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For many restaurants, alcohol sales play an important role in
boosting their bottom lines. But serving alcohol also comes with great
responsibility. The Louisiana Restaurant Association offers the state-mandated
and approved, ServSafe alcohol-server training online at www.laserverpermit.com. Individuals
who serve or sell alcohol must complete the two-hour course within 45 days of
their hire date.
April marks National Alcohol Awareness Month, making it an
opportune time to check that you’ve established the proper procedures for
responsible alcohol service. Here’s how some operators are shouldering the
responsibility.
Training and tracking
Granite City Food & Brewery requires certification in
ServSafe Alcohol as a condition of employment, instructing new hires to
complete ServSafe Alcohol’s online training option prior to starting the job.
“That way we ensure 100 percent compliance,” says Michelle
Mason, senior director of operations development and training.
If an employee’s certification expires, Granite City’s
scheduling software won’t allow the worker to be assigned a shift. Expiration
dates are stored in HotSchedules, which automatically sends email notification
to the employee and management three weeks ahead, followed by several reminder
messages that note that the employee won’t be scheduled until recertified.
The Minneapolis-based company, which operates 30 Granite
City restaurants and five Cadillac Ranch units, received the 2014 VIBE Vista
Operator Award for Best Responsible Alcohol Service Program at the VIBE (Very
Important Beverage Executives) Conference in March. The award is sponsored by
the ServSafe Alcohol program.
Identifying minors
Granite City uses a POS reminder to prompt employees to
check IDs. The reminder specifies the birthdate that guests must be born on or
after to be served alcohol. At each pre-shift meeting, managers remind
employees of that critical date, and employees must record it on a “server
ready card” with other shift information.
“Empower employees to check IDs closely,” advises Kevin
Settles, president and CEO of Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery,
which operates three units in Idaho. “It can be intimidating for team members;
sometimes they are only 21 themselves.” He recalls police compliance checks at
neighboring restaurants, where employees asked for IDs but failed to notice
that the guests were underage. “You don’t get bonus points just for asking for
an ID,” he quips.
Failing a police compliance test, or “sting,” can result
in fines and a suspension of your liquor license — which means a loss of
income. It also can cause a damaging blow to your reputation.
CraftWorks
Restaurants & Breweries, whose restaurant concepts include
Gordon Biersch, Old Chicago and Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, instructs
employees to card any customer who looks 35 or younger. The company uses the
Bars Program to check compliance. Bars sends “customers,” aged 21-25, into
client restaurant locations to check carding procedures. “The program helps us
monitor whether our carding policies are being followed,” says Matt Thomas,
vice president of training for the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CraftWorks, which
has nearly 180 corporate-owned or franchised locations across the United
States.
Knowing when to say
“when”
Buffalo Wild Wings requires all front-of-the-house
employees to receive ServSafe Alcohol training. “Even greeters and cashiers,
who are not serving alcohol, need to be aware,” says Sally Lannier, director of
operations training for the Minneapolis-based chain, which has more than 1,000
restaurants across North America. In fact, greeters serve as a first line of
defense in identifying customers who could be under the influence upon entering
the restaurant. Buffalo Wild Wings won the 2013 VIBE Vista Operator Award for
Best Responsible Alcohol Service Program.
When a customer orders a third drink, team members alert
managers so they can help monitor the situation. If a guest needs to be cut
off, managers take on the delicate task, Lannier says. “They’re trained in
guest communications and know how to hold their ground.” If a situation begins
to accelerate, management doesn’t hesitate to call 911.
Responsible salesmanship
At Granite City, alcohol sales have increased by nearly
$500,000 in comparable restaurants and $3 million across the brand in the past
year, even as the company remained vigilant about responsible service. Mason
attributes the sales bump to an increase in special promotions and a heightened
emphasis on educating team members about the wines, spirits, beers and cocktails
on the menu. Over the winter, it ran an Operation Warm promotion, featuring
drinks like Poinsettia Cocktail and Buttered Toffee Martini. A percentage of
sales went to Operation Warm, which provides winter coats to children in need.
Every training session on the alcoholic beverage menu
incorporates a responsible service component to reinforce its importance. “We
tell employees: We want you to make a lot of money; we want the restaurant to
be successful,” says Mason. “But we want to do it responsibly.”
“I understand that Mardi Gras and alcohol
often go hand and hand; however, it’s ATC’s responsibility to make sure that
businesses are following the law and are not jeopardizing the safety of our
residents and visitors by serving underage persons,” said Commissioner Hebert.