F & B : Bar Business
Headline
Raising tHe baR
Hotels are unlocking the revenue potential of their bar business by creating unique , customized offerings .
by Ann BAgEL STOrck , mAnAging EdiTOr
“ Whisky ambassadors ” dressed in contemporary highland attire guide guests through some 400 purely Scottish whiskeys at The
Balmoral in Edinburgh .
Scotch , the signature whiskey bar that debuted last fall at The Balmoral in Edinburgh , boasts it offers the largest collection of purely Scottish whiskeys available to the public in the city — some 400 , including vintages dating back to 1940 . The experience doesn ’ t end with what ’ s served in the glass , however . Trained “ whiskey ambassadors ” dressed in contemporary highland attire designed by the kilt maker to the Queen offer guests expert advice while a décor designed by Olga Polizzi includes a handcrafted oak-paneled whiskey cabinet as well as a brushed brass and black granite bar .
“ The idea was to give our guests a taste of the many different whiskey regions from the comfort of a luxury setting ,” says Lauren Robertson , PR and marketing manager at The Balmoral . “ Scotch has been consistently contributing to the overall bottom line in a much more significant manner than its previous use as a drawing room .”
According to New York City-based foodservice consultant Arlene Spiegel , the growth of outlets like Scotch in the hotel industry can be traced to a fairly simple reality — extreme competition , especially in urban areas . “ Hotel bar programs have become more sophisticated in identifying guest needs and developing specific levels of offerings in design , size and specialty drinks ,” Spiegel confirms . “ The one-size-fits-all approach is not working .”
“ Hotels have realized that having an original , consistent and well executed beverage program is as important as their culinary , room and wellness offering ,” adds Andrew Mullins , operations director for Fling Bar Services , Harrogate , England . “ Barrel and bottle aging , sous vide cooking , centrifuges , sonic homogenizers and rotary evaporators are all being used to develop unique drinks .”
Still , in the rush to innovate , Spiegel cautions hotels not to lose sight of some bar business basics . “ Often beverage managers are not analytic enough or make assumptions when deciding what products to feature and how to price them properly ,” she notes . “ The keys to profitability can be found by mining the data in the system , insuring accuracy in the pour and through purchasing .”
34 HOTELS April 2014 www . hotelsmag . com