To TV or Not to TV? The Restaurateur’s Question

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For the past ten years, I’ve noticed something in nearly every restaurant I’ve gone to, no matter where the restaurant is, the cost of the entrees, or the type of cuisine. Sadly, this thing I’ve noticed isn’t related to consistently great service (though I wish it was), and it doesn’t provide me with the fun and memorable experience that I can get from an iPad wine menu (hint, hint). The thing I’ve noticed is televisions.

In the past decade I have witnessed televisions that have ruined romantic, candle-lit dinners, but I have also seen televisions that have created stunning moments of togetherness in bars and breweries. Restaurateurs and bar owners, it’s time to consider the impact your televisions are having… and it’s time to think about whether you really need them. Read more

Your Secret Treasure Trove of Customer Feedback

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Your restaurant runs on customer feedback, right? If the chips are too salty, the fish too dry, the service too slow, or the wine selection too expensive, your customers will call you over and tell you. Immediately. If you think I’m delusional and you think that your customers would never tell you anything truthful about your food or service… well, you’re just not looking in the right places. Today’s post talks about the three main places you can find great customer feedback, and what you should look at. Read more

Why Uncorkd is the Best iPad Wine List Platform

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iPad wine and beverage menus are becoming more and more popular as restaurants learn about the benefits of the technology.  Not only do the digital menus provide a significant ROI by increasing sales, they also provide a number of other benefits, from improved staff training to saving time updating menus.

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Why Wine Tech is so Challenging and How it Can Improve

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There is a large problem with the current state of technology in the wine and beverage industry that hinders innovation across the entire supply chain, from producer to distributor to restaurant/retailer and ultimately the consumer.  It’s the reason why many tech startups in the wine, beer and spirits space have a hard time gaining traction; leaving dozens of web and mobile apps in the graveyard over the past twenty years. Whether technology at the table, such as Uncorkd, or consumer-facing apps, the problems all stem from the same place.  There are huge rewards for the companies that can change the status quo and for those that get on board with the technological advances.

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Using Technology to Improve Wait Staff Training

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Training your wait staff on your beverage menu can be difficult.  With frequent turnover among servers, new wines, beers, spirits and cocktails to learn and so much else to do, we hear frequently that staff training if one of biggest challenges for restaurant owners and managers.  Most of your staff already has smartphones and tablets, or at the very least, access to the internet.  So why not have your servers brush up on their knowledge away from the restaurant using their own devices?

Uncorkd digital menus make it easier to train wait staff on wine and other beverages.  Servers can use their own iPads or borrow them from the restaurant to study up on all your drinks, reading tasting notes, understanding producer information and learning food and wine pairings.    Many of our customers allow staff to take an iPad home for the night to study up on the menu, which can be very helpful when new beverages are added.

Beyond the iPads, Uncorkd provides a web-based version of the menu, complete with pictures and tasting notes.  Staff can access the beverage menu online from their computers or smartphones, to read up on things as well.  With access to the internet everywhere, there’s no excuse for servers to not be up to date on your latest menu changes.

If you’re focused on ensuring your staff is knowledgeable and well-trained, and all successful restaurants are,  then Uncorkd can better educate your staff (and your customers) on your beverage selections.  Cheers!

Three New Restaurants in Milwaukee Switch to Uncorkd iPad Wine Menus

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Three well-known restaurants in Milwaukee have started using Uncorkd digital beverage menus in July.  The restaurants include:

Mason Street Grill (425 E Mason St) inside the Pfister Hotel

Kil@wat (139 E Kilbourn Ave) inside the InterContinental Hotel

Milwaukee ChopHouse (633 N 5th St) inside the Hilton City Center Hotel

All three restaurants feature an extensive wine list currated by Sommeliers and also highlight specialty cocktails, local and craft beer.  If you’re in Milwaukee, be sure to dine at one of these great restaurants to experience the digital menus.

 

increase drink sales with a picture uncorkd

How to Increase Your Drink Sales without Saying a Word

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A lot of my tips revolve around training your servers or bartenders to memorize information and repeat it back when needed, or to ask key questions at opportune moments. Sometimes though, words just get to be too much. Here’s a tip to increase your drink sales without having to say a single word. Read more

Image of Vodka Pouring in Rocks Glass for Industry Benchmarks for Liquor Costs in Restaurants

Do You Need a Wireless Liquor Control System?

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If you’re considering implementing a wireless liquor control system, you’ve probably run up against a terrible problem such as bartender theft, devastating revenue loss, or such a lack of time and sleep that manual inventory maintenance has become impossible. All these events can lead you to a sense of desperation, and you may feel that you have no option but to buy a liquor maintenance system to regain control of your bar. But do you? This article addresses the pros and cons of wireless liquor control systems so that you can overcome your bar stressors. Read more

Sell More Expensive Wine With a Digital Wine Menu

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You’ve put a lot of work into making your restaurant a wonderful place to be. You have beautiful ambiance; the dishes that you serve are delicious, healthy, trendy, and fairly priced. You have a great wine menu and are good at getting people to order wine—but they only order less expensive wine, and you need your restaurant to make more money. If this sounds like you, you might need to be employing more sales techniques to convince your guests to buy higher ticket items. If you feel like you don’t want to jeopardize good relationships with your regulars by being a pushy salesperson, here are some tips and tricks for how you can get your digital wine menu cross-selling and upselling for you to sell more expensive wines, beers, or cocktails. Read more

Myths Debunked: 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use iPad Menus

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10 reasons you shouldn’t use iPad menus in your restaurant

The myths debunked…

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