Challenges That Every Craft Bar Owner Faces
Opening a craft bar can be a risky business, but that’s not to say it can’t be done! Unlike a regular bar, a craft bar takes some finesse. Your establishment should be a place people gather to not only imbibe their favorite beverage, but a place they come to explore new ideas, flavors, and to learn. However, there are some challenges every craft bar owner faces.
Keeping The Staff Informed
A craft bar owner should be hiring people that have a passion for the industry. Any staff member can be taught a new menu, but not everyone will want to go into detail, and have extensive knowledge of the products. With craft beer, for example, the turn around is very high. Taps are changed quick and often. Keeping the staff up to date and informed is essential to running a successful bar.
Some ways this can be accomplished is by holding monthly meetings to discuss the different flavor profiles of the new beers, wines, or cocktails. Having them sample the product is key in their understanding of it. After all, how can they sell something efficiently, if they have never tasted it?
A passionate staff member should also be educating themselves any chance they get, and enjoying the knowledge. They should be able to explain the traditions, ingredients, and historical style, so they can get the best drink possible in front of the customer.
Temperature Control
Knowing the correct temperature at which a drink should be served is also important. A product can be served very cold, cold, cool, cellar, and warm. Lighter colored beers and wines are generally served on the cooler side, whereas darker products are served more towards warm. Cocktails can vary.
There are many ways to achieve the correct temperature. Don’t solely depend on a cooler’s thermostat dial markings. Using an NSF calibrated refrigerator thermometer is one way to spot check your temps.
Other ideas craft bar owners have come up with, range from using heated glasses, to installing a “flux capacitator,” which monitors not only temperature, but pressure as well. Your budget may indicate exactly what route you take, but knowing that the temperature is important, is the first step.
Promoting Change
This seems to be one of the greatest challenges a craft bar owner faces, because new products come in frequently. Some bar owners find themselves printing several menus a day, while others have websites that are outdated.
TapHunter is a proven technology that can help with all of that, and save you a vast amount of time. They answer questions like: “As soon as you change a keg in a busy bar, how can you immediately notify patrons?”
Using an online software, all you have to do is search and enter the new product. TapHunter takes over from there. They will immediately update your website, and even post to your social media to engage the customer. The software can also update menus. These can either be printed right away, and/or displayed through their digital drink menus, with easy technology, right from your bar T.V.
Whatever challenges you may encounter, being a craft bar owner is an exciting venture. You’re keeping the world fresh and involved with new drinks, flavors, and culture, every day. Good Luck!
