Pour Cost and Beverage Control: Maximizing Bar Profitability
Beverage operations can be your highest-margin revenue source or your most overlooked drain on profit — pour cost control is the discipline that determines which one it is.
Beverage operations can be your highest-margin revenue source or your most overlooked drain on profit — pour cost control is the discipline that determines which one it is.
Bars target 80% profit margins on alcohol sales, but only if you price correctly. Learn the pour cost formulas, tiered markup strategies, wine pricing models, and cocktail menu frameworks that drive beverage profitability.
A practical guide to building a bar menu that aligns with your concept, achieves target pour costs of 18–24%, and drives profitable check averages.
How to build a profitable happy hour program with the right menu structure, pricing mechanics, timing strategy, and awareness of legal restrictions that vary by jurisdiction.
A six-step method for accurately costing cocktails — from calculating per-ounce spirit costs to applying shrinkage variance and setting prices that hit your target pour cost.