Monthly archive for February 2018

What is a Good Pour Cost?

We get asked this question all the time.

The fact is that there is no such thing as an industry standard “good” pour cost that works for every bar. You often hear or read that if your pour cost is in the low 20% range, you are in good shape. That is simply nonsense—and dangerous nonsense at that!

Awesome Aperitifs

During Aperitivo Hour, when the day’s work is done but the sun is still shining, squares and terraces all over Europe are bustling with imbibers. Throughout Europe, dinner is late—very late—sometimes past nine or ten o’clock.

Engaging Staff to Drive Sales & Service

Customers are the core focus of any business. Without customers, a business cannot exist; however, without employees to work in your business, you won’t be able to sustain and grow your company for the long term. I often hear of store owners working in their business day in and day out because they can’t afford to hire staff.

Vegan wine? What’s next? It seems that the trend towards a plant-based, more environmentally responsible and sustainable diet is really taking hold. When people are differentiating their alcohol based on animal husbandry issues then it must be a real thing, right?

BC’s Cannabis Distribution Model

On February 5, 2018 the Government of BC announced additional details of the regulations and policies that will govern the sale of non-medical cannabis in the province. The Liquor Distribution Branch will retain a monopoly over distribution of cannabis, but there will be public and private options for retail, including online sales.

Marketing You Liquor Store

In the liquor industry, marketing has changed dramatically in the past five or so years. Small businesses used to simply place an ad in the yellow pages, put up signs, and then wait for customers to flow through the door.

However, today’s marketing is a quagmire of Google rankings, social media, blogging, e-newsletters and big data analytics. How on earth can a retailer make any sense of it?