Every venue misses the sale at a different moment.
At a beach bar it’s the second round; in an all-inclusive hotel, whatever the wristband doesn’t cover; in a tapas bar, the second coffee. Find your type of venue and see where the money usually stays on the table.
Beach bars and chiringuitos
Fast service, heat, and a team that changes every season.
Tables order in rounds, and they’re thirsty. The problem isn’t guests saying no: it’s the second round arriving late, when they’ve already asked for the bill or gone back to the water.
Where it usually gets missed
- “Another round?”Before the glass is empty, not ten minutes after.
- “Another bottle of cold water?”At midday the first one doesn’t last long.
- “Something to share?”A plate for the table while they stay in the sun.
What usually fits
A Workshop before opening. If the team changes a lot mid-season, the Season Programme includes material to bring new people in.
Hotel restaurants and bars
All-inclusive too: selling what the wristband doesn’t cover.
The guest has already paid, so the team doesn’t ask. But the wine list, the signature cocktail, the premium spirit and the à la carte dinner exist precisely for guests who want something more, and hardly anyone tells them.
Where it usually gets missed
- “May I show you the wine list?”As well as the house wine, without it feeling like an extra charge.
- “Which gin would you like?”At the bar, the question that opens up the spirits list.
- “Have you seen the à la carte dinner?”For the special night of the week.
What usually fits
The Season Programme: several shifts, several outlets and new people every month, and eight weeks of tracking make it visible.
Tapas bars and cafés
Small bills, lots of tables, and coffee to finish.
Each question is worth little in euros but gets repeated hundreds of times a day. The ensaïmada with the coffee, the second caña, a plate for the table or fresh juice at breakfast are small sales that add up by the end of the month.
Where it usually gets missed
- “Another one?”The second caña or vermut, at the right moment.
- “An ensaïmada with your coffee?”At breakfast and mid-afternoon.
- “Croquetas for the table?”While they’re still reading the board.
What usually fits
A Workshop with the whole team is usually enough to start. The questions are short and quick to learn.
À la carte and fine dining
Wine, pairings and a sobremesa that can run on.
Nobody here wants to hear “anything else?”. It’s about recommending with judgement: the glass that goes with each dish, the pairing for the tasting menu, a Binissalem or Pla i Llevant bottle explained in two sentences, the digestif.
Where it usually gets missed
- “May I suggest a glass for this dish?”When the table isn’t going to order a bottle.
- “Would you like the menu with pairings?”Explained before ordering, not after.
- “Can I tempt you to a digestif?”By name, not as a generic question.
What usually fits
Workshop or Season Programme, depending on the size of the floor. The wine part is tailored to your list and to whoever sells it.
Cocktail bars and terraces
The next round, and a spirit brand the guest actually knows.
The first drink orders itself; the second one and the upgrade don’t. Suggesting a named gin instead of “the house one”, or something to nibble with the third round, changes the bill without changing the kind of night.
Where it usually gets missed
- “Which gin?”Two names, with a clear price.
- “Same again?”Before the table starts looking at their phones.
- “Something to nibble with the next one?”When the night runs on.
What usually fits
A Workshop with the bar and terrace team, with your cocktail list on the table.
Groups and multi-site operators
One standard across every venue, measured the same way.
With several venues, the usual problem is that each one does things its own way and there’s no way to compare. We set the same baseline everywhere, with the same formula, and train the teams to the same standard, adapted to each menu.
Where it usually gets missed
- Comparing venuesAverage spend per cover calculated the same way in each.
- Comparing teamsSales per server, if the tills record it.
- Onboarding new staffThe same material in every venue.
What usually fits
Custom pricing, depending on the number of venues. We look at it during the audit and put it in writing in the proposal.
Read: Did the Training Work? Before-and-After Spend per Cover by Server
When we’re not what you need.
No table service
If guests order and pay at the counter and take their drinks away, there’s little room to suggest at the table. Better not to spend on training.
A kitchen or pricing problem
If the issue is kitchen times or the menu itself, training the floor won’t fix it. We’ll tell you during the audit.
No cover data
If your till doesn’t record covers, pay for results isn’t fair to anyone. The Workshop and the Season Programme still work.
Your venue doesn’t quite fit any of these? Tell us about it.