Our mission: Help your business educate customers and your staff
Starting a new business is hard. And breaking into the established market is harder. My goal with starting OWWS was to help bars and restaurants as a consultant and educate people about whiskey. Something becoming more common in the bar business in places like Portland, OR are on-staff Education Specialists. These folks are hired to work for a specific bar that takes liquor sales and customer experience very seriously to train staff in product knowledge so that they can make intelligent recommendations to customers regarding pairings for dinner or flight construction to help patrons learn more about spirits. They also act as an on floor resource to patrons looking to learn more about spirits or trying to find spirits they like rather than just ordering whatever drinks the bartender has on the menu.
My idea is to help bars and restaurants as a consultant, coming in as needed to teach bar and waitstaff about the spirits they are selling and host tastings for patrons looking to dive deeper into their enjoyment of spirits. One of the things I found while doing market research and traveling to learn more about the bar and spirits industries is that many people drink the same thing they did in college well into adulthood. The reasons for this vary, but the most common refrain I heard from customers across the country is that they didn’t want to look unknowledgeable when asking questions, so they stick with what they started drinking in college or when they started drinking instead of exploring other options. I want to make learning about spirits and finding their preferences easier.
What I’m finding as I start this endeavor is that the bars I’m contacting in the Columbus, OH market aren’t seeing the value if what I’m offering yet. Some bar managers have even told me that liquor sells itself and there isn’t a need for this type of service. I’m sure when wine became more democratized in the 1980s there were owners who said the same thing, but obviously they quickly saw the need to educate their staff. I saw it happen myself in the 90s as craft beer became a bigger market. Eventually bars and restaurants saw the need to educate their staff regarding flavor profiles and pairing beer with their menus. What I’m saying is there IS a need for this kind of education regarding whiskey specifically but spirits in general. Many customers can’t currently tell you the difference between bourbon and Irish Whiskey or Scotch Whisky. Even a few bartenders have told customers that Scotch isn’t whisky at all but it’s own spirit. I have seen spirit menus list blended foreign whiskeys like Crown Royal as a bourbon!
I think the key to increasing sales and customer retention for bars in the local market to take spirits more seriously. Spirits make up a considerable portion of sales and have the best margins in your businesses. Why wouldn’t finding ways to make them more valuable to customers help your bottom line? As a Certified Executive Bourbon Steward (the Bourbon equivalent of a Sommelier, I have the knowledge and experience to help your business and customers better understand what they are drinking, why they like it, and other options they may like more.
If you are intrigued, give me a call or send me an email so we can set up a meeting to discuss your interests and concerns.