Dreading Dry January?
Low Beer No Fear
View our 7 step guide to turn January into a great month!
With the Christmas period finally over, there is a social expectation to be healthy and drink less alcohol. These days, it’s not just over indulging during the festive period that is causing a stop to alcohol, whilst generations of years passed loved a drink or 10, with bingeing and lunchtime pints, With 1 in 5 adults not drinking at all. Today, Gen Z are less interested in alcohol and more focused on getting their hands on zero/ low alcohol. This common trend shows 24% of consumers, mainly in the 18-24 year age bracket, who say they don’t drink alcohol. This can put fear into any hospitality business.
Dreading Dry January?
Low Beer No Fear
View our guide on turning January into a great month!
With the Christmas period finally over, there is a social expectation to be healthy and drink less alcohol. These days, it’s not just over indulging during the festive period that is causing a stop to alcohol, whilst generations of years passed loved a drink or 10, with bingeing and lunchtime pints, With 1 in 5 adults not drinking at all. Today, Gen Z are less interested in alcohol and more focused on getting their hands on zero/ low alcohol. This common trend shows 24% of consumers, mainly in the 18-24 year age bracket, who say they don’t drink alcohol. This can put fear into any hospitality business.
Microtill have put together a handy guide to help you out in this quiet period and throughout 2023
1. Advertise zero/ low alcohol- on trend
Zero alcohol beverages means inclusion. Those who felt left out can now feel included, whatever their reason for wanting something alcohol free. There are so many non alcohol options out there now, from beers to ciders, wines, gins and liqueurs, there is bound to be something that fits into your venue and will make a great feature for your business whether it is a venue, bar or restaurant amongst other places. Did you know most mainstream companies now offer their products with twin zero alcohol options, this is highly worth exploring, especially when your local rival is probably going to offer it also. Find out if there are any local brewers or companies offering zero and low alcohol products. Create some buzz around whatever you decide and try to stand out. You could come up with taster days or tasting menus where you can pair non alcoholic drinks with different food. Remember to always advertise on flavour and occasion to create that excitement for the chosen product.
2. Review and measure your stock
The slump of January is a great time for a bit of “spring cleaning”. It is the perfect opportunity to measure stock levels, top up on those items that you are low on and make changes to anything performing badly. Take this time to review those under performing products and replace them with Low alcohol alternatives that are popular in other places. Increasing options for your customers is always going to be a good thing. Microtill’s simple back office cloud makes your business so much easier to manage with visibility of all your stock.
3. Training your staff in the art of upselling
Take the time to give your staff some training on upselling techniques. Advise them on how to upsell but also recommend products and add-ons. You could recommend upselling water or a diet coke to premium zero alcohol alternatives that the customer may not have considered.
Did you know Microtill’s handheld tablets offer prompt hints for the staff and on the mobile ordering app? You can set it up so that customers can see your chosen products right at the very top, with additional add-ons made easy and customers are more likely to have add-on items when mobile ordering.
4. Create mocktails for a fun alcohol alternative bar menu
Don’t let cocktails disappear completely off your menu, why not create a fun and healthy mocktail alternative menu. From using fresh fruit in smoothies, alcohol-free spirits and sugar free soft drinks in your creation, get your creative juices flowing and delight the crowd. They can look just as beautiful and appealing as alcohol counterparts and there are so many spirit alternatives on the market to choose from. Microtill offers handy drink recipe print outs straight from the till, so your staff will never get confused on the cocktails they are making.
5. Advertise premium products
Push your products! How will anyone know about your great new products and offers unless you advertise them properly? With social media, let the world know what you are doing. Post stories and ‘grams of your gorgeous works of art and inspire zero alcohol beer. Post in facebook groups about your exciting venture, talk about your love for these products and why people should be trying them. Create a trendy TIKTOK that creates a buzz with your beers and cocktails paired with healthy food options that taste delicious. There are so many ways you can express this.
6. Promote low alcohol drinks with offers and promotions
You may already do mid week offers such as a burger and a beer or BOGOFS or even a vegan set menu, but how about creating a healthy set menu to complement this, offering bunless burgers or salad/ veg instead of chips, and having a zero/ low alcohol selection to go with it. Make sure you have a couple of zero alcohol options in your current deals, making sure no stone is left unturned. That way, those that want to drink and eat chips still can, but you also have a simple way to entice all those people that you will miss out on in January and end up going elsewhere.
Push a healthy set menu or tasting menu with zero alcohol pairings and create a special event or set days where people can sample your creations and show how special healthy food and premium zero alcohol is. From cheese and charcuterie, steaks and salads to vegan and vegetarian options. You could even offer mocktail mixology lessons or masterclasses, now that sounds like a lot of fun.
7. Boost sales all year round
Don’t just let all this stop with January. Use the tips above to carry on all year round as it looks like this is anything but a fad and is here to stay. Stay mindful, promote healthy eating and drinking, keep an eye on the latest trends and what drinks are hot and proudly shout about what you are offering. Inspire your customers and give plenty of options and reasons to come back.
Contact us for an instant quote on how Microtill can help your business.
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