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Be the Kind of Place Where Everyone Knows Your Name At a smaller joint, it’s easy for staff to get to know their customers. Armstrong estimates that 90% of guests at Queens Cross are repeat customers. “It’s almost like Cheers,” he says. “It’s a place where people can meet and have a good conversation. It’s not a nightclub.” Over at the Black Sheep, Wong shares, “A person will walk in the door and we’ll have his drink on the table even before he sits down.” Small independents also have strong relationships with colleagues - including bartenders, restaurateurs, brand ambassadors, and distributors. “The sales reps love popping into the store when they’re in town,” White reports. Those relationships extend to the community around the establishment, which is why so many pubs and private liquor stores find themselves promoting and sponsoring events in their neighbourhoods. “We do fundraisers for hockey and soccer. We have lots of teams out here,” Ruchty describes. “And we try to do community events. We’re approached by charities a minimum of once a week.” Similarly, Queens Cross has a sports team sponsorship program, and the Black Sheep has yet to turn down a request, while The Strath is a major sponsor of the Victoria Whisky Festival. "Being a smaller place also means that pubs and private stores can respond quickly to customer requests without the timeconsuming hassle of going through a head office." Provide Added Value - and Just Plain Value Don't forget those little extras that make each location unique. Some pubs have private liquor stores, some have exceptional décor, and others are a sports enthusiast’s dream. Many offer entertainment ranging from sports on big screen TVs to karaoke, trivia games, DJs or live music nights. At the Black Sheep, Wong jokes, “The staff are our live entertainment. We’re a pub, and restaurants cater to a different clientele,” he adds. “There are a lot of people who want to get away from children. There’s a different atmosphere here.” Location also makes a difference, especially for the private stores. “We’re next to the Granville Street Skytrain station,” Baugh notes. “If someone needs to get a bottle for a party and they’re in the area or catching Skytrain somewhere, they can just take a stroll to the store and jump back on the train.” Best of all, pubs and bars can set their own prices and private stores can offer special promotions to attract customers (although they need to get approval from the LDB first). “Chain restaurant prices are almost double ours,” Wong explains. “We can sell things at or below cost, which a chain restaurant will never do because they have to meet their margins.” Still, it isn’t easy competing with a giant corporate entity like a chain restaurant. It’s even harder when your competition is the provincial government, which sells some of the same products, controls distribution, and sets the rules about what you can and can’t do. “There’s a lot of politics,” White laments. “It’s tough when you’ve got so much competition out there.” Successful owners of pubs, bars, and private liquor stores actually welcome the challenge. They know that if the big guys move in, there’s money to be made. Besides, it keeps everyone on their toes, making sure their establishments look great and offer an exceptional experience for the customer. As Armstrong says, “It’s really healthy competition, I think.” 28 The Publican
Wine Report by Ralf Joneikies Wine on Tap If you’re ordering a glass of wine when you’re in a bar, how is it being poured? Are you still getting the by-the-glass bottle pour or have you graduated to the latest way to enjoy your favourite glass of wine: wine on tap? What has long been the only way to enjoy unique and truly fresh craft beer has now become a sophisticated way to sample an array of wines with your dinner. Dining establishments throughout BC are eager to catch the wave for a variety of reasons. According to Sebastien Le Goff, Sommelier and Service Director of 3 Cactus Club restaurants, wine on tap technology has been available in Europe for 20 years now, but it’s been just over a year that this service has been enjoyed by foodies and wine lovers in the Lower Mainland. Steve Thorp and Mike MacQuisten, both with backgrounds in sales and marketing, are the visionaries behind FreshTAP. It was during their travels in California, Oregon, and New York that a unique wine delivery system caught their attention. Their overwhelmingly positive experiences enjoying wine coming from a tap opened their eyes to the possibility of bringing this technology to BC, and they started making licensing arrangements with the developer Free Flow Wines of California. For Le Goff, who has spent decades serving wine, the benefits of a wine on tap system are a nobrainer. “There are many reasons for this system: it reduces storage needs in a big way. You also eliminate a great deal of recycling, and breakage is non-existent. For the customer there is greater consistency from glass to glass because there is no oxidation or cork taint.” The FreshTAP system is successful at preserving the freshness and intended flavours of a wine due to a 14-step cleaning process of the tap tanks to be filled, followed by a 10-point sterilization and testing process of the filling machine, so that there is no cross-contamination between individual products. This assures the integrity of each wine and secures the confidence of 26 BC wineries that send their wines to be filled at the facility. Oxidation is eliminated courtesy of an inert gas blanket that prevents oxygen from making contact with the wine. Worries about the quality of that last glass-from-bottle pour are eliminated because each glass of wine delivers a brightness and clarity of fruit flavours. This results in savings on cost of goods sold and an increase of the bottom line because the customer will not be sending it back. Another saving comes from the calibrated wine tap delivery system that eliminates overpours. Despite the business benefits, Le Goff knows that there are still minor consumer perception hurdles to be overcome. “There are some people who think, ‘I drink beer on tap. I don’t drink wine on tap’. Others may think that it’s cheap and not sophisticated. But when they taste the wine, those concerns are gone.” While FreshTAP is the sole service provider of putting wines into kegs, there are approximately five companies installing taps and lines for both wine and beer in BC, with a service agreement to clean the lines every two to three weeks included in the cost. More than 30 BC licensees have installed this system in the last year with another 65+ licensees considering the system or having it installed in the near future. Wine on tap is the wave of the future, delivering high quality wine to discerning and delighted customers. Ralf Joneikies is the manager of two private LRSs and has a formal background in winemaking, wine chemistry and viticulture. The Publican 29
Page 1 and 2: the Publican The Alliance of Bevera
Page 3 and 4: Featured Publican Steve Pauls at Mo
Page 5 and 6: STOCK UP FOR SUMMER WITH THE LATEST
Page 7 and 8: What's New? by Debbie Minke Beer, C
Page 9 and 10: Beer LIQUOR SALES & TRENDS For Tota
Page 11 and 12: Photo courtesy of Crow & Gate Pub R
Page 13 and 14: Store Layout When planning a store
Page 15 and 16: If you own a pub, chances are you
Page 17 and 18: How to Run Your Daily Deal If you
Page 19 and 20: HERMANN'S DARK LAGER Dark Lager Can
Page 21 and 22: We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Urban
Page 23 and 24: The moratorium on issuing new licen
Page 25 and 26: Police Practices and Impaired Drivi
Page 27: For a small, independent establishm
Page 31 and 32: Human Resources by Shane Isley and
Page 33 and 34: Names in the News by Debbie Minke A
Page 35 and 36: ABLE Benefits by Ian Baillie Have y
Page 37 and 38: the bartenders as to how to prepare
Page 39: INTRODUCING MAPLE FINISHED THE SMOO

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