When it comes to running a restaurant, food and beverages are equally important, A well-thought-out beverage menu can enhance the overall dining experience. In fact, a lot of times customers only visit a restaurant to have a specific drink. However, because we are living in a world where there are way too many choices, it is important to niche down and know the right choice for your restaurant. Here are 5 strategies restaurants should adapt while choosing their beverages:
In This Article
Know who you are serving to
You can have all the impressive beverages in the world, but it won’t be profitable if they do not align with the preferences of your target audience. By understanding your audience, you can find out what types of beverages they prefer, what their price points are, and whether they prefer alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
For instance, if a restaurant is targeting younger audiences, maybe from the age 18-25, then there is a higher chance that they’d prefer alcoholic beverages like cocktails, beers, etc. In fact, this age group is more open to experimentation so you can come up with some new flavours as well. However, your restaurant may benefit more from focusing on wine and traditional spirits if you serve an older demographic. But there are some flavours that are more likely to be preferred by both younger and older audiences like Jamun Khala Khatta, Orange Mint, Mango Passion, etc. Older people reminisce about their childhood with these flavours while the younger lot gets to ‘experiment’ with these kinds of flavours.
In addition, drinks should always complement the kind of food you serve. A restaurant serving cuisine from a particular region might offer beverages popular in that area. For example, an Italian restaurant may offer Campari and Italian red wines.
Offer a Diverse Selection
It might seem contrary to ‘niche down’ your drinks, but while most of your menu caters to a specific audience, offering a diverse selection can ensure that you have something for everyone.
For instance, you may want to offer a range of non-alcoholic drinks – mocktails with a variety of flavours like summer berries, orange mint, mango passion etc. Additionally, you may want to offer a wide variety of beers, wines, and cocktails to suit everyone’s taste. You can also appeal to customers who are looking for a unique dining experience by offering a variety of beverages.
Consider Seasonal and Trending Beverages
Just like any other trend, beverage trends also come and go, but it is important to be a part of such trends and bring some freshness and newness to your beverage menu. Though you do not want to tap into any and every trend, you do want to pick the popular ones and pick the ones that seem to be closer to what your target audience might like. It might be a good idea to offer seasonal beverages based on the season. You might offer pumpkin spice lattes and apple pie during the fall. Offer iced teas and fruit-infused cocktails during the summer.
Aside from seasonal beverages, it’s also crucial to stay on top of industry trends. Recent years have seen a growing trend toward non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks. Your customers may be interested in healthier alternatives if you offer these types of beverages.
Price it right!
You might have done everything right, but if the price of your drinks are too high, then your target audience might not be able to try the drinks. On the other hand, if your price is too low, then you might sell a lot, but there’s minimal or no profit at all.
Keeping the price right helps you have the quality of your drinks at par and also make a decent profit. While deciding on the menu, it is a good option to look at your competitors’ menus. Even though it is not your deciding factor, it can always help you get the market rate.
Train Your Staff
Finally, it’s essential for your staff to be an expert in knowing, making, and serving the beverages that you offer. Your staff should be knowledgeable about the different types of beverages, their ingredients, and how they are made. On top of it, to keep your customers happy, you can use cocktail and mocktail mixes which are easy to use, have delectable taste, and can be made in under 30 seconds by your staff. Swa Artisanal Syrups can come in handy in such situations and more.
Your staff should also be able to make recommendations to customers based on their preferences. They should know how to open a bottle of wine, pour a beer, and mix a cocktail. They should also know how to store and handle different types of beverages.
Lastly,
Selecting the right beverages for your restaurant is essential to its success. Each and every strategy matters, from knowing the audience you want to serve to train your staff about every kind of beverage you serve. Keep yourself updated and be willing to adopt new strategies, as and when required to be on top of the game.
