Current trends in hospitality have restaurants and other establishments moving back towards fine dining in the sense of providing an optimal guest experience. Food service professionals are paying closer attention to detail, carefully choosing the dinnerware, flatware, glassware and tabletop accessories to mirror the company brand, as well as meet the unique needs of the customer. When trends in presentation, such as those in the cocktail and mixology industry, start to change, restaurateurs must adapt their menu selection and drink presentation to stay current.
Any restaurateur’s first step in updating glassware should be to evaluate current trends and compare to one’s drink menu. With traditional cocktails, retro style glassware and micro-breweries of beer being all the rage, a bar wishing to be successful needs not only a menu featuring what is popular, but also the glassware that properly presents the drink to the customer. The type of glassware purchased depends on the branding message food service professionals want to convey to customers.
Many restaurants and bars choose to serve a variety of drinks in pint glasses and tumblers, but these glasses do not increase the profitability of a top shelf spirit or locally brewed beer. If a bar doesn’t demonstrate the quality of the beverages they sell, customers will not perceive the brand as one with high class and quality, and in turn, will not be willing to pay more for a cocktail or beer.
For example, if cocktails such as the classic Old Fashioned or Manhattan are on the drinks list, replacing a tumbler with a cut-glass design Rocks glass adds sophistication to presentation. A snifter instead of a pint glass highlights the flavors and aromas of a micro-brew beer, and demonstrates to the customer that the finer details are of equal importance as the quality of food and service. Increasing the perception of value with an elegant presentation allows for higher pricing, charging for the ingredients as well as the unique guest experience.
-G. Stegall
