a bar spoon and garnish with an orange peel and/ or pineapple.

JAMAICAN #2 Tim Jacobo, Manager, Scott’s Bar 1¼ oz Pink Pigeon Rum 1¼ oz Myers Rum ¾ oz Brutal Blanco Rum ½ teaspoon Madagascar vanilla bean paste Slice of pineapple SHAKE ingredients with ice & serve in a chilled martini glass

NOT-SO-BLUE HAWAII From 12 Bottle Bar,

By Lesley and David Solmonson 3 oz pineapple juice ½ oz lemon juice ½ oz simple syrup ½ oz Cointreau ¾ oz white rum ¾ oz vodka Pineapple slice, for garnish Cherry, for garnish ADD ingredients to glass over crushed ice in given order. Stir gently to combine.

Garnish with a cherry and pineapple slice.

MAI TA-IPA Jacob Grier, 12 Bottle Bar,

By Lesley and David Solmonson 1½ oz IPA 1 oz white rum 1 oz amber rum 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice ¾ oz Orgeat ½ oz triple sec ADD all ingredients to a mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass with ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain the drink into a Collins glass. Garnish with the cherry.

MORE RECIPES @ www.barbizmag.com/seasonal www.barbizmag.com

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You’re Hired...

Now What?

In the nightlife industry, staffing is one of the most critical components of business. For better or worse, you will need to hire and fire employees, and the key is keeping the constant changeover from rocking the boat and affecting your bottom line. We offer a General Policy Statement to help you lay the groundwork.

By Bob Johnson, aka BobTheBarGuy.com

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

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I

f you believe in the “team/family” concept of running a bar, you will need to establish that attitude in any new hire as quickly as possible.

This person must meld with the rest of the team so as not to disrupt the team-oriented environment that has already taken you a lot of time to create. This mentality is not inherent with a new hire — it must be developed.

One way to develop this attitude is to have the new hire spend the first two hours on the job with the owner, general manager or bar manager in the office, going over the paperwork that needs to be filled out. (This executive should handle most of the personnel function.) This gives the owner/GM/bar manager the opportunity to chat informally with the new hire.

During this informal time, one good technique is to share the job descriptions of the GM or manager with the new hire. Let the new hire know how management is supposed to function within the business and what their responsibilities are. If you’re the manager and you’re conducting the meeting, tell the new hire a little about yourself. What is your background? How did you get the job here? Where have you worked before? What are your qualifications? Do this in a friendly way. Replace any “greater than thou” attitude that seems to be prevalent amongst management types in the bar business with a description of teamwork and how everybody works together to get the job done. As part of the management staff, you’re responsible for seeing to it that the jobs get done, as cheerfully and efficiently as possible. Let the new hire know that one of your primary management functions is to do whatever you can to make their job easier. Explain the orientation/training process. Give the new hire the rules and regulations “policy & procedure” manuals for them to take home.

In today’s bar business, management has to offer more than a job in order to keep personnel turnover to an absolute minimum. A “team/family” concept is best suited for the bar business, along with stimulation, challenges, education, training and personal development. It’s incredible how important selffulfillment is to bar people — almost as important as the money (sometimes). Management must give employees a reason to love their job and love the people they work with. You want employees gladly doing the extras that make everyone’s work easier. You want to give everyone a reason for getting excited about being at work. “It’s not just a job, it’s an involvement.” “It’s not something you have to do, it’s what you want to do.”

“You don’t hate your job, you love your job.” Why? Because everyone you work with cares about everyone else, as people, and as fellow workers. You also want your employees saying and believing: “We care about our owners and managers.”

Sun Kissed Employees do not come to work to fail, they come to win, to Cocktail succeed. It’s up to management to instill the right philosophy in the new hire’s head immediately,

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from the first day of their employment. It’s up to management to get the new hire excited about this fantastic attitude that exists amongst your other employees. This can be done through a General Policy Statement, designed for “team/family” bars.

Go over the General Policy Statement with your new hire during your initial two-hour meeting. Have your new hire read it back to you, paragraph by paragraph, pausing occasionally for questions or discussion.

Document the event. Put a cover letter on top of the General Policy Statement that states:

“I have read and thoroughly understand the General Policy Statement of (name of club), pages 1-3.”

Dated

Signature

The cover letter goes into the personnel file along with the application form, W-4 and other pertinent papers.

It’s best to document everything that pertains to the running of the business with a new hire. Put almost everything in writing and have the employee sign forms stating they have “read and understand.” Oddly enough, people’s retention ability is greatly increased when they sign their name to something. Also, it’s a great point of reference if you ever have a problem with policy and procedure later.

Use the General Policy Statement on the next two pages for your business, or use it as a guide to develop your own. It contains “team orientation” statements throughout and specifically defines what “attitude” is expected of all employees. It also holds them accountable for maintaining this attitude. Good luck.

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General Policy Statement The manner in which I operate the business of this club is designed especially for the hospitality industry, utilizing components of Theory Y, Management by Objectives, Participative Management and Departmental Responsibilities Objectives. It works. How well it works will depend on your attitude and how you feel about your job and the people you work with. Key words and phrases such as TEAMWORK, COOPERATION, TOLERANCE, CONSIDERATION, CALMNESS, FRIENDLINESS, COURTESY and ROCKING THE BOAT are stressed and discussed.

someone’s late or is not there and you’re shorthanded. How could you do that to the people you work with, who care about you?

TEAMWORK:

CONSIDERATION:

Each of you has a specific job to do, but you must promote and work within the TEAM concept of getting all the jobs done. You must help each other whenever you can. Each of us needs to perform to make this business successful, and perform well above normal standards. We will grow to rely on each other, and to help each other, even if it means longer hours and inconvenience. If the TEAM pulls together to do the job, we win. There will be less pressure and a smoother, friendlier working environment for all, not counting the money, which seems to take care of itself when you excel at what you do.

Consider the pressure one of us may be under in performing a job during a particularly busy period.

In considering and working within this situation, remain calm, patient, and cooperative.

COOPERATION: aka Mutual Helpfulness. When you ask for help to do your job, always be willing to give it back.

Cooperation snowballs.

In a corrective situation, never criticize a fellow employee in public, but quietly, respectfully, and behind closed doors, or totally away from everyone.

No one comes to work to fail at what they do — mistakes are not made intentionally.

If you have nothing to do and you see someone “in the weeds,” ask that person if you can help out.

The favor will be returned.

Keep our restrooms clean. When you use the restroom, take a couple of extra minutes to pick up and clean the entire area. Leave it spotless. If each of us performs this task consistently, we may never have that unpleasant complaint.

Accept rules and regulations and work within them. They are only created to keep things running smoothly.

Don’t be late or call in sick at the last minute. You know what it’s like during busy times when

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TOLERANCE: Tolerate other people’s opinions and preferences.

Introduce suggestions for improvement tactfully.

Differences of opinion relating to work should be discussed in an intelligent and caring way. No one in this business is all-knowing. All of us have learned to tolerate a lot through the years and we have survived. We can learn a lot from each other.

CALMNESS: If you are “out of control,” say so. Don’t panic. The intensity of the moment will pass quickly. Don’t lose your cool. Your manager is capable enough to help pull you out of the weeds, in any capacity.

FRIENDLINESS: If you’re not a friendly person to begin with, then what are you doing in the service business? Being friendly to the people you work with is just as important as being friendly with the guests.

Be particularly friendly and helpful with new or temporary staff. They are now part of the TEAM and need your help so they can learn quickly to carry their share efficiently. Remember how you felt the first day on a new job?

COURTESY: Use “please” and “thank you” when asking for and receiving favors or help from others. Don’t gossip or take time to listen to gossip. You’re too professional for that. Don’t complain about other employees, your work, your employer, or your personal problems. It takes away from you as a person. If you have a problem with someone you work with, get together with that person after work and politely discuss it. Don’t conceal something that really bothers you about a person or his/her job performance. Meet it head on. Your honesty will be appreciated, the problem resolved, and you’ll be making a contribution to the TEAM concept.

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w

General Policy Statement

(cont’d)

ROCKING THE BOAT: Always be aware of the “cancer” created within the business by troublesome employees who exhibit the following characteristics: - Those who blame others for their shortcomings - Those who look for faults in others - The “brown nose” who tries to keep in good with the boss at the expense of others - The troublemaker who sets one employee against the other - The sensitive ones who are always imagining slights and insults - The “always late” who others must fill in for - The arguer who must disagree with everything that is said - Those who are against anything new - The leaders who can win others to their way of thinking and set half the employees against the others Please remember that what is felt for you as a person in no way influences feelings for you as an employee.

The primary concern is the image of d-TGf-prt-BarBusiness-July2014-halfpgAd-v1.pdf 1 our 6/13/14

business and keeping it alive and healthy so it will comfortably support all of us for a long time to come.

Of course, we care about each other as individuals. Quite honestly, however, if you are not a contributing member of the TEAM, it will be mentioned to you, it will be discussed, and hopefully, that will be the end of it. If there is a continuation of poor performance and attitudes, you will be replaced — perhaps reluctantly, but very definitely.

This General Policy Statement is not intended to be threatening or less than friendly. Its message is prompted by interest in the welfare of all. Now it will be entirely up to you whether or not you wish to put forth the effort (and it is effort) to assure our success.

I’ll certainly do my best — just give me yours.

Sincerely, General Manager (or owner) 5:01 PM

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

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NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO

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treet Stationhouse 46th S

A retired New York City police officer has taken his years of experience on the street and brought into the bar as he opens 46th Street Stationhouse, a watering hole that feels like an authentic precinct — right down to the drunk tank.

AN ARRESTING APPROACH

By Chris Ytuarte

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www.barbizmag.com

L

et’s face it — Stephen Barounis has a last name that sounds like the Latin root for the term “bar owner,” and in fact his family owns two other venerable venues in New York City. So it should come as little surprise that he has jumped head first into the bar business with his newly opened 46th Street Stationhouse, and that his inspiration comes from his former career.

“I went to work for the police department on January 21st, 1985 and I retired on July 23rd of 2011,” says Barounis. “But lately, walking up and down 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan, I see everyone walking around with police clothing and hats and everyone taking pictures with the police, and I realized we are really in a

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good light with most people. Sometimes you see stories about police officers in a negative light, but in this case I noticed people were really into New York City police for the most part.

“Then I’m sitting down and I’m watching TV and it’s NYPD Blue this and Law & Order that and Rookie 22 and all these shows, and I began thinking about the idea of a bar where I made it like an old fashioned police precinct when you walk in. So I started looking at areas.”

Barounis located an available commercial space in the always bustling Theater District neighborhood of New York City, a good fit, he thought, for this “themed” bar. “I knew I’d have to go closer to the Times Square area because the tourists really love this

stuff,” he says. “But we’ve been embraced by the police department community too, which is a nice feeling, and the neighborhood seems to be embracing us, so I think I really landed on my feet where I am.”

Starting with the façade, Barounis was intent on making the venue as authentic as possible, his interior and exterior design ideas steeped in his own knowledge of actual police headquarters around the city.

“We have green lanterns in front, because each precinct has green lanterns,” says Barounis. “And I changed the front a bit so it has that old limestone look, as much as I could, because I am on restaurant row, so I didn’t have a lot to work with as far as changing the front. But I made it look July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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“If somebody came in off the street thinking this was a real police station and wanted to report a mugging, I’ll be honest with you, I would run out there and help. That’s just the way I am.” as much like a precinct as we can.”

Upon entering, 46th Street Stationhouse patrons are immediately welcomed by a classic, 1968 police radio car, cut in half lengthwise and positioned against the wall. Complete with a working siren, dashboard display, and the flashing LED lights all citizens dread seeing in their review mirror, Barounis’ next touch will be installing a working police scanner, so the guests who love to pose for photos sitting in the car can hear actual police calls coming in.

The main bar itself is a replica of the precinct desk Barounis saw every day during his time with the Bronx Task Force; the bar phone is encased in a police call box; and the flooring is time-specific, as most older precincts featured the quarter-shaped, light tile floors found at 46th Street Stationhouse.

“And as you go further back, it still looks like a precinct,” says Barounis.

“I put a little holding cell back there, and across from that I put a celebrity lineup viewing area, with laser-etched glass blocks that light up to show 3D busts of mug shots of famous people like Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, etc.

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

And if you walk back a little bit further I put lines across one of the walls with numbers on top as if you’re in a lineup.

A lot of people like to stand in front of that with their drink and take pictures.”

Beyond the bar, two dining rooms await hungry customers (“Our chef is excellent and we’ve been getting raves about the food,” says Barounis), each with a different vibe. “The dining room in the middle is what I call my Hollywood Heroes room, with pictures of Columbo, the cast from Brooklyn 99, Cagney and Lacey, Gene Hackman in the French Connection, characters from Law & Order, etc.,” he says. “In the next room we have a fireplace and above that I put a painting of Teddy Roosevelt and I call that, obviously, the Teddy Roosevelt Room. He was the first police commissioner of New York.”

A bookcase in the Roosevelt Room contains a secret door knob that, when turned, leads guests up a flight of stairs to The Coupe, an old-style speakeasy with Victorian furniture, hardwood floors, chandeliers, period wall paper, old photos.

Barounis installed a Sonos sound system that allows him to have

different styles of music in the various areas of the bar — jazz in the Coupe lounge, easy listening in the dining area, and rock n’ roll in the bar area, perhaps. Eventually he plans to hire the occasional DJ and possibly get the proper permits for live music down the line as well.

The bar offers 14 draught beers, and another ten to 15 bottles, varying from Bud Light to some great craft options, as well as some high-end bourbons and Scotches. “We have a mixologist who is making signature drinks, and our bar manager has some great drinks — like Plead the Fifth — that are so good I keep running out of the ingredients because they’re selling so much. We have a nice drink menu and our guys are always experimenting to make more.”

While Barounis’ extensive knowledge of the police environment made it easy to cultivate such an authentic and reverent scene at 46th Street Stationhouse, he was very careful to avoid anything that might be deemed inappropriate by the New York Police Department, as well as any items that are copyright protected by the iconic agency. www.barbizmag.com

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A classic radio car circa 1968 sits inside the bar at 46th St Stationhouse.

“The NYPD sent me a letter and I made a point of not affiliating anything in the bar with the NYPD,” he says. “For one, I don’t want to intimidate anybody. I want everyone to have a pleasant experience. And I don’t want to offend anyone in the police department; I spent a good part of my life working with them and I loved the job and I never would want to be at odds with them. So anything in here that says New York City Police, like the

radio car, has the old insignia on it, which is not the NYPD logo that is trademarked. I made a point of staying away from that.

“I even kept away from saying 46th Precinct, because I didn’t want anybody to misunderstand what we’re doing or offend the police department.

I didn’t want people saying, ‘I saw someone walking out of the 46th Precinct drunk.’ So I call it the Stationhouse. I gave it the flavor of

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

a police department but at the same time it’s definitely a different site.”

Inebriated guests leaving is one thing; but what about someone on the outside who may mistake the bar for an actual, working police station?

“I’ll be honest with you, if somebody came in off the street thinking it was a police station and reported a mugging, I would run out there and help,” says Barounis.

“That’s just the way I am. We would assist in any way possible. But no, I don’t want someone thinking they’re entering a stationhouse to report something serious, so it’s nice looking and has the flavor, but we know where the line is. Once you walk in and see the tap system and the dining area, you know. And most police precincts don’t have a radio car sitting inside.” www.barbizmag.com

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Inventory Crown Royal’s 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Blend In 1939 the Royal Couple, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, made history when they became the first reigning monarchs to journey across North America, traveling the vast distance by train. Upon hearing the historic news, a Canadian entrepreneur set out to craft a whisky suited for the pair. With perfection on his mind, he sampled over 600 blends and reviewed hundreds of different types of glass, labels and caps, before cloaking the final product in a purple bag to represent the purple robe of royalty and, fittingly, calling the whisky blend Crown Royal.

The train carrying the couple was stocked with 10 cases of the exquisite blend. Rumors of the unrivaled Canadian Whisky quickly spread and Crown Royal was officially born. 75 years later, Master Blender Andrew MacKay has created an exceptionally smooth limited edition whisky to commemorate the anniversary.

CrownRoyal.com

It’s a SMIRNOFF® Summer Summer is in full swing and everyone is taking advantage of the great weather from cookouts to rooftop parties. It’s your turn to get in on the action celebrate the Red, White and Blue with that extra festive, patriotic element — a bottle of SMIRNOFF No. 21 Limited ‘American Summer’ Edition. Does it get any more American than that?

For a limited time, SMIRNOFF has released the SMIRNOFF No. 21 American Summer Edition bottle with a unique ‘American Summerthemed’ patriotic bottle wrap created by graphic designer Jay Fletcher to get everyone pumped for summer. Created with SMIRNOFF No. 21 — award-winning vodka, tripled distilled for exceptional smoothness and clarity — this limited-edition varietal will be your go-to as you mix up cocktails for your summer celebrations; the festive bottle wrap can also be a great addition to your summerthemed décor. For more information visit www.smirnoff.com.

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

Playing with Fire Torani is ready to heat up your summer with their award-winning Sweet Heat, their newest syrup combining the fiery heat of ghost peppers with the sweetness of pure cane sugar. This syrup, just given the Best New Product and People’s Choice awards from the Specialty Coffee Association of America, can be used in hot or cold beverages – like lemonade, mochas, coffee, cocktails, teas, and smoothies – without changing the flavor profile of the beverage.

Ghost peppers, or Naga/Bhut Jolokia as they are known in India, are 125 times hotter than the hottest jalapeños and have been a Guinness World Records holder for heat.

Torani spent three months tinkering with perfecting the balance of warmth and sweetness for Sweet Heat, sampling over 15 combinations. The final product is equal parts fiery heat, equal parts sweet. It won’t change your drink’s flavor; it will just heat it up! Mixed in your drinks, the first sip is a sensation unlike any other. Right away, your taste buds feel the flash of heat.

Then a slow-building warmth radiates across your palate, warming your throat, creating a pleasant, lingering smolder. www.torani.com

Narragansett Beer Re-releases 1975 “Jaws” Can Back by popular demand, Narragansett Beer announces the re-release of the Narragansett 1975 “Jaws” can just in time for the anniversary of the iconic film’s debut on June 20. For the summer months, all 12-, 18- and 30- packs of 12-ounce cans of Narragansett Lager will replicate the 1975 can famously crushed

by Robert Shaw in the shark-infested thriller. In conjunction with the relaunch, Narragansett Beer is supporting shark conservation efforts in the Atlantic Ocean and giving ‘Gansett fans a chance to name and track an adopted shark. In partnership with the R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Narragansett Beer will sponsor the adoption of a shark through the purchase of a satellite tag, allowing researchers — and ‘Gansett fans — to track the giant fish and learn more about shark behavior. ‘Gansett fans will have the chance to name the adopted shark by submitting name suggestions through Narragansett’s social media.

Visit www.narragansettbeer.com. www.barbizmag.com

Ménage à Trois Launches Trio of Vodkas Ménage à Trois, the brand credited for creating the red blend wine craze, announced today the launch of the Ménage à Trois vodka line, in accordance with National Martini Day – June 19, 2014. The line includes three expressions of Vodka including Ménage à Trois Straight Vodka, Ménage à Trois Triple Berry Vodka and Ménage à Trois Triple Citrus Vodka. Ménage à Trois wines were created in 1996 by two psychiatric professionals at their Folie à Deux Winery in St. Helena, CA. The Ménage à Trois brand resonated with consumers and has continued to grow; increasing significantly after the brand was added to the Trinchero Family Estates portfolio in 2004. The Ménage à Trois line of wines now includes 14 different varietals and blends. Like Ménage à Trois wines, which originated as a blend of three varietals, Ménage à Trois Vodkas are based on a “blend of three.”

Visit www.menageatroiswines.com or www.facebook.com/ MenageATroisVodka to learn more.

The Sweet Heat of Agave Loco® Pepper Cured Tequila The critically acclaimed Agave Loco® Pepper Cured Tequila is now being poured from its newly designed bottle. The new packaging further reinforces the brand’s stature as super premium tequila while the darkened glass protects the delicate pepper flavors inside. Agave Loco is the first ever “Pepper Cured” tequila. The flavor and character of 100% agave reposado tequila from Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico is infused with the oils of six different varieties of pepper to provide a rare sweet and spicy taste experience.

Agave Loco allows consumers to taste the true, sweet flavor of jalapeno, serrano and habanero peppers without overwhelming them with heat. The first taste is like biting into a fresh jalapeno pepper with a burst of sweet heat and then a great pepper finish.

Agave Loco’s natural pepper flavor adds a depth and character to a standard or fruit flavored Margarita that must be sampled to be believed. www.agaveloco.com. www.barbizmag.com

anCnoc Returns to the Dark Side Over a century ago, the Scottish Knockdhu Distillery began producing whisky that carried a strong peaty flavor imparted from the fertile turf on which the distillery was built. Using history as a base of exploration, anCnoc (pronounced a-NOCK), a single malt produced by the distillery, is releasing a Limited Edition Peaty Collection that explores the bolder, smokier aspect of their classic Highland flavor in three different expressions. The first two expressions of the collection reflect the distillery’s modern approach to the craft of whisky production by focusing on phenol, a chemical component that impacts the smoky flavor. Traditionally, the more peated the barley, the higher the phenol levels in the spirit, and the smokier the whisky will be to taste. The new range brings this into focus by displaying its PPM (parts per million) level on the bottle, allowing the drinker to select an expression with a level of smokiness to their liking. The first two expressions, Rutter and Flaughter—named after traditional peat-cutting tools—offer the whisky aficionado the opportunity to explore the role that phenol content plays in the enjoyment of whisky. A third expression will be released later this year. For more info, visit www.ancnoc.com.

All in the Family Cultivated from a family recipe in honor of Baker Beam, Jim Beam’s grandnephew, Baker’s® Bourbon embodies six generations of distilling experience and traditions. It is carefully crafted in small batches using a special strain of rare jug yeast that has been a Beam family tradition for over 60 years. This timetested yeast provides the bourbon with a smooth texture and consistent taste from batch to batch. Baker’s Bourbon is aged for seven years in new oak barrels, creating a silky smooth bourbon with warm vanilla and caramel overtones and a sweet yet smooth finish, reminiscent of cognac. Richly flavored and medium bodied, it is best enjoyed in a snifter over ice or with a splash of water.

From its understated bottle to its remarkable full flavor and character, Baker’s Bourbon resembles everything Baker Beam stood for. For more information on Baker’s Bourbon visit www.SmallBatch.com/Bakers.

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

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Holiday Happenings

August 2014

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Aug 1: India Pale Ale Beer Day. That’s IPA, for those in the know. Check out the latest IPA from the Scottish folks at Innis & Gunn, Toasted Oak IPA. It’s a great take on this classic beer style.

Aug 3: National Watermelon Day. What better way to celebrate this holiday than to tap your own watermelon keg on-premise. Now available from Kegworks.com is a kit that allows you to carve out the insides, fill with booze, and tap your own watermelon for cocktail service.

Check it out here.

Aug 4: National Psychic Day. Celebrate this holiday by bringing in a psychic to read the fortunes of your customers. Or, just have your bartenders guess the fate of your guests: “I see you becoming drunk in the very near future…”

Aug 9: Book Lover’s Day. To honor this day, we suggest you educate yourself and your staff by purchasing them all copies of Adam Rogers’ amazing new book, Proof: The Science of Booze.

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Aug 21: Senior Citizens Day. Hey, if they are documented AARP members and they still have the energy to drag themselves down to your bar, the least you can do is throw them a free drink today.

Aug 29: More Herbs, Less Salt Day. Work on garnishing more drinks with basil and mint, and maybe just for today ease up on the salted rims for margaritas.

Aug 12: Vinyl Record Day. Bring in a turntable and hook it up to your sound system, then encourage your regulars to bring in a few platters they’d like to hear spin that day. Kickin’ it old school ya’ll.

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Aug 16: National Tell a Joke Day. Guy walks into a bar…

Bar Business Magazine July 2014

Aug 19: Aviation Day. I believe Amelia Earhart invented this: 2 oz gin 1/4 oz maraschino liqueur 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice Dash of creme de violette Flamed lemon peel for garnish Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a cherry (or flamed lemon peel).

Aug 10: National Duran Duran Appreciation Day. Umm…. yeah, skip this one.

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Index of Advertisers COMPANY

WEB SITE ADDRESS

PAGE #

Agave Loco LLC (RumChata)

www.RumChata.com

31

Barzz.net

www.Barzz.net

35

Global Billiard Mfg

www.globalbilliard.com

42

Harbortouch

www.iharbortouch.com

16

Heineken USA

www.HeinekenUSA.com

5

Intuit

www.quickbooks.com

3

Modern Line Furniture

www.ModernlineFurniture.com

Plug in & Pour

www.PlugInandPour.com

7

Royal Penn Products LLC

www.ez-squeeze.com

23

Shiftgig.com

www.Shiftgig.com

20

TouchTunes

www.TouchTunes.com

11

Ultimate Bars

www.UltimateBars.com

19

Western Spirits-Twenty Grand

www.20GRANDVODKA.COM

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Western Spirits-Wineheart

www.wineheart.com

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Inventory Companies Agavé Loco Tequila

www.AgaveLoco.com

AnCnoc Whisky

www.AnCnoc.com

Baker’s Bourbon

www.SmallBatch.com/Bakers

Crown Royal

www.CrownRoyal.com

Ménage √a Trois Vodka

www.MenageATroisWines.com

Narragansett Beer

www.NarragansettBeer.com

SMIRNOFF

www.Smirnoff.com

Torani Sweet Heat

www.Torani.com

To advertise in Bar Business Magazine contact, Art Sutley, Ph: 212-620-7247, e-mail: asutley@sbpub.com

www.barbizmag.com

July 2014 Bar Business Magazine

47

Letters to the Editor Rounding the Corner

I

n response to our May 2014 Bar Room Drawl editor’s column about an airport bar in Kentucky charging $9.11 for beer (http://issuu.com/barbusinessmagazine/ docs/may_2014), resident expert Bob Johnson had this to say about the matter in a Letter to the Editor: “Announcing the amount of $9.11 out loud at an airport bar is insensitive. It reflects poor management, poor bartending and idiotic pricing skills.

“This kind of pricing is usually done by bookkeepers or accountants who don’t know much about the bar business. To them it makes a lot of sense to put the tax on top of the price of the drink, which creates uneven denominations of coins in the change making process. Or maybe a bar manager or owner doesn’t fully understand how easy it is to price inclusively (include the tax in the price of the drink), totally unaware of the numerous benefits of rounding off to the nearest dollar.

“Bartenders announcing this total — $9.11 — in an airport bar, and doing so repeatedly, day after day, makes me wish I was a bartender again. This could have easily been handled by a sharp bartender — one who would show more compassion and maturity for the situation. They should simply announce, ‘$9.00, please.’

“Nine out of 10 bars I’m aware of make the tax inclusive for all types of drinks coming from the bar. In other words, they round off to the nearest dollar, which includes the tax.

POS systems can be programmed to keep the tax as a separate category, and the exact amount of the total tax from the sale of beverage alcohol products can be a separate reporting item on the daily sales report and consequently the P&L. If we charged $9.00 for the drink, the tax would be included in that price ($8.20 + $0.78 sales tax, for example — yes, you can make a few cents more profit rounding up). We price this way in the bar business because we don’t want our bartenders having to make change for, say, $9.11 out of $10. It takes too much time.

Counting out 4 pennies, 2 nickels and 3 quarters is aggravating and time consuming. Sometimes the change is fumbled and that creates another problem. Customers don’t like getting this kind of change. It cheapens the bar. A bartender facing three-deep at the bar needs to get in and out of a register drawer quick.

“If you’re presently rounding off in quarters, and you decide to go to rounding off in dollar amounts, just watch the bartenders freak because they think they’ll be losing the benefit of the quarters left on the bar top that most customers would consider their tip. Little do bartenders know they’ll be making at least 20% more in tips when you go to even dollar amounts.

Bar patrons are accustomed to tipping, at least a dollar or more, every time they get a drink (unless they’re running a tab). Quarters left on the bar top for change turns into the customer’s tip. You’ll get the quarters, not the dollars.

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Bar Business Magazine July 2014

Bar Room Dr awl

By CHRIS YTU ARTE EDITOR-INCHIEF

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Bar Business was, in an before smilin of airport Magazine is publi listening air ale port bar, g and kindly shed monthly.

All rights rese to this del him, in her rved. Nothing requesting ightfully bartender herein may be reproduce most pleasa of chipper exclaim lou d in whole or ntly unabas tone, “Nine dly and rep in part without the phrase written perm eleven, ple hed eatedly, ission of the “nine eleven,” ase !” publisher.

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y at 7247 or emai l asutley@sbpu b.com.

www.barbizm ag.com

“I was in a bar recently that prices everything in $2 increments. Bottled beers were $4 and $6. Liquor drinks were $6 (well), $8 (call) and $12 (premium). Potato chips were $2. Hot dogs $4. Red Bull $4. Change was always made with $2 bills. The owner of the bar made arrangements with his bank to get nothing but $2 bills for his daily change. The bank charged him a small handling fee for the $2 bills. This encouraged $2 tips. Bartenders and cocktail waitresses made 30 - 40% more in daily tips because of the $2 increments.

How clever. How simple.

“In conclusion: Round off all drink prices to even dollar amounts. Bartenders will make more in tips. There will be less aggravation making change, better accuracy with the money when you count out your banks before and after your shift and, most important, valuable time to make more drinks (which translates into more sales for the house). Aren’t we in business to sell quickly, efficiently, and responsibly? Don’t make a bartender’s job more difficult than it already is.” www.barbizmag.com

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