Making sure you know what products your customers want to buy and being able to provide them is key to running a successful business. When you are actually set up and running as a licensee you will have a huge range of products to choose from. Companies will be trying to sell you their wares on a daily basis. Some of it will be right for you, but some of it won’t so making sure that you have some structure as to how you choose your product range and offering is essential.
Drink
You need to know your customer and what they will and won’t buy from you. It’s no good buying a case of RTDs because they were cheap if your customer base is made up only of real ale fanatics… It just won’t work. But there are some strong reasons why you need to be aware of the products available to you and their quality. It’s always better, for example, to stock the big name brands that are relevant to your customers. Soft drinks is a really good example of why it is important, as lesser-known brands suffer with taste problems that may affect the quality of your drinks when serving them as mixers.
Take a look at the latest news on all of the major drinks categories by clicking on the relevant link below:
Food
Food has become much more important for successful pub businesses over the last few years due to the Smoke Free Legislation that has been rolled out over the UK. Offering food is a good way to bolster your drinks business and there are a lot of different options that you can use dependent on the outlet that you buy.
A food offering will only work if you offer something that suits your outlet or its surrounding area if you are trying to build your business. So, find out what that is by researching well in advance and making the relevant preparations. There are a number of food types you could sell:
Sandwiches (Cold)
A simple selection of pre-made sandwiches served from behind the bar. Make sure you label them clearly and put a made time and date on them.
Hot Bar Snacks
Simple snacks provided via a specialist heater or microwave.
Bar Menu
A selection of simple snacks, chips, burgers, sandwiches etc but made in a kitchen environment to order.
Family Food
Simple sit down meals that cater for the whole family. Range of simple starters, mains and scrummy puddings.
Fine Dining
Anything from themed menus such as Indian or Italian right through to great roast dinners or gastropub food.
You can access lots more information on Food, including current trends and articles to help you get started in our FOOD SECTION!