In this article, discover three spectacular reasons why serving by the glass is beneficial for you, your guests, and the hospitality industry as a whole this year. In truth, by the glass could be the silver bullet to really help boost and support your business in 2022, offering the range and flexibility needed to mitigate difficult operating circumstances, consumer spending hesitations, health concerns, sustainability needs, and so much more!
- Advocate and offer healthier choices (without the sacrifice).
Don’t gasp in shock all at once now, but health, diet, and fitness have reigned as the top New Year’s resolutions planned in 2022, according to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey, 48% of U.S. adults say they want to exercise more, 44% express an interest in eating healthier, and 41% hope to lose weight. Keywords like ‘balance’ and ‘moderation’ will no doubt be circulating headlines and passing between mouths this January. Get your foot in the door by promoting and offering wine by the glass service and options!
A committee of scientists updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends, according to The New York Times, “that men and women who drink [should] limit themselves to a single serving of wine, beer or liquor per day.” Moderate drinking, as they call it, is a “marker for a healthy lifestyle” amongst the US public; reducing alcohol consumption is also reported to be beneficial for cardiovascular health. In tandem with this research, it is still possible for consumers to order at the bar without compromising their health goals! And here lies the beauty of wine by the glass menus: guests can still indulge and enjoy their favorite wines & Champagnes in much more moderate quantities, whilst still allowing you to make a great profit.
Serving by the glass gives your guests the freedom to enjoy something truly special and/or something they love without having to invest in the entire bottle. The incentive here is to drink less, but better! Rather than forfeit their health-related resolutions – or surrender any appreciation of luxury – consumers can celebrate and indulge in a more premium glass of wine or Champagne. The end result is happier customers making healthier choices, without the sacrifice! A double win for hospitality & its guests.
2. Allow guests to enjoy more premium wines.
It may only be the first month of the year, and we’ve touched upon this in the point above, but allowing your by the glass list to become a bit more premium can help you generate even greater profits all year round.
Sparkling and Champagne wine varieties, for example, have already been targeted as standout performers expected to make major headway in 2022. Whether it’s in efforts to make up for lost or missed celebrations or toasting to new & incredible achievements, sparkling wine is predicted to climb this year, according to IWSR. With this knowledge at hand, why not encourage your consumers to swap their regular choice, for something a little (or a lot) more premium?
Beyond just sparkling, a single glass of premium wine only costs a few dollars more than your standard offerings. Resultantly, by the glass makes your premium list a lot more reasonable and accessible for your guests. Also, rather than subjecting them to invest in an expensive bottle of something they have never sampled or heard of, by the glass allows them to still dip their toe in the premium pool.
Not to mention, a more premium wine list also translates into larger margins for you, the venue. As consumers spend more per glass, and in turn, bottle, your margin increases.
In your onerous efforts to bring people out and together, having something new and interesting by the glass for people to enjoy allows your customers to strike the balance between spend and enjoyment, rather than missing out on the spend entirely.
A taste of luxury at an affordable price, who could say no to that? Be sure to give your guests even more reason to celebrate (or continue to celebrate) this year with a glass of something truly special.
- Offer your guests an experience.
Drinking a glass of wine can be an experience all by itself! We are not just talking about a simple glass at a bar. Have you considered exploring different wine varieties? Why not offer a series of winter-themed wine flights? Can you host or provide opportunities for tasting experiences? Maybe spice up the menu with a new or reinvented delightful wine or Champagne cocktail?
West Village Wine Bar, Temperance in New York, has brought back their blind wine tasting evenings!
New, trending, up-and-coming wine regions can also spur interest. An article published by Decanter reports that “people will continue venturing out of their comfort zone in 2022, moving away from the traditional French and American labels, and drinking more esoteric wines from lesser-known regions throughout Italy and the rest of Europe, including Corsica, Slovenia, and Switzerland.”
Even something as simple as expanding your wine-by-the-glass list will not only delight your customers, it will encourage them to discover new, delectable, wider varieties of wines thanks to your now heightened & improved offerings. These offers and events are great ways for your diners to travel the world of wine without even leaving the bar – who wouldn’t appreciate a mini sensory escape right about now? A glass of wine can act as the perfect night out, all by itself!
Allow consumers to try something new and out of their comfort zone this year!
Worried about wastage from an extended by the glass service?
From the reasons above, there is a clear and strong business case to serve an incredible selection of wines by the glass. Boosting profits and delighting customers are goals that span every venue across the globe. Most venues, however, don’t due to the fear of wastage and not wanting to pour money down the drain!
There is a simple solution to unlock the profits and power of your wine list. With a professional still & sparkling wine preservation system by Bermar, you can serve still & sparkling wine by the glass with the knowledge that it will remain as the winemaker intended for up to 21 days after opening, courtesy of our revolutionary ePreserve technology. Simply put, stop pouring profits down the drain! This significant decrease in wine wastage is not only great for your bottom line but also a huge stepping stone towards a much more sustainable, ‘greener’ way for you to serve wine.
Essentially, with the help of a preservation system, by the glass sales curb the worry of wine wastage, giving you a longer, much more extended period to get through your stock. Even if numbers are different from previous years, you and your staff can still confidently open, pour, serve, and save again, and again, and again.
Drinking by the glass in 2022…
The trend towards by the glass menus has been steadily growing and makes for an enticing and experimental 2022 for your guests when they choose to drink out.
Sure, the mere thought of change and ‘shaking things up’ after a tumultuous year for the hospitality industry is a little bit daunting, if not scary. But to this we say: embrace the change! And, better yet, embrace the incredible benefits of offering and serving your wines and Champagnes by the glass:
- Support and encourage healthier consumer drinking habits.
- Offer a wider selection of wines & Champagnes, varying in price points, guaranteed to delight your customers.
- Provide your guests with memorable experiences they cannot recreate at home via your wine menu, designated wine evenings, events, and beyond.
While businesses continue to push, consumers, too, have felt the hardships and the fallbacks. Wine and Champagne by the glass should definitely be on your radar (and your menu!) this year. Whether it kicks up a conversation or acts as an alluring attraction for new and regular customers, serving by the glass helps you succeed & excel by giving you a better share of the profit in your pocket and allowing the customer to have an even better and more delicious experience at your venue.
So go on, start 2022 as you mean to go on…enticing and delighting customers at every turn.
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