Beer is a staple of not just modern life, but also ancient society. Throughout Mesopotamia (as early as 10,000 BCE), the art of brewing beer was invented (attested by malted barley scraps found in archaeological excavations). Egyptians perfected, like so many other things, the art of beer brewing. Records from 5,000 B.C. confirm that both Mesopotamians and Egyptian pharaohs paid their workers in beer.

Here are a few simple and straightforward strategies that will help a bar owner/ manager be more efficient and effective.

 

Optimize Temperature

Americans love a cold beer. The ideal temperature for a keg is 38 degrees Fahrenheit. However, having a keg stored at a temperature that is too cold results in excessive carbonation, meaning that too much beer is over-poured, resulting in lost profits. If a draft system is too warm, the beer loses carbonation and its appearance and taste is compromised.  Make sure that you keg box or cooler maintains a constant temperature, because the temperature of a keg can increase very quickly (as many as 10 degrees in 4 hours) but takes much longer (as many as 10 hours) to cool back down to the same level. To maintain optimal beer temperature and quality, install a cooling system as well as a thermometer that gives you a dispense temperature (i.e. not only the temperature of the surrounding cooler). This system will quickly pay for itself, allowing you to verify that your beer is being served at the ideal temperature and in appropriate quantities.

 

Reduce or Eliminate Theft

In an industry such as the restaurant business--particularly the casual and inviting atmosphere of bars—theft can become too easy for employees to resist. Moreover, protocols such as “meals on the house” can make tracking all your food and liquor inventory an administrative nightmare. Add to this the “dine and dash” customers’ ordering and consuming food without intent to pay.

 

Monitor Inventory

Simply put, make sure that every drink poured is rung up. It’s commonly known that theft runs ramped in the Restaurant business.  Make sure a high definition camera system is present at your location.  If your camera system is an older model, consider upgrading.  The cost of security systems has come down in recent years, however the quality of these systems has gone way up.

 

Use Video Surveillance

Perhaps the single most important mechanism to prevent this loss of profit owing to bar theft is the installation of a high-quality security cameras and to monitor those systems.  Be sure to not just “Set it, and Forget it.” EndOfTheft.com offers monitoring service and can even provide a free security camera with installation. EndofTheft.com delivers footage to a live team of professionals who monitor the activity recorded at your business. This footage is delivered via email to the customer (i.e. bar owners or managers) who can retain it for their records or for use in employee training. Security cameras that are monitored also have a deterrent effect on crime (both committed by employees and customers). Because all activity is recorded, video surveillance can be used as evidence at any point in the future to recover assets or lost profits. Professional monitoring installers can advise the most effective system layout, which usually involves having cameras directed toward areas where liquor is stored, offices, and cash registers to name a few.

 

 

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