In the Spirit

Fresh fruit and hand-shaken hospitality drive chain trends in cocktails

By Margaret Sheridan, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 7/1/2004

An innovative bar program reflects the lifestyles of its customers. Smart operators tailor beverage menus to fit all dayparts, from fizzy brunch cocktails to happy-hour promotions and late-night sips with dessert. Successful operators reap rewards with a well-designed bar program: the commercial aspects of high profit margins and the appeal of being a place where people like to gather.

A lively bar scene with strong beverage sales drives the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar brand. It also helps the 258-unit chain attract guests across a wide age range. As the Minneapolis-based concept expands into suburban locations, it intends to attract more women and families and increase evening visits with a bar menu of drinks and desserts. The idea is to get customers to visit after movies, to create a place to go for evening snacks or drinks. It’s a first, says John Hinz, director of marketing. “It promotes us as something more than wings and beer.’’

Colorful margaritas at Chevys Fresh Mex generate 60% of cocktail sales. Fruits and purées—including guava, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, passion fruit, mango and blackberry—enhance the classic formula.

The drink program combines dramatic-looking concoctions such as blue margaritas or frozen screwdrivers with classics such as bloody Marys. The latter is customized with any of the dozen proprietary sauces used for wings. Desserts are designed to cool the palate, and include ice cream pie, cheesecake, deep-dish apple pie and fudge cake. They’re garnished with sauces, and eclipse former offerings—such as a brownie in a paper wrapper and an éclair—in eye appeal, taste and sophistication, says Hinz.

Tampa, Fla.-based Bonefish Grill, where alcoholic beverages account for 26% of average unit sales, has revamped its wine and cocktail program to appeal to a variety of customers, according to President John Cooper. New martinis capture the imagination with tropical flavors and indulgent-sounding names, including Key lime pie, lemon drop and chocolate martinis. The richness and sweetness do not cannibalize dessert sales, Cooper says. “Customers order both.’’

The wine program shows variety in style and prices with a reserve list of boutique wines, a rotating list of wines that change weekly, and an assembly of 40 core choices.

Chevys Fresh Mex cultivates a reputation for margaritas; its 15 varieties capture 60% of cocktail sales. The hand-shaken margarita has eclipsed its frozen counterpart in sales, says Peter Serantoni, senior vice president and chief culinary officer for the Emeryville, Calif.-based chain. Customers appreciate seeing the drink made for them. Also boosting sales is the use of premium spirits, promoted on drink menus and through server suggestions.

Martinis and margaritas at Max & Erma’s are infused with juices, purées and exotic fruit combinations. The color of the Purple Dragon Margarita, a concoction of tequila, prickly-pear juice, orange liqueur, sour mix and lime juice, “attracts guest attention,’’ says Bob Davis, executive chef for the Columbus, Ohio-based casual-dining concept. So does tableside presentation of Fresh Fruit Sangria, where servers layer garnishes, red wine, ice and citrus-flavored soda in a sugar-rimmed tumbler.

Customers at Columbus, Ohio-based Damon’s Grill prefer classics to neon cocktails. Demand is consistent for Long Island iced tea, margaritas, bloody Marys, frozen strawberry and beer, says Roy Getz, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the 140-unit chain.

Promotions trigger a jump in sales. Getz works with distributors to supply in-house training and promotional materials. One unit’s event, coinciding with a televised basketball championship in March, boosted beer sales by 24%. After a promotion tied to a New York winery, customers asked for more wines by the glass, and the operation boosted choices from four to 10.

Hand-Delivered Messages Ideally, a beverage menu complements a restaurant’s theme and brand in addition to selling drinks. BD’s Mongolian

Barbecue contrasts its flame-licked grill and spiced foods with a descriptive list of frozen drinks.

Bennigan’s Irish American Grill & Tavern markets its Irish roots with a lime-green color scheme and drinks named for occasions such as St. Patrick’s Day.

Buca di Beppo’s drink menu looks like a family photo album. Snapshots of guests holding beverages mix with pictures and descriptions of house cocktails.

House of Blues’ designated spirits menu, Heavy Metal Martinis, capitalizes on the brand’s music focus.

Leaders in Alcoholic Beverage Sales

These concepts top the chart when it comes to percent of average unit sales from alcoholic beverages (based on those chains providing numbers):

Fox & Hound English Pub	58.0%
Old Chicago	41.0
The Yard House	40.0
Sullivan’s Steakhouse	39.0
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery	38.0
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse	37.0
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar	33.0
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar	32.0
Morton’s of Chicago	30.0
Roy’s	29.0
Champps Restaurant & Bar	28.7
Hard Rock Cafe	28.1
Clyde’s	27.3
Palm Restaurant	27.0
Acapulco Mexican Restaurant	26.8
Bonefish Grill	26.0
Green Mill Restaurant & Bar	25.0
Shula’s Steak House	25.0
Brio Tuscan Grille	22.8
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.	22.6
Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano	22.0
Maggiano’s Little Italy	21.8
On The Border Mexican Grill	21.2
Buca di Beppo	20.0
Fogo de Chão	20.0