Consulting Services

RESTAURANT:

In our line of business, you have to tune your enterprise like a fine musical instrument to stay competitive. Depending on the parameters of your situation, it may not make financial sense to have a full time Somm or Beverage Director on staff for your restaurant, bar or cafe. Paying the salary and benefits of a full time employee can decrease profitability and constantly finding busy work to justify a full timer's salary can be a job in and of itself. Giving them other responsibilities distracts from the quality of both efforts and ultimately dilutes the end product. Furthermore, it is often true that a person who knows the intricacies of oenology and viticulture or is familiar with the differences between Morgon and Margeaux, may not know how to make an amazing playlist, which side of the plate the salad fork goes on or how to properly clear a place setting. In this day and age of apps and Amazon, service is the difference maker and somebody who has studied wine & spirits may not have been as steeped in the abstracts of the service tradition as a professional server. This can make it challenging to integrate them seamlessly into your quality team.

There are ways to game the system, of course. You know quite well that you can throw a few things on the list according to what's cheap or on closeout, let a friend or one of your wine reps develop a program for you, but ultimately it will rarely feel bespoke or unique. Value is not gained from selling one bottle of wine or one cocktail, being derived instead from building relationships and fostering a sense of community wherein you have loyal, repeat customers who enjoy your food and drinks as much as you do. 

In fact, in today's market, customers are more knowledgeable, curious about and adventurous with their wine & spirits purchases than ever before. With so many options available, complexity accrues and without trained staff, expectations are often disappointed. Having a well curated, thematically correct beverage program and a courteous, knowledgeable staff can make your restaurant feel far more expensive to run than it is, increasing social media buzz and elevating your status in your community.

Even when you have a humming beverage program, anyone can use help with HR, P&L, margins, ordering, inventory and organizational components of the business. In the same way that you might not have an accountant or an attorney on staff full time, you draw upon their expertise in times which demand it, you can use our services in any way you see fit.

Below are just some of the services we provide. Contact us to arrange a complimentary no-obligation initial consultation to determine your needs and how little or how much help you'd like.

Wine Lists & Beverage Programs

Few experiences are as disappointing as settling into a cozy, hip new neighborhood restaurant only to find that its promising bistro vibe is undermined by a wine list full of lackluster, "off the rack" plonk.

To earn and retain lifelong customers, your beverage program must be creative, comprehensive, efficient, and, most importantly, current. We specialize in custom-building everything from modest wine lists to expansive beverage programs featuring flights, library selections, and ultra high-end cocktails.

Allow us to help you craft a memorable, robust, and profitable beverage program tailored to your clientele. Whether you're opening your first location, expanding your reach, or enhancing your current successes, we can develop an approach that works for you.

A well-designed beverage program should be a consistent revenue stream for your restaurant. From bottled water to vintage champagne, ensure your selection is competitive, appropriately priced, and passionately sold by a courteous and knowledgeable staff.

Staff Training and Education

Even with a successful beverage program, keeping staff informed, expertly trained, and properly educated can be a challenge. Let us bring our experience and knowledge to your team, teaching them how to discuss wine and spirits with both passion and authority.

Pairings, for example, are often misunderstood, yet the right wine can elevate a dish a hundredfold, and vice versa. We provide not only common pairings and "cheat sheets" for your staff but also training to empower them to make real-time pairings with confidence and transparency.

We offer a range of solutions, from self-training materials (both physical and online) to comprehensive and interactive ongoing education programs, ensuring your staff can serve your clients efficiently and with flair.

Whether you need a one-time session for a retreat or staff appreciation event, or an ongoing program, let our experts share their wit, wisdom, and enthusiasm about beverages, service excellence, and building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with clients.

Administrative Services

Even if your beverage program is thriving, achieving consistent success requires addressing numerous factors and constantly analyzing metrics to isolate areas for improvement. Our modular programs, consulting services, and resources will help you manage everything from inventory and loss prevention to scheduling and HR in an organic, scalable manner. This approach allows you to customize and streamline your staffing, purchasing, and sales processes comfortably and efficiently.

We employ a universally adaptable framework that has demonstrated repeatable success across diverse markets and formats. Our method integrates seamlessly with any POS software, enabling you to maximize profits while maintaining integrity, authenticity, and transparency.

We excel at quickly identifying issues and collaborating with you to resolve them effectively and purposefully.

As with all our services, we work hand in hand with you to customize and tailor our approach to meet your unique needs.

RETAIL

Retail shares many challenges with the restaurant business, both in theory and practice. Today’s educated and discerning customers often seek out stores with knowledgeable staff and a particular style of wine rather than specific labels and varietals. The appreciation for small production, natural, and other esoteric wines has never been higher. Prepare for a new era of wine appreciation by ensuring your staff is trained to provide helpful, courteous, and relevant service, applying their knowledge to ensure every customer leaves both happy and with a bottle in hand.

Whether your business has been operating for decades or you are a new shop selecting your initial inventory, myriad challenges await, none more persistent than inventory management. Deciding what labels to carry, how much to purchase and from whom, where to store, and how to organize your inventory can be a consistent headache. Hire our trustworthy experts to conduct counts, record, rebuild, or retool your inventory. We can also create and integrate systems to monitor and regain control of P&L, assist with loss prevention, address employee and outside theft, and update existing systems for seamless and efficient operation.

Just starting out? Looking to update and modernize your selections? We can help you make informed decisions from a place of security and strategy. Together, we’ll determine the right mix of price points, varietals, styles, and regions your shop should carry, applying Tried & True principles with integrity to create a store full of win-win decisions for you and your customers.

In addition to the usual challenges, many retail wine and spirits stores have had to adapt to a post-COVID world, experiencing significant changes in consumer habits and demographics. The business landscape is increasingly driven by the internet, with even older shops adapting to online ordering and apps. We can offer strategies to help your business stay current, vital, and integrated into your community, maximizing revenue while prioritizing the safety and well-being of your GUESTS

MISC.

"Miscellaneous is always the largest category." - Joel Rosenburg

We are prepared and qualified to offer a wide variety of services including, but not limited to: Brand Representation/Demonstrations, Writing (From newsletters to shelf talkers) To sandwich board decoration, etc. You can pick and choose what you need us to do, and it will be like having an employee who does exactly what you need when you need it, with a mindset of perfection. One of our consultants will put together a custom package for your business to help you grow and realize potential.

Wine Blog

Newsletters

Weekly, Monthly or Annual outreach

Training/Policy Manuals

Wine Quizzes/Educational materials

Menus

WIndow Displays/Decorating

Website

Social Media

Shelftalkers and POS styling

Branding/Marketing: Creating and updating business brands and marketing approaches