Sponsored by Lancer Worldwide
When the pandemic fades and customers want to dine out again, will you be their host? Will you offer the restaurant experiences they have been craving so long, such as enjoying specialty beverages with friends in a comfortable, hospitable setting?
For customers, beverages represent a world of exciting trends and tastes. For operators, they are a major avenue of business recovery. A well-chosen selection of on-trend beverages poured with an upgraded draft system is the key to meeting high customer expectations and setting your establishment apart from the competition.
The power of versatility
With an upgraded draft system, an operator can offer a varied and flexible selection of the on-trend beverages guests crave, such as seasonal craft beers, premixed craft cocktails, boutique wines on tap, trendy cold brew and nitro coffee and refreshing kombucha.
The kōld-Draw™ Draft System by Lancer™ Worldwide pours all of those beverages with optimum speed, efficiency and temperature control. In addition, it stands out from competing systems by making it quick and easy to change selections as customer tastes change.
The key to the kōld-Draw difference is its patented modular cold-block design. It features 360-degree cooling by embedded glycol channels that flow cold glycol through modular cold blocks. This cools a larger surface area with greater energy efficiency and keeps products at proper serving temperature. In addition, the fact that the cold blocks are modular permits quick assembly and changeover of products on the draft tower.
Notably, that versatility is standard with a stock Lancer™ tower. “This is the only system that can run multiple temperatures with a stock-built tower,” says Phillip Ogle, director of sales at Lancer™ Worldwide. In contrast, competing draft systems typically require a custom-built tower, which may cost the operator 10% to 30% more.
Another important benefit of a versatile and flexible draft system is the freedom to focus on the quality, rather than quantity, of choices. Operators are turning to much smaller draft setups today compared to those that were common in the past. “I see fewer 40-, 60-, 80- and 100-tap systems and more fours, sixes, eights and tens,” says Ogle. Reducing inventory and focusing on the beverages that are hottest right now have helped many operators weather pandemic-driven business downturns.
“Every day, I am being approached to build a soda-beer tower or a soda-coffee-beer tower,” says Ogle. Depending on the clientele’s tastes, there may be a red wine, cocktail or kombucha option as well.
Tapping the nitro craze
Flexibility also means the ability to promote on-trend products such as nitro coffee, a very appealing draft beverage with its eye-catching, cascading head of foam. “There is a lot of push in the marketplace for nitro draft coffee,” says Ogle. “Formerly, people may have thought it was a fad. But we see it as a very viable industry with tens of millions of dollars of opportunity.”
The nitrogen gas that propels nitro coffee gives it a sweeter and smoother taste than hot-brewed coffee. In addition, it has more caffeine than hot brew, which appeals to people seeking an energy lift.
The need for speed
It is safe to assume that no matter what customers will be drinking in the future, they will want it served faster and with optimum quality. Thus the need for speed is making the service all sorts of beverages on draft, not just beer, a growing customer expectation.
In practical terms, that means the convenience of having a perfectly made Manhattan poured from the keg and served at the bar or table in mere moments, without waiting for it to be stirred by hand. “The bartender doesn't have to mix each cocktail because it is pre-batched and poured out of a normal beer faucet,” says Ogle.
Likewise, an appealing glass of boutique wine can be poured from the tap without keeping the guest waiting for a cork to be pulled.
In business terms, there is a clear correlation between pouring beverages faster and selling more of them. Having the beverages kegged and ready to pour also means less labor at the point of service. In the case of cocktails, standardized batch recipes ensure consistently perfect drinks. Furthermore, that keeps beverage cost in line because expensive spirits are not overpoured at the bar.
Given the pressing need to bring customers back, there has never been a more critical time for restaurant operators to highlight on-trend beverages with a state-of-the-art draft system. For more information on how the Lancer™ Worldwide kōld-Draw Draft System makes your restaurant more appealing and profitable, visit lancerworldwide.com.
