Of the many places restaurants and foodservice operations can look for ways to trim their budgets, ice selection and glassware are among the last to come to mind. The dining experience, menu selection, number of part-time versus full-time staff and other factors are among the first items mentioned when sorting out the finances. But something as simple as ice or glass selection can make a major difference in the bottom line.
Ice: Half- or full-dice?
Ice comes in a number of different styles that include half-dice, full-dice, crushed, nuggets, flake and more. The most common styles are half-dice and full-dice. Ice selection can be helpful if restaurants are trying to reduce beverage consumption.
Typically, quick-serve restaurants that do not serve alcohol use half-dice. Half-dice is rhomboid shaped and is 3/8’’x1-1/8’’x7/8’’ in dimension. Its design yields nearly a 100 percent ice-to-liquid ratio and the cube’s design allows beverage containers to fill with more ice at one time. These smaller cubes also compact themselves and displace more volume, allowing less waste usually stemming from multiple refills.
Full-dice is more popular in full-service restaurants that serve alcohol. This style of ice is a thicker rhomboid shaped with dimensions of 7/8’’x7/8’’x7/8’’. Its design also yields a nearly 100 percent ice-to-liquid ratio, but fewer cubes fill a single beverage container and this changes the temperature of the liquid faster than half-dice. Full-dice cubes melt slowly, allowing the liquid to cool quickly without watering it down. Most mixologists would agree that this variety of ice cube keeps the drink colder and allows the cocktail or beverage to maintain its natural flavor without watering it down. In most cases, alcoholic beverages are the most effective way to increase check-averages.
Glassware choices make a big difference
A simple element to maximize the profits in a beverage program is glassware selection. Glassware design and presentation are the two primary components in the decision-making process and they often affect the dining experience.
There are two options when selecting pint glasses: a 16-ounce glass and a glass of the same size and that holds 14 ounces. These 14-ounce glasses are known as ‘falsies’ and they have a thicker glass portion at the bottom that is about one inch in height. The ‘falsies’ are more substantial in weight and this weight along with the design can convince patrons that they are using standard 16-ounce glasses.
To quantify the potential savings, consider the number of glasses in a keg of beer. A standard half-keg of beer has approximately 1,984 ounces, so the two-ounce difference in glasses can yield a savings of around 13 percent per keg.
Wine glasses
While not every restaurant has a sommelier on staff, those with beverage programs that include wine are presented with many more opportunities to further maximize their profitability. Wine glasses are generally composed of three parts (the bowl, stem and foot) and the average sizes for wine glasses are 9, 12 and 18-ounces. Glass selection can dictate the number of pours per bottle of wine, similar to the pint glasses mentioned earlier but one of the most important features of a wine glass is the natural pour line.
The natural pour line is the middle section of the bowl where it begins to turn inward and it is used as the stopping point when pouring wine. Less-expensive glasses may not have defined natural pour lines and this can cause staffers to over-pour, resulting in a waste of precious resources. The glass used for an individual serving of wine should provide the appearance of value with the goal of leading to a second pour or sale. Natural pour lines are an easy way to enhance the presentation while helping to control costs.
When serving wine by the bottle, most restaurants typically seat tables of four people. To maximize the opportunity for a second sale, the selected wine glass should allow a table to get approximately five or six pours per bottle. This increases the chance of the table ordering another bottle of wine.
Scott Attman is a third-generation family member-owner of Acme Paper and Supply Company and currently serves as the director of new business partnerships. His e-mail is scattman@acmepaper.com.