About five years ago the classic cocktail made a big comeback, probably partially due to the huge success of the show Mad Men, but that’s just my two cents. Regardless, the re-emergence of the cocktail was huge; cool new bars were popping up in hip areas of cities all over the country in hopes of attracting the new generation of cocktail drinkers.
Their success was measured on not only unique cocktails, but how they put their own twist on the classics with exceptionally talented bartenders, and their house made syrups, bitters and craft spirits.
As a club, I’d say we have seen an increase over the last couple of years in mixed drinks, and although we make an effort to stay current with trends this is not one that will make us or break us.
What does make us is our courses and the level of service we offer, and what could potentially break us is our bottom line. Some of the challenges we face in our beverage service area are finding staff, spillage, over-pouring, theft and those free drinks for our favourite guests.
Although we wish they weren’t, all of these things are a reality and finding ways to keep on top of each of them can be a challenge, and to monitor all of them is downright impossible.
Well, guess what? You’re about to get a glimpse of what in the future could be your star employee, or at least help to make stars out of the employees you have.
Smartbar USA has come out with its latest product: the Smartender. One of the tag lines is: “you don’t have to think to make that drink” and it’s true. The system is fully automated, the setup is simple, its key card accessible so you know who is pouring, and it has a comprehensive on board reporting system, so at a glance you can see what is being poured compared to your sales.
The Smartbar holds 16 different liquors and 12 different mixers; it also has an insulated ice bin and chilled garnish tray. The system is great for banquets, patios and remote events as it is a self-contained unit that is fully portable. This is not only convenient but saves time and money in set-up and teardown.
The downside is it’s not cheap and unfortunately, is only available in the United States at the moment; but like anything in the technology world it won’t be long before its available north of the border.
So, maybe it’s something to think about for future budgets, as in the long run investing in this system will save you time, money and boost your bottom line.
For more info: http://smartbarusa.com/demo
