I was out with friends for dinner on one of the rare nights I give myself off, talking about the restaurant business. We had a wonderful evening and as the night wore on, decided to stay and close down the bar. At his bar, we met some interesting ladies and quickly struck up a repoire with them. In the course of the usual banter, we all identified ourselves by what we do professionally. When the name of my establishment came up, one of the ladies exclaimed, "I went there once, and the drinks were too strong".

I never really gave it too much thought, until a few nights later when I was at work and had a customer complain directly to me about a drink being too strong. Of course, I pulled my bar staff aside and let them know that not everyone appreciates a stiff drink, but watching them through the night, I noticed that my speech did little to help matters. After we closed, I asked them why they continued to poor strong and got a variety of responses. The service bar bartender said it was force of habit while both who worked the regular bar informed me that they usually get better tips as a result. Knowing full well that the gesture is more appreciated than the result, I decided to do something about the situation.

I called my restaurant equipment supplier, who suggested I use a rotary shot dispenser to solve the problem. I purchased a full compliment of them for the most popular liquors and immediately noticed a difference... in my bottom line! Within two weeks of installing the rotary dispensers, my liquor costs fell substantially, which boosted my profit margin considerably.

To me, a good equipment supplier is one who understands the restaurant business and can make recommendations based on the circumstances of the individual eatery. My equipment supplier also helped design my kitchen for maximum efficiency and was instrumental in helping me decide on the equipment that suits my situation the best, though it was often less expensive that what I would have purchased from him on my own. The company I deal with has saved me a lot of time and money and helped me avoid many problems I would have experienced otherwise.

Oh, and incidentally, I asked my bartenders about the tips they were receiving after we installed the shot dispensers. They were concerned their income would suffer, but in fact, their tips went up. Doing something the right way always pays off, whether it's making a drink or finding the right restaurant equipment supplier.