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I happen to be a big fan of Popeye’s new Crispy Chicken sandwich. I have tried a lot of the different brands chicken sandwiches and haven’t found one that I like as much. It does not matter which Popeye’s restaurant I go to because they have done a great job in making sure that they have established a continuity program that works.
Once you find something that you like and you go back to a restaurant to get it again, you order it expecting it to be just like the last time you got it...not similar...but the same.
My wife is not a “drinker”, in fact the only time she does order an alcoholic drink is at a Tex/Mex restaurant and the drink is a mango margarita. I have to admit, it is terrific. We went there once and it didn’t taste the same...she complained to the waitress and expressed her disappointment. A short while later the manager came over and apologized and explained that their regular bartender quit and they hired a replacement. He went on to tell her that they have their own recipe book but sometimes one bartender will unintentionally over or under pour an ingredient. Well, that did not go over very well and she ended up drinking water with her meal and the restaurant lost a $10.00 sale.
Continuity is obviously very important in foodservice, whether it’s food or drinks. I love the Southwest Eggrolls appetizer at one national chain, but that is simple to have continuity for them in all their stores. You take them frozen out of the box and bake them in the oven for the prescribed amount of time at the prescribed temperature. But, for frozen cocktails from a busy bar it is not so simple. A bartender usually does not have the time to check a recipe and accurately measure each ingredient...so they end up freehand pouring them.
There is finally a solution for this common problem. Steve’s Frozen Chillers a 20 year old Frozen Drink Mix brand has recently started a new program that can offer any restaurant 100% continuity for their cocktails. They will create a recipe for you (to your specifications) and bottle the ingredients (including the alcohol) together so that there cannot be anymore variations. Every margarita, pina colada, rumrunner, daiquiri or any other drink will taste the same no matter which bartender serves it.
Remember....In most full service restaurants 75% of the sales are food items and 25% beverages. BUT, 25% of the profits are from food and 75% of the profits are from the beverages.
For further information call Steve Schoenberg at (561)723-1817 or email him at steve@stevesfrozenchillers.com