Scary Facts About Wine Waste and Deathly Pitfalls to Avoid
Napa Technology Shares Sinfully Smart Tips for Restaurant and Retail Operators
Campbell, CA – October 17, 2012 – Wine is a fragile commodity and any number of things
can go wrong during the shipping, storage, and consumption process. Napa Technology has
put together nine of the scariest wine facts and quick pointers to help you keep your
customers happy and your wines by the glass business profitable.
The Ghost of Sticky Fingers
Invisible and unintentional theft by over-pouring and unauthorized “complimentary”
wines by the glass are two of the most common ways employees shave profits from behind
the bar. According to BevIntel, this loss equates to nearly 20-30 percent of potential
revenues each week. Using an intelligent wine dispensing system, like the one created by
Napa Technology, can greatly reduce theft by accurately tracking and reporting each staff
member’s interaction with an operators most valuable wines.
How to Kill a Meal
If you’re looking for the undead, paying attention to temperature changes is important.
Same with wine. White wine that is served too cold can overpower your chef’s creation and
ruin the experience of the meal. If red wine is stored at room temperatures that are too
warm, it will make diners feel full faster and they’ll be less likely to order dessert or
incremental glasses. Precise temperature control can prevent turning a perfectly good
evening into a horror show.
Haunted By Premonitions
Does the fact that the traffic to your website doesn’t translate into sales, send a shiver up
your spine? According to survey data from Angelsmith, more than 64 percent of consumers
visit a restaurant’s website to review the menu and approximately 70 percent will choose
another venue when they can’t find it within the website. Another study by Wine List USA
showed that 24 percent of wine consumers visit restaurant websites just to view the wine
before making their dining decision. Make sure your wine list is current and easily found on
line to assure your guests don’t think all your lights are off — and go visit another house.
Send Your Wine Loss to the Morgue
Like a forensics team on CSI, uncovering wine loss can be a gruesome exercise with deadly
results to any business’ bottom line. Behind the bar, the largest margin of loss is in sales of
wines by the glass. Beverage Information Services found that loss to range between 11-15 percent. In tandem with tight inventory management, eliminating waste due to spoilage
will make your headaches vanish. Automated preservation systems like the WineStation
provide any bottle of wine with a 60 day life span. In a recent study, nearly half of the
respondents cited using a preservation system to avoid letting spoilage suck the life out of
their profits.
All Treats, No Trick
Consumers today are far more savvy about their wine selections, on and off-premise, and
65.4 percent of Napa Technology’s survey respondents report offering samples to
encourage increased sales. Automated dispensing systems allow the customer to sample a
broad range of wines with zero risk to the restaurateur or retailer.
Destroyed By Daylight
Light can decimate not just vampires, but also lead to oxidation in wine. The taste of an
opened bottle of wine can change in as little as one day, ruining the experience of drinking
the wine. Professional wine preservation and dispensing systems are the best way to create
a perfect pour for each guest, every time.
Like Magic, Half is a Whole
Wine drinkers are splurging on wines by the glass. Just in smaller doses. The addition of the
half glass to any menu encourages guests to indulge a little more, while allowing the
operator to introduce flights and dessert pairings.
For Whom The Bell Tolls
The cash register rings most when pricing is perfect. According to Cornell’s Center for
Hospitality Research, dollar signs and un-rounded price points (i.e. $12.50 vs. 13) are offputting to guests and lead to a decline in overall sales. So round your prices up and drop
the dollar signs on your next wine list.
Dawn of the Dead
No, we’re not talking about your service staff. But having a ghost-like presentation of your
wines by the glass list will make your profits vanish. According to Beverage Information
Services 28% of respondents selected higher priced wines when the server made an
educated suggestion.