Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(November 22, 2015 - November 28, 2015)
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As I See It...

As we enter the next two major holidays, are we ready for business?

Just a continuation of Karissa's checklist of items from last week's column.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I hope some of these items may spark your imagination to help get you ready for the holidays.

If you went to any of the regional meetings, we talked about having a "holiday wine list" for our employees.

This list will help our staff get the customers what they need based on what they are serving for the holidays.

Questions we all should be asking:
     

* How many proprietary brands have I decided to carry?

 

* How much of an impact will I have on the competition in my area?

 

* How much impact will I have on customer service?  Better yet are my employees ready and willing to give great customer service?"

 

* Are our employees making an impact on business? Or, are they leaving money on the table and not selling enough products to help satisfy the customer's needs?   

 

* Do I have policies and procedures set forth for successful holiday sales?

 

* Does my store show community value? Do our customers understand what we stand for as a municipal liquor operation and do our customers see what value my store has to the community?

 

* Do I sample the products I want to promote for the holidays?

 

* Ami I fully staffed to handle the additional business I will have during these busy times?

 

Yes, many questions.

But do you have answers to all of these questions or solutions to help make business better and profitable?

This is one reason why I enjoy attending these regional meetings or conferences the MMBA offers every year.

This is my time for education not only to educate my fellow managers, but to educate my staff to help us improve our business.

Our success has everything to do with what we do as managers and assistant managers.

I relayed the great success I am having with proprietary brands in my store at the regional meetings and it appears many of you have decided  to bring these in.

You can't ignore the competition no matter where you are in Minnesota.

You can and will have an impact!

These proprietary brands are great products!

I get positive feedback from my customers who have tried them and they become repeat buyers.

The biggest challenge I face is having enough supply on hand as many of them sell so fast, it can take up to six weeks to replenish them.

Oh yeah "planning and patience," you need that too!
 
John Jacobi
Isanti Liquor

Did You Know?

A popular topic at the recent MMBA Regional Meetings was staffing and specifically, finding help.

It was explained the alcohol industry is not unique in this situation and recruiting employees must be an active, not passive, process.

It is not good enough to only place a newspaper ad.

To show the scope of the issue, the below article describes how far some companies will go to find and retain employees.

Click Here
Tips for Running a Successful Bar
Bar - 2

By Foodservicewarehouse.com

The following tips offer a few fundamental suggestions for running an efficient, profitable bar business.


Be responsible

Alcohol affects all people differently, and all bar staff should be aware of how to serve it responsibly, as well as how to cut someone off when needed.

Caring for customers, following the law and being responsible with product are important, not only for your reputation but for your customers' health and safety.

Train Your Staff

A well-trained staff is essential to your business.

Bartenders who know their craft inside and out will be more likely to help your bar stand out above the rest.

Beyond training them to be skilled behind the bar, your bartending staff must be personable, friendly and generally able to converse with customers.

Use a POS system

Few contemporary bar businesses can run successfully without an electronic point of sale (POS) system.

Busy nights with lots of people require a system to help organize orders and account for transactions.

A POS system is ideal for keeping track of transactions as well as analyzing sales.

Create a signature drink

Creating a signature drink is important to developing a unique vibe and identity for your bar.

Putting your own spin on your drink menu gives customers a special reason to visit your bar instead of the one down the street.

Organize the back bar

Unless your bartenders' work space is well organized, bartenders will be bumping into each other and wasting time running back and forth to fulfill orders.

Organize your back bar area so the major drink-making stations are in the same areas.

For instance, group your beer taps together so a bartender filling an order of beer will not have to run from one end of the bar to another to pour two different brews.

Market your drink specials

Marketing can be as simple as word-of-mouth, or you may have a strong, financially-backed campaign to reach more people in the area.

Even a well-constructed happy hour menu and a few table tents can provide some good marketing for your bar.

Run a clean operation

Many bars claim to want to achieve the atmosphere and vibe of a neighborhood dive bar, but dive bar and dirty bar are not necessarily the same thing.

Customers notice things like dirty restrooms and a sticky bar top, which would turn anyone off.

Make it a priority with your staff to keep the place clean so your customers feel comfortable.

Keep an eye on pour levels

One of the quickest ways to lose inventory in the bar is inaccurate pouring.

When bartenders pour improper amounts, not only does it affect the inventory you have on hand, but the customer receives an inconsistent product from day to day or from bartender to bartender.

Train thoroughly, test frequently and use jiggers or measuring pourers for less experienced bartenders.

Keep bar equipment in working order

When your bar equipment is not working correctly, chances are your entire operation is thrown off track.

Be sure that you maintain and update your beer draft system, dishwashing set-up, back bar coolers and ice machine in order to keep your business running smoothly.

Change the drink menu periodically

This is generally true of most restaurants, but offering a variety is especially important for a bar.

Try switching up the draft beer you provide every few months, and bring in new wines from different wineries to offer your guests something new.

You may even offer a new cocktail with the seasons, offering your staff a chance to be creative and mix something new.

Changing your menu, or at least parts of it, keeps customers interested and gives you the opportunity to do away with items that are not selling.
Teacher & Pupil

Teacher

Bill, use these words in a sentence:
defense, detail, deduct and
defeat.
 
Bill

De-feat of de-duct went over
   de-fense before de-tail.
Future Dates to Remember
2016 MMBA Annual Conference

April 16 - 19, 2016
Arrowwood Resort
Ask A Director

Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163

Cathy Pletta
Kasson
507-634-7618
  
Bill Ludwig
Paynesville
320-250-3325
  
Candice Woods
Hutchinson 
320-587-2762
  
John Jacobi
Isanti
763-444-5063

Michael Friesen
Hawley
218-483-4747

Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732

Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center
763-549-3710
Brenda Visnovec
Lakeville 
952-985-4901
 
Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113

 Karissa Kurth
Buffalo Lake
320-833-2321
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925
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Minnesota SMART

The SMART campaign: Supporting Minnesota's Alcohol Regulations and Traditions, is a renewed public education and grassroots advocacy effort in support of Minnesota's current alcohol regulations and three-tier system.

 

We believe Minnesota's current alcohol regulations are smart, balanced, and supported by many citizens and our local small businesses.    

    

They work well for Minnesota!

 

The SMART campaign functions to help you engage in advocacy efforts with state legislators and others in support of Minnesota's current alcohol regulations, and to oppose issues-such as Sunday alcohol sales.

We want to make it easy and effective for you to engage.

 

Take action and send an email to your state legislators today through the new SMART campaign website.   

 

We have sample letters and legislator contact information put together that is ready to go.   

 

  Click Here for the Website
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 Contact Bob Leslie at:
 
320-766-3871
 


Contact Gary Buysse at:

763-428-0164

Why the Best Hire Might Not Have the Perfect Resume
Given the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance.

As someone who grew up with adversity, Hartley knows that those who flourish in the darkest of spaces are empowered with the grit to persist in an ever-changing workplace.

"Choose the underestimated contender, whose secret weapons are passion and purpose," she says.

"Hire the Scrapper."

 Click Here 


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