As is customary for broadline distributors, Food Services of America provides beverage programs that supply restaurant operators with the equipment and products needed to provide efficient and cost effective beverage service. You purchase the product (soft drinks, coffee, juice, cocoa, tea, etc.), and FSA provides the equipment at no cost.
Customers can call upon our Beverage Specialists for their expertise. An FSA Associate will help you to determine which products and machines are best for your type of operation. Here are some of the basics that you will want to keep in mind as you evaluate your beverage needs.
Choosing a Machine
Larry Ninemire, Beverage Specialist at FSA Spokane, offers this advice for customers deciding on a machine for their beverage service. "When choosing a machine, we recommend that operators consider ease, convenience and speed; maintenance requirements; consistency; and portion and cost control."
The volume of product the operator is using, the size and type of establishment, budget, space, and what type of beverage will be served are also all important to consider when choosing a machine.
FSA Portland's Beverage Manager Paul Ratermann says that one of their most popular beverage programs is the Quest Fruit Juice Dispenser by Cornelius. "The Quest has a large capacity ice bank that greatly improves the performance. You get a colder drink on peak demand. The machine features frost-free refrigeration, fits in a small location, and looks great." Ratermann says the machine is appropriate for a wide range of operations that serve breakfast as well as for hospitals, the military, and even on some boats.
As an example of a profitable machine choice, Larry Ninemire points out the popularity of iced tea and lemonade machines. "An iced tea or lemonade machine can create a lot of profit. People are doing that more all the time. With some marketing these can be moneymakers year round. The percentage of profit in beverages is huge compared to other items on the menu. There is an opportunity for tremendous profits to be made."
For operations that use less product, an alternative to a machine is to use frozen concentrate in a carton. Many boxes come either ready to use or in an easy to mix 1-1 concentrate.
Service
For businesses that use beverage dispensing machines, don't forget that machines require maintenance, which will require good service from your distributor. "At FSA, we do all of our own service work," says Ninemire. "Many foodservice distributors contract the work out to a third party, and you don't know what you will get in the way of service. We can be more understanding of customer needs than an outside service."
Paul Ratermann adds, "With in-house beverage service, we are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and if there is an emergency we can talk you through it or come out and fix it at no charge. And we can fix it the first time. We don't outsource the work, so you know who you are dealing with."
Name Brands versus Specialty Brands
Another important factor in beverage profitability is product selection. "A lot of operators like to offer brand names that their customers are familiar with at home," explains Larry Ninemire. "But you have to ask: Don't customers want something different -- something special -- when they dine out? FSA branded products are a great value for the customer versus name brand products. And FSA brand products can save customers money while delivering equal or greater quality. For instance, with orange juice, FSA uses only 100% Florida orange juice, whereas national brands must import juice from other locations in order to meet demand."
However, National Brands also have value. Many operations choose national name brand products that customers recognize and trust for beverages dispensed front of house. If name brands are not a concern, or if beverages are dispensed back-of-house, then operators have an even wider variety of products and beverage systems to choose from.
Portion Costs
Don't forget to base your costs on the portions served. "Cost per case can be deceiving. Make sure you are paying attention to the cost per portion. Look at how much you get -- how many servings per case. Then judge the cost," councils Larry Ninemire. Another tip offered by Ninemire: "Using ice stretches money further by helping to control portion costs."
Paul Ratermann uses coffee as an example of judging portion costs. "Coffee can be your most profitable beverage in operations that serve breakfast, but you need to judge your costs 'per pot,' not per package of coffee. Make sure to look for the best portion cost at same or better quality."
Increasing Efficiency & Consistency
Machines will keep individuals from under-mixing or over-mixing when preparing the product. This helps operators control portion costs while serving a consistent, high quality product. Some machines offer a mixing chamber right in the spigot, so you never end up with concentrate at the bottom of a glass. A good machine will also offer a "brix" control setting that allows you to set the mixture and assures consistent mixture of water with juice concentrate each time a drink is served.
More Information
For more information on how to improve your beverage program, ask your FSA Sales Associate.
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