Beverage CEO on labor efficiency, guest experience consistency, and the systems reshaping high-volume service

Seemingly every week, there’s a new beverage brand hitting shelves. Sleek packaging, unconventional fonts, and a steady stream of product placements from TikTok influencers. Almost all of it is aimed at Gen Z and Millennials. But what if brands are overlooking the most powerful shoppers in the store? Currently, that shopper is Gen X.

How you run your business in its first year is not sustainable, of course. You’re probably scrambling and in survival mode, not necessarily in a contemplative place to start plotting growth. Between training staff and getting everyone on board with using equipment and technology, it’s a true hustle. 

As restaurant operators continue balancing labor costs, rising guest expectations and tighter margins, I believe the next competitive advantage will come from helping every employee recognize, remember and build on prior guest interactions.

It was at The New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Seattle, in the late 80’s when I was making batches of Bloody Mary mix for the bar. It was consistent because I was the only person making Bloody Mary mix, but the problem was if I made too much, it would spoil. Conversely, if I didn’t make enough, we’d run out, which is exactly what happened one morning before a Seahawks game. Out of pure necessity, I decided to pre-batch all of my spices so that anyone could easily add it to tomato juice in one step anytime we needed more mix. This helped every bartender easily mix batches of our house-recipe Marys on the fly as needed that was fast and consistent.

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Whether you run a bar, restaurant or catering operation, the challenge is fundamentally the same: deliver a great guest experience repeatedly, even when the staff, venue, volume and pressure change.

Get your weekend plans together with a signature brunch beverage. Demitri Pallis shares how to create a restaurant caliber Bloody Mary in minutes.

Hotel and resort restaurants and bars with innovative chefs and kitchens often grab the attention of guests through placements in traditional and social media.