Offering bottle service requires you to dive deep and research, develop a solid menu, and also smartly invest in technology to compete in this market.
This is because most business owners in the food and beverage industry face the challenge of making a profit despite the rigorous inflation rate of alcoholic beverages.
Ycharts, a financial research and proposal platform, reported a 0.90% inflation rate in the US as of May 2024, which is higher than the long-term average of 0.40%.
Despite this, a National Restaurant Association (NRA) report says that 67% of consumers would want to spend money on an experience more than purchasing an item in a store or club.
If you’ve been contemplating adding bottle service to your establishment, then here’s a comprehensive guide curated for you. Plus, there are expert tips on how you can improve the service using a QR code menu software.
How does bottle service work?
Bottle service offers a private table service, where customers can purchase this service and have a server bring drinks (mostly premium and branded ones) to their table.
This allows them to focus on their evening and spend more time with their family and friends instead of lining up for drinks.
What distinguishes it from the usual club table service is that VIP guests can reserve an area ahead of time.
From there, they can take their order using a specialized menu that is received by their assigned bottle servers.
7 essential steps for implementing a bottle service effectively
Research and plan
Just like any other service, it’s crucial to understand the demand for such a service in your area.
Start with your analysis of the local nightlife, entertainment, and fine dining scene. Look into the popularity of similar restaurant and nightclub bottle services offered by competitors and assess how well they are performing.
You can gather this information through market reports and surveys and even visit other establishments that offer the same.
After completing this initial step, identify your target demographics. Consider also factors like age, income level, lifestyle, and social habits they have.
For instance, bottle services often appeal to affluent individuals who prioritize exclusive and personalized experiences.
Design the VIP area
Creating a VIP area requires a thoughtful approach to layout, ambiance, comfort, and exclusivity.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Layout and ambiance
The VIP area should be strategically located within your bar or restaurant to provide an exclusive feel while still being visible enough to attract attention.
Consider having it in a semi-private section, perhaps elevated or separated by stylish partitions, to create a sense of seclusion without completely isolating the space.
Lighting is a key component, as this can set the right mood. So, it’s better to use adjustable lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Incorporate a few elements like LED strips, chandeliers, or high-floor lamps.
- Furniture and decor
You can’t go wrong with investing in high-quality furniture that offers both comfort and style.
Choose materials and colors that align with the overall theme of your establishment but also stand out as more luxurious and exclusive.
For instance, leather or velvet upholstery can provide a premium feel.
- Privacy and security
While this area should be semi-visible, it must also provide a sense of privacy for guests.
You can use sheer curtains, stylish dividers, or frosted glass partitions to subtly separate the space from the main area.
To visualize this, you need helping hands from professionals. So, it’s best to hire restaurant architects to further build your idea into something feasible.
Curate the bottle service menu
Create your drink menu for this service with a diverse range of premium spirits, including vodka, champagne, whiskey, gin, rum, and tequila.
This ensures that you cater to different tastes and preferences. Be keen on highlighting well-known luxury brands as well as unique, high-quality options that might be less common.
Alongside with that, provide a wide range of mixers for your guests to customize their drinks according to what they want.
Use fresh and high-quality garnishes such as lime wedges, lemon slices, olives, cherries, and herbs.
Present your menu in a visually appealing manner, where every description of each bottle is readable. This helps customers make informed choices and enhances their appreciation of the offerings.
Hire staff
The effectiveness of your business lies behind the caliber of your staff, which impacts the quality of the customer service and the efficiency of your operations.
Before deploying your job postings, first, know the positions you need. If you haven’t come up with a list yet, here’s a rundown:
- Service hosts/hostesses
They are responsible for welcoming guests, managing reservations, and ensuring VIP guests have a seamless and enjoyable experience.
- Servers or Bottle Servers
Servers handle the service directly, including preparing and serving drinks, presenting them with flair, and attending to the guest’s needs throughout the night.
- Security staff
They ensure the safety and security of your VIP guests, manage access to the VIP area, and handle incidents professionally and discreetly.
Once you finalize your job listings, clearly outline the qualifications, skills, and experience required for each role.
Have these advertised through online job sites and job fairs, or encourage your employees to recommend candidates with referral benefits in return.
Manage inventory and operation
A successful implementation comes with how effective inventory control and well-organized operations are.
You can use specialized restaurant technology like inventory management software to track inventory levels in real time.
This prevents you from overstocking or running out of popular items.
In addition to this, conduct regular physical audits of your inventory to ensure accuracy. Compare the physical count with the data in your system.
For operational efficiency, develop comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all bottle service-related tasks.
This keeps everyone on the team performing with the utmost diligence of the SOPs, maintaining the quality of service you provide.
Gather feedback for continuous improvement
Customer feedback is essential for thoroughly understanding your customers’ experiences, pinpointing areas that need work, and upholding a high-level of service.
There are various methods and strategies for doing this. One is direct customer feedback, where you provide comment cards in the VIP area for guests to fill out at their convenience.
You can use digital surveys as an alternative. Here, you can send follow-up emails to customers after their visits, including a link to an online survey.
Or have them scan a digital menu QR code placed on the table tents for convenient access by scanning it through their mobile devices.
The information you gather can be a good indicator of where your business stands and the improvements that have to be made for its growth.
Foster customer loyalty
You can build loyalty with your customers by offering special perks for your regulars.
Rewards programs are a good starting point for you. You can design them so that customers earn points for every bottle they purchase, which can be redeemed for discounts, free bottles, or other exclusive benefits.
Communication is vital also for maintaining good relationships with your guests. You can share a card of gratitude sent through their emails and regularly update them with the changes you have.
This will make them feel involved and valued, providing an opportunity for them to pay you a visit.
5 strategies to optimize this drink service
Train staff thoroughly
Well-trained staff in both technical aspects and customer interaction is paramount.
Having them undergo constant training programs to understand the menu by heart, learn upselling techniques, and deliver excellent service will assure you of a boost in your revenue.
This is emphasized in a research study from the LAB University of Applied Sciences in Finland, whose results confirmed the necessity of staff training — particularly in fine-dining restaurants — to provide a professional work environment and offer the highest quality of customer service.
The findings also added that this solidifies customer trust and satisfaction.
It would be much more effective if you’re going to set up a series of simulation activities with waitstaff acting out what they’ve learned from their training.
This is to evaluate if they’re able to keep up the standard of your restaurant or bar and identify the areas of improvement.
Create an exclusive experience
Since this service suggests exclusivity, make the whole experience even more special for your guests.
Add to your bar menu ideas list the premium bottles, personalized service, and exclusive perks they can enjoy once they book it.
For premium drink menu options, provide choices of high-end or rare bottles that aren’t available on the regular menu. These could be rare liquors from abroad, vintage wines, or limited-edition spirits.
You can assign a dedicated server or drink service specialist to each table for a more personalized drinking experience.
Or provide options for personalized touches like engraved bottles or custom labels that are tailored to your customers’ preferences.
Of course, offering exclusive perks completes the whole service. These can include custom cocktails, special mixers, or a reserved VIP section.
Implement a strategic pricing structure
Developing strategic pricing means setting the price based on the service’s value to the customer or its competitive markup price rather than the cost of production.
This kind of approach acknowledges that customers frequently base their decisions on psychology rather than logic, and the product or service that is most valuable to them may not always be the most costly to produce or provide.
Here are some tips to help you design an effective pricing structure:
- Understand your market
Analyze your target demographic’s spending habits to measure the price range. Remember to research your competitors’ pricing to position the cost.
- Conduct cost analysis
Calculate the cost of each bottle, including wholesale price, delivery, and storage. Consider operational costs such as staff wages, utilities, and marketing.
- Apply a mark-up strategy
Usually, the prices are marked up by 2-3 times the retail prices. But you can adjust it based on the type of liquor you have.
- Use tiered pricing
Offer different price tiers for standard, premium, and ultra-premium bottles. It helps customers choose which one among the drink items suits their budget.
- Set a minimum spending requirement
Though you want to offer more reasonable prices for all, it’s only fair to have a minimum requirement for reserving a table or VIP area.
This is to ensure that you get an equitable profit margin, considering the quality of service you’re giving.
Consider peak and off-peak pricing to maximize revenue profit during high-demand times.
Leverage technology
Enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction are expected for this kind of service in your bar or restaurant.
Obviously, customers want to experience the value of what they paid for. And technology has always been a tool for living up to such expectations.
Mckinsey & Company’s research findings have implied that digital services and operations have raised the competitive bar in every sector. So, it’s a forward-thinking move for businesses to embrace this new operational model.
You can explore various advanced tools, like a QR code menu ordering system or reservation software, which can make the whole process of buying a product or service an end-to-end experience for customers.
Tip: If you’re going to use QR codes as an ordering tool, make sure to let your customers know how to scan a menu QR code for a smooth operation, especially those who haven’t used this.
Promote and market your nightclub bottle service effectively
Effective promotion and marketing can give you a huge advantage in reaching out to your target audience.
Pair your traditional marketing method with a modern one like social media as a marketing channel.
With users spending an average daily social media usage of 143 minutes per day, your opportunity to market is at its peak.
But, you also need to be strategic on how to maximize your social media for restaurants or bars to see visible results.
What you can do is create content that piques the interest of your audience: it could be special offers like discounts or package deals.
Be active in engaging with your audience by answering their inquiries. This can help you gradually build a community around your business, making it easier to promote your product or service.
Equipping your service with MENU TIGER’s QR code menu software
What makes bottle service different from the other services you have is its personalization, exclusivity, and high level of operations.
It creates a space and menu for people with deep pockets to enjoy a luxury feel overall.
Achieving this usually needs quite a sum of money, but leveraging advanced technology like MENU TIGER’s smart menu software trims down your cost while keeping (or bringing) the quality of service to a higher level.
To get to know more about this, here’s a list of its features, solutions, and benefits, to name a few:
Virtual menu with a digital restaurant menu QR code
Having a menu that is accessible through their devices provides them the time to skim through it without a staff waiting for them to order.
With QR codes on table tents, visitors can access all information about your offerings, including high-resolution images of each item.
Here’s the best thing about it: they can personalize their orders with the available add-ons you have just clicks, which can cost you a lot if you use a traditional paper menu when updating them.
Real-time updates
Speaking of updates, you can change your offerings anytime and anywhere without spending a single dime compared to having them printed.
This saves you a huge amount of money on printing, which can be allocated to other aspects like renovation or even be added to your contingency fund.
Call button system
One of the perks that comes with this drink service is its exclusive and personalized experience, like having a staff designated to serve them.
But the ratio might not be even if you have limited staff serving compared to the number of tables you have.
So, to accommodate them, you need to have a request system that allows your staff to be notified properly.
Good thing MENU TIGER has this restaurant call button system that presents a streamlined system of receiving customer requests, whether it’s to clear out the plate or add a wine glass to the table.
These requests are automatically registered to the counter, allowing staff to respond accordingly.
Sales analytics
You can now have your daily sales report using this software.
This can also act as your simplified inventory tracker to know the number of bottles left at the end of your daily operations so that you’ll be able to source out ahead of time.
Boost your revenue using this premium service
Increasing your revenue through high-end bottle service is a strategic move that can greatly improve your business.
In addition to drawing in a more affluent audience, providing a luxurious experience also boosts client loyalty and satisfaction.
This can set you apart from your competitors and develop a distinctive selling proposition.
Let advanced technology like MENU TIGER QR code menu software up the ante and offer your guests an unprecedented and premium service that is hard to say no to.
Visit the website and sign up to turn your business into the most happening destination in town.
