5 Tools Under $200 to Reduce Costs in Bars & Restaurants

1. Pour Spouts = a Potential Savings of $45 of Revenue per Bottle (at Less than $3.25 per Spout)

Are you using controlled pour spouts to prevent over-pours? If not, you could be losing $45 worth of sales per bottle of liquor.

Spill-Stop reports that: The average cost of a drink with 1 ounce of liquor is $7.50.

If your bartenders consistently over-pour by 20%, that means you’re losing 6 drinks for every 1 liter bottle.

Six drinks = $45.00 in lost sales.

With high quality commercial pour spouts and a bit of training, you and your staff can get better drink consistency and improved beverage cost control.

Try: the Posi-Pour Measured Pourer from Spill-Stop. $38.34 per dozen. Also available in other sizes.

2. Citrus Wedgers: Less Labor, More Safety

Citrus wedgers are relatively inexpensive, and make the process of fruit prep less time consuming and safer for you and your staff. They also make the slice size more consistent.

It’s a small investment that will lead to you paying less for side work.

Try: The 6- wedge from Update International or this 8-wedge from Vollrath. This citrus wedger by BarMaid is also great for a bar because of its smaller footprint and low price point (less than $35.00).

3. Waterproof Scale: Measure Dusty Ingredients, Measure in the Walk-in, Save Time Cleaning

We love a water- and dust-proof scale option because it gives you a chance to accurately measure wet and dry ingredients (from fish to flour) without worrying about damaging your equipment. You and your staff will also spend less time cleaning it.

You can even put a waterproof scale on a cart and take it right into a walk-in, helping you portion ingredients in easy location with the proper temperature.

Try: Globe’s 10lb Waterproof Portion Control Scale.

4. Mandolin Slicers

If you need to slice and julienne often but not in too much bulk, a simple mandolin slicer offers a mid-point between slicing by hand and automation via an expensive machine.

It's faster so you can cut labor expenses, but it also provides an even cut for more consistent results.

Try: We've got a few mandolin slicers available at different price points, from about $35 to the $200 range. Take a look and let us know if you need help selecting one based on your projected usage. You could also try this handheld slicer from Zyliss if your usage will be very light.

5. Strip Doors/Strip Curtains

If you utilize walk-in refrigerators, installing a strip-door or strip-curtain can greatly cut HVAC costs while still allowing you and your staff to pass freely in and out.

You'll save money on utilities without hampering your staff's productivity, which is a win for everyone. You'll also help keep the contents of the refrigerator at proper temperature to prevent spoilage.

Try: Our selection of SAVE-T Strip Door Curtains, available in a number of different sizes. Or call us and describe your walk-in use, and we can recommend the right products.

Bonus:

We didn’t include this above because there is no option under $200. But if your establishment uses a lot of potatoes, manual peeling can be a drag on labor costs. Try this instead: peel 15-20 pounds of potatoes in 1-3 minutes with an Automatic Potato Peeler from Hobart. At more than $3k, this machine is an investment. But it will quickly pay for itself in reduced labor costs.