Len Panaggio, Beverage Consultant
By Len Panaggio
May is a big month all over the state filled with happenings. Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby kick us off, followed immediately by Mother’s Day. May also ushers in the first big (unofficial) weekend of summer, Memorial Day weekend. In between these big events is graduation season, whether for preschoolers or college students!
As graduation reservations begin to fill your books, a reminder that ServSafe® courses are mandated by the state for anyone who serves alcohol. This means all your new hires—seasonal or full time—need to be brought in for this valuable training and your veterans need to renew every three years.
Graduation groups, while good for business, inevitably cause alcohol-service issues as, typically, several of the “children” in the group are close to being 21 but aren’t quite yet. I remember those fun times, having to confront a dad saying, “It’s my license you are jeopardizing, not yours!” Alert your crew to the required course and the fact that IDs need to be checked; enforcing the law is critical and graduation season will surely test your limits.
As we gear up for this burst of business, make sure your bar homework is up to date. Are the products current? Your salespeople will be pushing for placements offering deals, swag, etc., and all this needs to be taken into consideration when placing new products. But what about your top sellers? To keep those placements, what are they willing to offer you to maintain the relationship?
It is critical to spend time with your salespeople and/or your suppliers discussing these matters as we ramp up for the season. It’s also important to spend time with the bar staff. Their input is valuable as they have direct customer interface and feedback and know what guests are asking for—not the occasional one-off, but what is the drink of the season?
Speaking of staff: It’s a good time to make sure your dress code and uniform directives are in place. Is everything clean? Are shirts ironed? Is everyone’s hair neat, tied back if required and clean-shaven? Again, visual neatness is important to your guests and they will make judgments on the restaurant based on how the staff presents themselves.
More important than ever is pricing. Most bar staff will immediately know if your business has priced a drink that has quite frankly crossed a line. They will hear from your guests, so, again, listen to this intel from your staff. Everyone is cautious about pricing, but you can only absorb so much. Make sure that when you take in a delivery that you are checking pricing, as you don’t want to be undercharging, which is equally detrimental.
When your bar team is telling you about equipment failures, you need to address them as soon as possible for many reasons. First and foremost, it shows that you care; secondly, it makes their job easier and, in some cases, may save money—think of draught systems that are always foaming.
Beverage consumption by category is changing constantly and by no means does a national average trickle down to your place, hence the need to read your sales mix and make sure you are following the trends that exist in your business.
Lastly, keep an eye on the constant deluge of proposed legislation that can affect our industry. Get involved, attend hearings and write bill sponsors—it is critical! Maybe you can make a difference, but one thing is for certain: If you do not get involved, there will be no “maybes” about it.
Len Panaggio’s career in food and wine spans more than three decades as an owner and as a beverage director at some of the top restaurants in Rhode Island. Currently a hospitality consultant, Len is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and has attended the Culinary Institute of America Master Sommelier program and the Sterling School of Service and Hospitality.
