Rescue Your Margins: The Drinks Mix That Keeps Money in the Till

Goodwill does not pay invoices. If your back bar is full of passion projects that rarely sell, you are strangling your own cashflow. Re-engineering the range takes a weekend workshop and pays back for months.

Map the Current Mix

Export three months of EPOS data and group drinks by category. Highlight the top 20% of lines that deliver 60% of revenue and flag the slow movers. Attach poured gross profit to each line so you know which items are subsidising the rest.

Build the Three-Tier Ladder

1. Comfort Tier: dependable pints, house wines, familiar spirits – price keenly to keep rounds flowing.
2. Hero Tier: local craft, premium G&Ts, frozen cocktails – your storytelling lines with 70%+ GP.
3. Show-Off Tier: limited barrels, single cask whisky, sharing cocktails – low volume but social-media-bait and high cachet.

Give every category at least one option in each tier so the team can build balanced rounds without thinking.

Reprice With Confidence

Instead of penny-pinching across the board, set deliberate trade-up gaps: £4.80, £5.50, £6.20, £7+. Guests then self-segment. Use clear chalkboard pricing and add tasting notes to justify the difference.

Train the Team on Round Crafting

Role-play scenarios: a four-top after work, a date night duo, a sports crowd. Teach bartenders to suggest one hero-tier product per round and explain why it suits the guest (local story, limited keg, better pairing). Reward upsell streaks with instant bonuses.

Partner Smartly With Suppliers

Ask for support that protects margin – tap takeovers, staff training, glassware, social assets – instead of yet another keg discount that expires in a month. Rotate guest lines every four weeks to keep excitement high without bloating stock.

Design Menus That Sell for You

Use simple icons (local, limited, staff favourite) and high-quality photography for signature serves. Place QR codes linking to short tasting videos. Digital screens behind the bar can spotlight a product every hour.

Mini FAQ

Should I drop slow movers entirely? Not if they serve a strategic purpose (e.g. whisky club) and carry high GP. Just control order quantities so cash is not trapped on the shelf.

How often should I review the mix? Quarterly at minimum, monthly during peak season. Tie reviews to stock counts so data stays honest.

A disciplined drinks ladder lets guests splash out happily while your bank balance finally breathes.