Driving sales of cocktails
Cocktails might have once been the exclusive territory of swish hotel bars and upmarket clubs, but in recent years they have become a regular part of the mainstream offer in pubs and bars of every style and location.
However hard consumers tried to compensate for the lockdown with a spot of home mixology, nothing beats the enjoyment of being served a freshly-made cocktail. As we’ve noted in a previous article, a professionally-served cocktail or well-poured pint of draught beer appeals to customers who are looking for something more than they can make for themselves at home, and gives pubs and bars a point of difference.
This pent-up demand for the on-trade experience is demonstrated by industry analyst CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker. This shows that in the first week of reopening, from 12 to 18 April, cocktail sales were 75% higher than in the equivalent week in 2019. The data also shows a strong trend toward premium brands and serves, as customers celebrate their return to a big night out.
This should make any operators still deterred from offering cocktails, either by the complexity or by the skill set of their staff, think again. With the right planning, integrating a cocktail list into the core food and drink offer is straightforward.
Skills Match
Ensure that all bar staff know how to make the most popular cocktails quickly to minimise waiting time. At busier times, focus on-screen prompts towards the simpler-to-make cocktails, or promote sharing serves to reduce waiting times.
Focus on Top Sellers
If you’re unsure where to start, cocktail brand Funkin’, using CGA data, advises pubs and bars that a popular and profitable cocktail menu should include the Mojito, Pornstar Martini, Sex On The Beach, Long Island Iced Tea, Woo Woo, Daiquiri, Espresso Martini and Cosmopolitan. Added to this, offer an Aperol Spritz or similar, lighter aperitif style cocktails, and sparkling cocktails such as the Bellini, made with prosecco, or champagne in a premium serve.
Our bar EPOS system makes it easy to drill into sales of any product and will email you with your top sellers each week.
Menu Positioning
Making the most of app-based-menu-design ensures that customers see the most popular (and high margin) products when they browse an on-screen menu. As one example of the opportunity, the Mojo bar group placed their cocktails category at the top of their drink ordering app and saw the sales of cocktails increase by 350% as a result.
Ice and a Slice
Use plenty of fresh garnishes to make cocktails look irresistible, and offer customers the option to add their own choice of extras via the on-screen menu, A good looking cocktail not only attracts envy on its way through the bar, but also promotes the business when customers share pictures on social media.
Happy Hour
As people start to return to the office, price promotions such as an after work, two-for-one happy hour offer are an effective way to bring people in & drive sales. Use on-screen menu prompts to highlight the start of happy hour and the cocktail choices offered, while engaging graphics and appealing descriptions will direct customer focus to the most profitable serves.
Seasonal Shake-up
Adapt basic cocktail recipes to the time of year by featuring ‘specials’ on the on-screen menu. Lighter, fruity flavours in the summer can easily be switched to more indulgent flavours such as chocolate and caramel when the weather cools down.
Find out how our pub & bar EPOS with mobile ordering solution can help you drive a profitable cocktail menu. get in touch.
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