After 15 years in bar automation and 847 installed systems, he has seen almost everything. Spectacular successes, catastrophic failures and the small details that make millions in profits. Today he shares his knowledge - unfiltered and exclusive.
The secrets that make the difference between bankruptcy and profit.
Secret 1: The 3-second rule decides everything
Forget complicated menus and endless cocktail lists. Successful bar automation follows a simple rule: no guest waits longer than three seconds for their drink.
The secret behind it: A brewery manager from Bavaria told him: "Our guests decide in three seconds whether they stay or leave. If we have longer waiting times, we lose 40% of our customers."
The solution: High-frequency cocktails must be ready in a maximum of three seconds. More complex drinks may take four seconds - no longer.
Practical tip: Analyse your top 5 bestsellers. These must be available at lightning speed.
Secret 2: The invisible sales lever
The best-kept secret of successful operators: they don't sell cocktails - they sell time.
An example from practice: A hotel manager installed bar automation not for better cocktails, but to bridge check-in waiting times. Guests receive a free welcome drink while the staff deal with formalities.
The result:
- Customer satisfaction: +45%
- Additional sales: +120%
- Complaints: -80%
The lesson: Automation solves time problems, not just beverage problems.
Secret 3: The psychology of perfect prices
Why do identical cocktails from machines sometimes cost 8 euros, sometimes 15 euros? The professional knows the secret of psychological pricing.
The formula:
- Quick locations (railway station, airport): Low prices for high frequency
- Experience Locations (hotels, events): High prices for a premium feeling
- Convenience locations (24h service): Medium prices for convenience
A hotelier from Munich: "Our lobby bar sells the same mojito for 14 euros as the pool bar for 9 euros. Different situations, different willingness to pay."
Secret 4: Maintenance is the secret profit killer
The most expensive secret: 90% of all bar automation failures are caused by neglected maintenance.
The horror story of a festival organiser: "Three days before the event, our main machine broke down. Reason: A 50 cent filter had not been changed for six months. Damage: 25,000 euros in lost revenue."
The prevention system of successful professionals:
- Daily 5-minute checks by trained personnel
- Weekly basic cleaning according to fixed protocols
- Monthly professional maintenance by certified technicians
- Quarterly depth inspection of all critical components
The investment: 200 euros per month. The savings: 10,000 euros for a single prevented total failure.
Secret 5: Personal training makes the difference
The biggest mistake is to believe that automatic systems don't need training.
A restaurant owner learnt the hard way: "I thought the machine would run itself. After a week, the staff were frustrated and the guests were unhappy. Nobody knew how to achieve optimum results."
The success training programme includes:
- Technical operation: Not just "pressing a button"
- Guest communication: How do you explain automation in a positive way?
- Problem solution: What to do in the event of minor faults?
- Upselling techniques: How do you use the time saved for sales?
Result: Restaurants with systematic training sell 60% more cocktails than untrained teams.
Secret 6: Data is the new gold
Successful operators use their machines as data collectors for optimised business decisions.
Hidden gold mines in the data:
- Identify peak times: When do you need additional staff?
- Recognising trend cocktails: Which drinks are becoming increasingly popular?
- Loss reduction: Where do unnecessary costs arise?
- Price optimisation: When do customers pay more, when less?
A restaurateur from Hamburg: "The data analysis showed that we sell 300% more cocktails than expected on Tuesdays from 7 pm. We have planned additional staff and doubled our turnover."
Secret 7: The 80/20 rule of success
The ultimate secret: 80% of success comes from 20% of the right decisions.
The most important 20%:
- Location analysis: Does automation suit your guests?
- Cocktail selection: 8-12 perfect drinks instead of 40 mediocre ones
- Staff buy-in: The team must be convinced
- Maintenance concept: Professional from day 1
The unimportant 80%: Technical details, design options, software features. Important, but not decisive.
A successful operator summarises: "I spent three years thinking about the perfect machine and six months thinking about the right concept. The concept was more important."
The biggest secret at the end
After 15 years, he knows that the biggest secret is that there are no secrets - only principles that need to be implemented consistently.
His formula for success: Simplicity, consistency, customer-orientation. Those who master these three pillars always win with bar automation.
The secrets have been revealed. Now it's up to you to realise them.