Bar consulting: how does it work?

A beer consultant is a specialist in brewing and, far beyond that, can help you with everything from choosing the right equipment to giving advice on the menu, management system, marketing, team training, regulations and other paperwork required for opening a bar.

That is why hiring a consultant is a legitimate way to make sure your new bar has all the elements needed for success. In this article we will cover everything you need to know about hiring a beer consultant to open your new establishment!

Experience is key!

There are several benefits to working with a consultancy to open a bar, but one of the main ones is being in touch with people who have years of experience in the field. That is why, before hiring a consultant, it is essential to evaluate their professional track record. We are not telling you to dig through the consultant's past, just look for consultancies that have already worked with business models similar to yours.

With so many details to keep in mind, even the most experienced bar owner needs a little help sometimes. To find a consultancy that truly solves the questions of opening and running your bar day to day, it is essential to look for people working on projects similar to yours.

From planning to execution

The consultant's experience can ensure that your planning is robust and does not undergo major changes along the way, which avoids rework and other unpleasant surprises. Predictability in your business is a crucial point to make sure your money is invested in the best possible way.

Before the project is executed, a consultant can advise you on the best paths to follow in terms of business model, a decision that will directly affect the choice of equipment, suppliers, the logic of running the business, the choice of team and location, among other services/products that will represent recurring costs for the business.

The pricing is a crucial stage of planning. To price consistently and in line with your operation's expected expenses, nothing beats broad market experience - and a lot of math (see why your business's predictability is so important?). 

A good example is seasonality: beverage businesses are extremely seasonal, and revenue in “low” months can be up to 70% lower than in “good months.” In the Customer Week webinars series we talked with bar owners about bar management, and seasonality was a very hot topic, especially in the  4th episode with owners Eduardo, of Cervejaria Fora da Lei, and Edgard, of Cervejaria Alquimistas. It is worth watching!

During operation

Any problems not foreseen during planning will be harder to solve once the bar is open. For a project that follows an organized schedule, you need to know the time of each process: from installing the refrigeration system, to the details of the draft beer line and the production line (in the case of breweries), plus the POS system setup and integration, etc.

In this sense, beer consulting is highly recommended for the early stages of the establishment, until the bar owner is aware of all the bar's management processes and technically trained through the consultant's guidance. In the first months of the bar operating, the consultancy takes on a strategic role: making sure customers are pleasantly surprised. The audience that likes craft beers can be very demanding, so the consultancy will handle your beer list with care and make sure your draft beer taps work fully.

The strategy also involves steering the bar toward its target audience. For example, if you want to attract the type of customer who prefers local craft beers, a beer consultant can guide you to the best options, with their direct contacts at breweries. It will also be their job to create a coherent beer list, balanced in terms of styles, as well as to pay attention to how they are served: from choosing the types of glasses for each specific draft beer to pairing ideas and a customer experience that goes beyond the draft beer.

In addition, they can offer advice on how to prepare various drinks and how to run the bar. If you do not have much experience with beer or bar setup, this help is invaluable. They will understand how to get the best out of each beer and how to get the most from your budget with drinks and cocktails.

Conclusion

Beer lovers will appreciate the specialized knowledge and attention to detail! The customers most engaged with beer culture will be willing to invest time choosing among an overwhelming selection of draft beers. Less experienced customers, on the other hand, will need a nudge: good communication about the characteristics of the draft beers, and a trained team able to make a good recommendation that will bring a positive experience to that customer. These are the traits of a high-level beer business!

So, if you want to create a high-level beer program from scratch, working with a consultant who knows the ins and outs of the industry may be the best decision. Providing the best possible customer experience is the myTapp philosophy - just like providing the best management experience to the bar owner. That is why we have partner consultancies so that beer businesses can start from zero with the confidence of those who already know where they want to go: having a successful bar!

Learn about the work of Vitor Antoniazzi, Beer Consultant at Craft Crew Consultoria. He is a brewmaster and a professor at the largest beer school in Latin America, the Escola Superior de Cerveja e Malte.

The myTapp self-pour system improves your customer's experience, reduces your costs and helps you control your operation. Get in touch with our team to learn more! 

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