Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/103517
BEST CHAIN WINE PROGRAM SHERATON HOTELS & RESORTS Starwood Hotels & Resorts recognized the social aspect behind sharing great wine and it made wine the central focus of the Sheraton brand's selects and Social Hour programs. In addition to generating higher wine sales, the program aims to draw guests into the hotel lobby bars and get them engaged with the bartender and with each other, all while enjoying quality wines that they may not otherwise be familiar with. "From an operational standpoint, the program was designed to generate incremental F&B profits and support the Sheraton brand positioning as 'The World's Gathering Place,'" says Allison Glassman, Starwood's North America food and beverage wines rated 90 + Enjoy a glass. Or two. Find out more at sheraton.com/socialhour Sheraton's Social Hour wine program creates a fun guest experience. manager. "We believe the program will enhance consumer sentiment and communicate the notion that Sheraton is an intelligent, fun and social brand." Introduced in May 2012 at 140 Sheraton locations, the Sheraton Selects menu was created to promote highly rated wines in Sheraton lobby lounges. Each menu offers eight wines by the glass; wine selections rotate based on location and availability. "Each Sheraton location is encouraged to tailor the menu as much as possible to its region and clientele," says Kristen Gridley, senior account manager with iMi Agency, which assisted Starwood with this campaign. The Sheraton Social Hour meets the same requirements as the Sheraton Selects menu. The event is hosted a minimum of three times per week, for one to three hours in the evening. Social interaction is the main goal here: to create a memorable Sheraton wine experience for guests. During the pilot program, participating Sheratons saw average daily wine by-the-glass and by-the-bottle revenue increase by $6,000-plus each week, for an overall increase of 38.3% compared to the same time period prior to implementation. Participating hotels continue to see significant sales increases focused around Sheraton Social Hour, which is now a permanent part of the Sheraton culture. —Melissa Niksic BEST CHAIN BEER PROGRAM RUBY TUESDAY "Our beer philosophy is to offer a great mixture of well-known domestic, craft, local and premium American light beers," says Ken Lennox, director of beverage for Ruby Tuesday. The 753location casual restaurant chain, headquartered in Maryville, TN, boasts an all-encompassing beer program that taps into a variety of guests' tastes for suds. Ruby Tuesday's beverage menus feature both well-known, widely available beers such as Sam Adams Boston Lager, Miller Lite and Guinness Stout, as well as local favorites. While individual locations must ensure that they highlight popular beer choices, they have the autonomy to hand-pick hometown selections to round out the menu, says Andy Scoggins, vice president of culinary and beverage. Ruby Tuesday has also developed beer cocktails like the BeerRita, a Margarita riff, with Sauza Gold tequila, triple sec, agave, lemon, lime and Coronita Extra. The Raspberry Moon mixes Blue Moon Belgian white ale with Chambord and fresh berries. Ongoing and seasonal promotions help fuel beer sales, including a daily happy hour. Ruby Tuesday also amped up beer sales this year by attracting the Monday night crowd, Lennox says. During the 2012 season, Ruby Tuesday's Football Watch program encouraged fans to linger longer by showing NFL games via DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket, as well as college games on Thursday and Saturday nights. Free WiFi allows guests to create, track and maintain their fantasy leagues. 18 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Ruby Tuesday's Raspberry Moon beer cocktail, and bottled brews. Beverage training is thorough and ongoing at Ruby Tuesday. General managers attend leadership sessions twice a year involving hands-on instruction in a state-of-the-art beverage center. Bartenders undergo robust online and print training, and have their skills tested at regional bar meetings. Beer comprises about 34.4% of Ruby Tuesday's total beverage sales, and 2012 initiatives have increased overall case volume by as much as 52% over the same period in 2011. —Kelly Magyarics www.cheersonline.com