Pizza Today - August 2015 - 32

are hot; rotating taps and
creative craft drinks fit
their lifestyles." Hence
the bar and cocktail
menu redo, which Cassis expects will bring a
35- to 40-percent sales
increase.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES IS FIGURING OUT WHAT TO PUT
ON THAT MENU - with

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so many options and
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unique ingredients, it's
hard not to want to try
- refreshing drinks
them all, Cassis says.
top
their list as well, says Van Dyke.
There are ways to make this process less
They
developed a core list of eight to
painful.
10 options, changing the menu a few
Magarian says they took their entire
times a year to add seasonal flavors and
concept into account to help guide
try out new offerings. "Guests learntheir cocktail menu. He prefers a short
ing about cocktails are intimidated by
menu of about 12 signature drinks.
too many options," Van Dyke explains.
Twice a year, spring/summer and fall/
"They want a cultivated list to help
winter, they do a menu changeover,
them find their way. More experienced
with several new additions popping up
guests want a sense of what you offer,
in between.
but not an exhaustive list."
"What I like about this approach is
They kept their costs and inventory
that it allows for long-term consistency
in
check by working off the core list and
of recipe execution and the ability for
building
additional drinks off of these
guests to find a favorite without woringredients; a strategy that has preventrying it will be gone the next week,"
ed them from ordering "100 different
he explains. "Three to five drinks are
items for 12 drinks," says Van Dyke,
built to be hits, with the remainder of
who advises those just getting started to
the menu utilized to express a more
"eat the elephant one bite at a time."
personal and often aggressively creative
Take a team approach, he continues.
perspective on our capabilities."
Involve
managers, talk to bar guests
What are some patron faves? Indiabout
what
they like. And don't overvidual "punch-style" drinks with acid/
look the bartenders, Van Dyke adds.
sweet components outsell those that
"All too often, management forgets
employ sweet/bitter combinations
to
tap into those on the front lines,"
(think Old Fashioned or Manhattan).
he
says. "Not only do they know what
Among their most popular drinks
guests are ordering, but they'll share
are the Pineapple Trainwreck, Pepper
Smash #2, and the Honey Basil Collins. what they like to drink when they get
off work. If they like it, they'll sell it and
you'll look like a genius."
WITH DRINKS LIKE LEMON BASILADE, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pamela Mills-Senn is a freelancer speMartini, Strawberry Mojito and
cializing in writing on topics of interest
Summer Daydream (featuring Cuto all manner of businesses. She is based
ervo tequila, pineapple and cranberry
juices and agave nectar), Brixx's cocktail in Long Beach, California.
patrons seem to have similar proclivities
3 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5

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Pizza Today - August 2015

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