Chapters

1. Introduction to food & beverage

2. Food production
3. Purchasing food & beverage
4. Food service delivery
5. Beverages
6. Menu planning
7. Service quality in food & beverage
8. Conference & banqueting

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 Chapter 5 – Beverages

Objectives

In this chapter you will learn to :-

● Explain the critical factors and considerations when designing and organising a bar
● Discuss key bar personnel their responsibilities and organisation
● Identify the different types of beverages used in a bar, their uses, methods of
production and service
● Understand the importance of control within bar and discuss a range of methods
that can be implemented to maintain control

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 Chapter 5 – Beverages

Introduction and overview

1. Introduction and overview

1.1Types of bar operations
1.2 Hotel bars
1.3 Bar personnel
1.4 The importance of sales

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Introduction and overview

1.1 Types of bar operations

● Hotel bars
● Independently run bars
● Public house
● Bar chains
● Nightclub operations
● Wine bars
● Employee bars in the work place

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Introduction and overview

1.2 Hotel bars

Independent bar theme • A bar concept within a hotel. Open residents and non-residents

• The bar supports a restaurant or dining facility where customers can have
Support/Adjacent bar aperitifs and appetisers prior to using the restaurant and digestifs after

• This bar would be situated ‘back of house’ and is not visible to customers. The
Service/Dispense bar bar acts as a central dispense and serve beverages to service personnel who
place order from different outlets.

Conference and Banquet • This bar is located within the conference and banquet area and is in most
bar cases only in operation when event are taking place.

Mini bar • Mini bars are small self-service bars located in customer’s bedroom.

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Introduction and overview

1.3 Bar personnel

Staffing within a bar depends on many factors ;

● Quality standards
● Size of operation
● Turnover of operation
● Theme or concept
● Customer type
● Times of operation

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Introduction and overview

Fig5.1: A typical bar operation

Head Barperson or
Bar Manager

Assistant Bar Manager

Supervisors

Bartender Floor Staff

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Introduction and overview

The bar is managed by a senior staff member to oversee its running, and the position provides many
challenges to include:
General
● Meeting goals and targets
● Achieving 100% customer satisfaction
● Attracting and retaining a skilled team
● Minimising wastage
● Maximising sales
● Maitaining standards
Specific
● A competitive environment
● Adhering to the licensing laws
● Being constantly innovative
● Running promotions
● Minimising theft by employees
● Strict cash control monitoring
● Inventory management
● Dealing with intoxicated guests
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Introduction and overview

Most hotels and bars organise their staffing into;

● Bartenders
● Floor staff
Their job roles and responsibilities:

Bartenders Floor staff

Setting-up bar area for service (mise
en place)
Serving customers who visit the bar
or sit at the bar
Preparing and dispensing drinks to
floor staff
Controlling the beverages
Keeping front and back bar areas
clean and well presented
Setting-up floor area service (mise
en place)
Greeting customers who enter the
bar
Taking drinks and food to tale
customers
Serving drinks and food to table
customers
Clearing and resetting tables

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Introduction and overview

Personal and professional characteristics of good bar staff

Personal Professional

Friendly Good knowledge of production and

service of wines, spirits and cocktails
Conversationist Awareness of licensing laws relating to
the service of alcoholic beverage service
Well organised Ability to sell

Creative Understanding of the correct methods to

Efficient-ability to multi-task
Good memory of customers and their
particular preferences
store and control beverages
To deal with difficult or intoxicated
customers
Knowledge of point of sale

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Introduction and overview

1.4 The importance of sales

Employee sales and sale activities are an integral part of any bar operations. Sales can be achieved
through many different ways that include
● Employing sales-oriented individuals
● Training employees on how to sell and up-sell
● Encouraging suppliers to provide product knowledge training
● Creating sales incentives for employees
● Providing quality products that customer want
● Displaying eye-catching table ‘tent cards’ and promotional literature
● Discount techniques – ‘Happy Hour’
● Product promotions
● Entertainment – live music, sports and quizzes
● Relationship marketing
● ‘Get to know your customer’

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Bar design and equipment

2. Bar design and equipment

2.1 Questions and considerations in bar design

2.2 Bar equipment, glassware and consumables

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Bar design and equipment

The layout of a bar depends on the type of operation. Each type of operation presents its own
limitations and challenges. For example, the poolside bar at a resort hotel will have a special
refrigeration and sanitation concerns. An airport bar has to emphasis speed and accessibility in its
layout. The layout of a restaurant bar will need to accommodate the storage requirements of wines and
champagnes
Kotschevar and Tanke (1996)

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Bar design and equipment

2.1 Questions and considerations in bar design

Theme •What will be the underpinning theme of the bar? Music, sports or cocktail bar?
Allocation of space •How much space you will be required and allocated for customers, employee service and storage?
Atmosphere •Do we want to create a quite, loud, relaxing or intimate atmosphere?
Type of customer •Who will be the target consumers, business, students, conference delegates, resident or non-residents? What will the
business mix be?
Operating times •Will it be open for lunch, dinner or all day?
Budget •How much do we have to spend on design?
Table and seating •Will we use stools, tables, booths or couches and what proportion of each? How is this linked to atmosphere, goals
arrangements and revenues?
Traffic flow •To ensure that employees can serve efficiently, customers can access products and services easily, minimise
customer queuing.
Employees •What skills will they need, what products are we serving, how many employees?
Furnishing •What quality, colour and material
Equipment •What equipment will we need to achieve our goals (TVs, pinball machine. Speakers, bar equipment)
Entertainment •How will entertain our customers, live music, DJ, jukebox, dance floor, flaring bartenders?
Menus •What products will be available?
Financial targets •How much do we want to achieve?
and projections

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Bar design and equipment

Other factors to consider in bar design are ergonomics and sales, including:
● Sufficient space for customers to move and to get to the bar
● Comfortable furniture
● Good lighting to display products
● Equipment easily accessible for staff
● Sufficient amounts of equipment for staff to carry out other duties
● Server needs to be able to see customers
● Clear price lists

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Bar design and equipment

2.2 Bar equipment, glassware and consumables

Most bars are divided and oraganised into two main areas, the ‘front bar’ and the ‘back bar’. The
front bar is the area that is not visible to the customer and is the main service point for the
barman.. The back bar is visible to the customer and is the main area for product displays and
merchandising.

Bars require different types of equipment for the employees to carry out their job functions
efficiently. This can be typically categorized into four main areas
● Fixed equipment
● Portable equipment
● Glassware
● Consumables

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Bar design and equipment

Examples of fixed equipment

Refrigerators Ice machine Glass washing machine

Sink and running water Coffee machine Bar lighting

Point of sales terminal Draught beer system Post mix machine

Shelving mirrors Blackboards and signage

Examples of portable equipment

Drinks liquidiser Cocktail shaker Chopping board
Ice buckets Wine coolers A skip
Cutting knives Strainers Ice tongs
Dustbins Broken glass box Juice press
Juice containers Cigar cutter Coffee machine
Water pitches Spirit measures Optics
Wine baskets Selection of glassware Service trays
Waiter’s friend Drip trays Cigar lighter
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Bar design and equipment

Glassware

Glassware can range in quality, colour, size and shape depending on the operation. In addition, to
being used for the service of beverages the glassware can also add to the design and decoration of the
bar.
Important tips for employees when using glasses include:
● Pick up glasses from the base and place holding the stem
● Never touch the rim of a full glass
● Only carry a safe amount of glasses at any one time
● Try to use trays where possible in front of house areas
● Ensure you see the right type of glass for the beverage being served
● Ensure the glass is clean on the exterior and inside, without any marks or stains
● Ensure the glass is in good condition and cannot cause any harm

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Bar design and equipment

Examples of consumables

Paper napkins Table matches Cocktail sticks

Coasters Swizz stick Drink umbrellas

Cleaning materials straws

There are also a variety of food items that would be stocked in a bar as accompaniments to
different beverages, as listed below.

Olives Lemons Oranges

Tabasco sauce Cherries Limes

Angostura bitters Worcestershire sauce Sugar

Cream Sugar cubes Salt

Coconut Cucumber
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 Chapter 5 – Beverages

Beverage service

3. Beverage service

3.1 Pre-service duties – open bar

3.2 Post-service – close of bar

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Beverage service

3.1Pre-services duties – open bar

● Collect requisition and beverages from stores

● Collect float and guest list
● On arriving at the bar turn on equipment, lights, heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC)and music
● Clean and prepare tables with tent cards, bud vase and ashtrays
● Check tables and chairs are in correct position
● Stock sideboards
● Collect fresh linen from linen room
● Fill bar refrigerators (use first in, first out method)
● Prepare garnishes (cut lemons, oranges)
● Polish any glassware and re-stock on shelves
● Prepare complimentary items (nuts/olives)
● Polish any silverware
● Check daily food specials
● Check handover log book

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Beverage service

3.2 Post service – close of bar

● Cash-up and balance takings

● Clean bar area
● Complete beverage requisition
● Complete log book
● Lock refrigerators and secure bar
● Remove all garbage
● Deposit ditty laundry
● Turn off equipment

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