5 steps to improving your pub’s yield

14/02/2018 Venners Ltd.

“Implement these 5 steps in combination with regular stocktaking and you will have all the necessary tools to maintain a high yield percentage and therefore a higher performing business!”

– Scott Hulme, Managing Director, Venners

Updated: 15/01/2022

Whether you run a local community tenancy, a single site, or small chain of franchises that you plan to turn into the next mega Pub Co, your business is your empire and you are the boss!

Like any successful business entrepreneur, to run your business efficiently and effectively you need data, stats, controls and management information. A well-known business coach once said: “By pro-actively implementing knowledge management systems, companies can re-write the old saying, ‘Change is inevitable, growth is optional‘ to ‘Change is inevitable, growth is intentional’”.

You can have a whole wealth of information available to you, but if you don’t know what key data to focus on, then the path to success can become a lot less clear. Paying closer attention to one of the most important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), yield, can help illuminate that path.

Regular stocktakes give access to yield figures, which measure how effectively you are turning stock consumption into cash in the till. Many businesses have good levels of sales, but if they are haemorrhaging stock through poor controls then their operation is destined to fail.

To give your business the greatest possible chance of success, here are five ways to improve your pub’s yield:

 

1. Conduct regular line cleans

Follow supplier recommended timing intervals for pipeline cleaning. It is a common misconception that extending length of time between cleaning lines will reduce the levels of stock wasted. Cleaner lines ensure that far less stock is lost through fobbing (caused by the build-up of yeast) and limescale, beerstone and mould build up. Not to mention the added benefit of better hygiene.

 

2. Correct product dispense practices

Encourage your staff to think of products as cash rather than stock. Training your staff to dispense drinks with the minimum amount of wastage (ideally none!) is the key to avoid pouring money down the drain (pardon the pun). For example often staff will top up a pint to get rid of the large head on it. The excess beer flows in to the drip trays and this ultimately gets poured down a drain. Treat your stock as you would your cash.

 

3. Do not over-pour

Follow recommended guidelines on the volume per glass of any drink you serve. In most operations postmix is the product that generates the highest margins. The practice of ‘topping up’, for instance with a spirit and mixer that does not fill the glass, can have dramatic impacts on your achieved margin and yield.

If you have a postmix system that dispenses set volumes, ensure that your staff do not ‘top-up’ without charging extra. If you serve wine by the glass, make sure that your staff only fill the glass to the line on the glass and not above it. This also applies to oversized beer glasses.

 

4. Stock rotation

Ensure that when you are restocking your bar that the stock is correctly date rotated. Vast amounts of stock are lost in the hospitality industry due to products going past their sell-by-dates. A Venners stocktaker will point out your short-dated products, helping you to improve stock rotation and reducing shrinkage as a result.

 

5. Pay for your drinks!

If you have a drink from the bar, be seen to pay for it. If your staff see you drinking stock and not paying for it, then they will probably do the same! Yes, it may be your stock, but it sets a bad example to your staff and a dangerous precedent. The resulting cumulative losses can be enormous.

 

If you would like to talk to Venners about how you can achieve a higher yield and focus on the most important pieces of Management Information through stocktaking, contact us today and we’ll have one of our experts get back to you.