If you’re not measuring, you’re not managing. This old adage is the first thing I learned as a trainee hotel manager. The same is true now for any business. If you want to measure the success of your bar or restaurant, then this simple method that I came across in Washington DC last weekend will help you out.

You can’t go into a store, restaurant or bar, book a flight or hotel anymore without being offered free membership of their guest loyalty program. My wallet is now so thick with loyalty cards that I walk at a 45 degree angle to the ground, but at least I know I’m building points everywhere I go!

We’re all suckers for a deal and a loyalty card offers us that promise. The more we spend, the more we save. I think that grocery stores and supermarkets have perfected the system: points added at checkout, and then the choice of redeeming them on future purchases. Simple and effective. [...]

We got a question here at TheBarBlogger.com during the week asking us what lines of defense could be added to a bar to protect it from stock loss and one of the areas that the bar owner had not considered was how to account for complimentary/giveaway drinks.

Whatever your policy is (or isn’t…) regarding drink giveaways or discretionary drinks for customers, you need to establish a system that all staff members follow.

This quick video will show you how to establish that system today: [...]