Twelve restaurants. One year. An experiment that shook up the catering industry. What happens when an established restaurant chain switches its entire drinks strategy to fully automated cocktail preparation?
The result exceeded all expectations: a 500 per cent increase in cocktail sales. Here is the full story.
The courageous decision
Initial situation in January: Twelve well-performing restaurants, solid food sales, but meagre beverage revenues. Cocktails? Practically non-existent. Too complicated, too labour-intensive, too risky.
The managing director dared to do the impossible: All twelve locations were to be converted to fully automatic cocktail systems at the same time. Investment: 180,000 euros. Risk: Gigantic.
The team was sceptical. The franchise partners were nervous. Only one believed in the vision.
The transformation begins
Month 1: Installation of cocktail machines in all locations Month 2: Team training - surprisingly simpleMonth 3: First successes become visible
Dramatic changes were already apparent in the third month:
- Cocktail sales per day: From 12 to 67 units
- Average bill: From 24 to 31 euros
- Returning guests: Plus 35 per cent
- Online reviews: Jump from 4.1 to 4.6 stars
The domino effect sets in
What nobody expected: the cocktails changed the entire guest dynamic. Restaurants that were previously family-only venues suddenly became meeting places for young adults.
One site manager reported: "We used to finish work at 9 pm. Now we have fully occupied pubs until midnight."
Guests stayed longer, ordered more starters and shared desserts. The cocktail became a door opener for higher food sales.
Figures that impress
The final balance sheet after twelve months:
Development of cocktail sales:
- Before: 8,400 euros/month (all 12 locations)
- Afterwards: 50,400 euros/month
- Increase: 500 per cent
Total sales development:
- Before: 384,000 euros/month
- Afterwards: 487,000 euros/month
- Increase: 27 per cent
Increase in profits:
- Cocktail margin: 78 per cent
- Additional monthly profit: 38,000 euros
- ROI of the investment: 6 months
The unexpected side effects
Staffing situation eases: Instead of looking for specialised bartenders, all service staff can serve perfect cocktails. Staff costs are reduced by 15 per cent.
Marketing revolutionised: Social media explodes with posts about "the best cocktails in town". Free advertising worth 25,000 euros a month.
Franchise partner enthusiastic: Waiting list for further locations. Expansion turns from a risk into a sought-after investment.
Critical success factors
What made this transformation so successful?
- Courageous complete changeover: Do not test, but implement completely
- Uniform standards: All locations, same machines, identical recipes
- Team training: Two weeks of intensive preparation for all employees
- Marketing push: Aggressive promotion of the new cocktail menu
- Patience: Three months start-up time planned
Competition reacts in panic
While the automated chain is flourishing, traditional competitors are struggling with the consequences. Guest migration, falling ratings, desperate attempts at imitation.
A competitor invested 50,000 euros in bartender training - with moderate success. Human inconsistency cannot compete with machine perfection.
The new benchmark
Today, this chain is regarded as a pioneer for successful catering automation. Delegations from all over Europe visit the sites to understand the "miracle".
The secret? The courage to make radical changes, consistent implementation and trust in modern technology.
500 per cent increase in sales - from an experiment to the new industry standard. The proof: automation is not the future, it is the profitable present.
