Refresher Course
The best beverage program in the world won't impress
guests unless staff is taught to serve and sell it well.
By Thomas Henry Strenk
it's more important than ever," says Stacey Smith, beverage director for Pappas Restaurants, a Houston-based company operating nearly 100 units under a number of concepts. "Th e mixology movement and craft beer revolution have changed the game. It used to be beer and 'ritas; now beverage is so much more," she explains. "And if your bartenders are not properly trained in technique, it's diffi cult to make headway with new beverage programs." Th at's why Pappas Restaurants is rolling out a bartender
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The Skinny Cucumber Basil Lemonade is one of the seasonal mason ja r cocktails that require hand-selling from Lazy Dog Cafe's waitstaff.
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training program. "It's tell, show and review," says Smith, but with a modern twist. Th e program is a blended learning approach, which combines traditional methods with computer-mediated activities. Bartenders in training still receive a workbook, but that text is reinforced by corresponding e-learning courses at in-restaurant computers. Topics range from basics like how to greet a guest to knowledge-builder courses on products and techniques. Workbooks are interactive, too; some pages when completed, can be torn out and used as cheat sheets on the job. Smith and her colleagues at headquarters, as well
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n an ever-more competitive economy, operators are upping the ante on training and investing more time and money than ever before. "You have to make a commitment to training,
