Cocktail & Menu Development

Your beverage menu should reflect your overall mission as a restaurant, whether that is farm-to-table or kitschy dive bar. If you are new to developing menus, it can be hard to know where to start, even if you are willing to put in the time to learn about the products you are considering. It is easy to get bogged down in the details and lose track of the big picture. With my broad understanding of the industry, I can quickly help you find options that resonate with you and your guests. From there, we develop cost percentage goals and plans to increase cocktail efficiency, reducing the time it will take to get these products to your guests.

Includes: One-on-one and Team-focused Cocktail Development, Bar Layout for Efficient Service, Developing Pricing Strategies

Staff Training

Training and coaching are the most important elements of the job of a bar manager. Looking back to the few managers who made an impact on me, their affinity for sharing their knowledge and encouraging me in my pursuits was a common thread. Sharing the things that you already know, as well as creating a culture of learning new things together, will encourage your team to grow, and this will set you and your team apart from the sea of mediocre bars.

Team engagement is the root of dynamic menus and environments, you want to make sure your team has a sense of ownership so they care about every product that goes out and every guest experience. I can get your team ramped up and engaged, or show you how to approach the process yourself. 

Includes: Product Knowledge (Spirits, Beer, Wine), Blind Tasting Workshops, Cocktail Labs

Manager Training

Becoming a good manager does not happen overnight, you need to be intentional and put in the time. But even if you have an idea of the type of manager you want to be, it can be hard to get going down the right path and make those big decisions without anyone to lean on. I truly aim to make the bar industry a better place by helping to prevent managers from the overwhelm and lack of training that can lead to poor management practices and a frustrating work environment. I have had success with all of the managers I have worked with to better engage their team, get them organized with efficient systems and get their bottom line under control, all while keeping in mind what makes sense for their bar and their team.

Includes: Streamlining & Success with Organization, Staff Retention and Program Elevation with Team Engagement, Effective Training Approaches

Systems Development & Implementation for Creating 'Good Habits'

Systems are the quickest way to create good habits and keep your positive results consistent. It is much easier to stick to a plan and a timeline if you have a structure in place that is customized to your needs. Having set systems also makes for streamlined delegation to your team, which keeps your program dynamic and gives your team a sense of ownership. This provides support to you as a bar manager and will keep you from getting overwhelmed and burnt out.

Includes: Opening & Closing Lists, Workflow for Menu Rollouts, Maintenance Schedules

Secret Shopping

If you are not quite sure how your establishment is seen by the many guests who come in, Secret Shopping can be a good first step before creating any detailed action plans. We can work together to lay out the practices you may have concerns about, or I can give my unbiased opinion from an outside perspective and share any glaring opportunities to improve. From there, we can get together a detailed action plan to make the changes to get you closer to running a bar you can be truly proud of.

Includes: Look for Pre-decided Set of Behaviors and Practices and Create Improvement Plan