Choosing the best bar inventory software is a confusing and difficult process. Many apps make promises they can’t keep, meaning you waste time trying new apps only to have them malfunction. It’s enough to make even the toughest restaurant manager panic. If you’ve made the choice to switch from manual inventory, though, you’re on the right track. Luckily, we’ve tried dozens of apps too and we’re here to help.
So, put away your pros and cons lists. We have a list that will help you decide on the best bar inventory software to invest in right here.
The Best Beverage Inventory App is Worth the Investment
Liquor inventory is a thankless task. And many bar managers still use outdated, time consuming processes. That’s where beverage inventory software comes in. Inventory software saves time, money, and your peace of mind. Beyond that, they provide a massive boost to your bottom line by optimizing sales, purchase orders, and more.
Let’s look at these benefits in greater detail:
Save Time
As a bar manager or restaurant owner, you have better things to do with your time than manually counting bottles. With bar management software, you can put away your clipboard and spreadsheets for good. An app allows you to take inventory from your smartphone and easily integrate it with your other software for your convenience.
Get Peace of Mind
When you rely on a manual spreadsheet, mistakes will happen. And who wants to learn how to use pivot tables, anyway? Human error, incomplete calculations, and undetected employee theft are all a thing of the past when you use an app for inventory. It will do all the math and calculations for you. Also, you’ll have the ability to check the real-time status of your inventory and profit throughout the week.
Optimize Sales
Basic spreadsheets don’t alert you of red flags or identify spillage for you. They don’t identify opportunities for creating promotions based on your supply or help prevent the need for rush orders. On the other hand, apps can do all of that and more in just a few taps. Enough said.
Track Trends
The best restaurant inventory apps help you make important decisions for your establishment’s future:
- Easily run reports to track your customer’s preferences, so you continue to attract patrons
- Optimize your drink prices and recipes based on the most cost efficient liquors.
- Better estimate your needs for busy seasons and more, all with the right software in place.
Save Money
Whether you handle inventory yourself or delegate to your employees, someone is spending long, unnecessary hours behind the bar.
With bar inventory software, you can significantly save on labor costs. Even better, you’ll save more money by identifying areas where you could be overspending. This might include inefficient purchase orders, over ordering product, spillage, or free drinks.
Finding the Right Bar Inventory Software For You: A Checklist
Those all sound like great benefits, right? But, maybe you’ve already tried liquor inventory apps and haven’t seen any positive results. If that sounds familiar, it’s likely because they didn’t have the necessary features.
Use the following checklist when shopping for the best beverage inventory app and you won’t be disappointed again.
1. A Bluetooth scale
A standalone liquor scanner app is nice but the best option for accurate inventory is finding an app with an integrated Bluetooth scale. It allows you to do inventory quickly and easily with just your phone and scale.
2. Direct POS integration
This is another feature to help with both speed and accuracy. With this feature, you can pull sales data directly from your POS system and connect it with information on available inventory. Also consider choosing an app that integrates with other beverage management software or accounting systems.
3. Large database of bottles to choose from
With an inventory app, purchase orders should be a breeze. Make sure your app of choice has enough brands and types of alcohol to choose from when ordering. Apps with small bottle databases will only make operations more complicated and time consuming.
4. Barcode scanner to pull data from any bottle
This feature allows you to scan bottles right from your smartphone and have all the information you need available right at your fingertips.
5. Available offline and on multiple devices
For a busy bar manager, convenience is king. Make sure the app you choose works offline and on multiple devices. No service in your back room? No problem. Multiple employees working on inventory? No need to pass around the same phone or tablet.
6. 24/7 support
Managing a bar or restaurant means you work around the clock. Your inventory app support team should too. Offering 24/7 support shows that your app of choice cares about their customers and puts their needs first. This mindset will be reflected not only in customer service requests, but in all app features.
The 10 Best Bar Inventory Apps of 2024
Now that you know which features to look for and the benefits of using software to calculate liquor inventory, it’s time to choose the right app for your needs. Fortunately, we did the research for you and compiled a list of apps with must-have features, as well as added bonuses. Each of these apps will help save you time, money, and improve your overall liquor inventory system.
In no particular order, these are the best beverage inventory apps right now (2019).
Bar Cop
Originally founded to protect bars from employee theft, Bar Cop now offers more comprehensive software to reduce inventory time, address cash flow problems, as well as identify theft. Their clear pricing structure means the monthly fee includes use of all app features.
TavernTrak
With a focus on speed, TavernTrak offers the basic features you need. Product ordering, Bluetooth scale integration, and an easy-to-use interface are among the benefits provided.
BirchStreet
BirchStreet allows bar owners to use barcode scanners, smartphones, and tablets to count inventory with their system. They specialize in tailoring their app to your needs with an open architecture system and various pricing options.
Bar Patrol
Mainly targeted to mid-sized bars, Bar Patrol provides POS integration, fast ordering and invoicing, and a Bluetooth scale. It tracks alcohol usage by creating reports on variances and how much liquor is used. It also has the ability to reveal if your employees are pouring the exact amount that they’ve inputted into your POS system.
Barkeep
Barkeep offers basic inventory software for a low price. While more features requires switching to professional plans or additional subscriptions, it’s interface is simple and easy to use. Barkeep is a good option for those looking for convenience in an app, without breaking the bank.
Uncork’d
Designed specifically to be used on an iPad, Uncork’d offers inventory management, POS integration, and purchasing features. They also provide real-time menu updates for digital menus, with built-in features for specific types of alcohol.
TapHunter
With TapHunter, you can keep tabs on orders and pricing suggestions. Their inventory tools integrate with the larger Evergreen dashboard and other POS systems to streamline processes and save you time.
Partender
Another option with a focus on inventory speed, Partender includes features such as the ability to add multiple users or devices, and generate analytics reports. The platform allows you to also order bottles by matching liquor with the right distributor. With the app, you can create reports, download purchase orders, and forward them to your distributors.
Bevspot
With BevSpot, you can manage inventory, place orders, and uncover sales performance insights. Made for businesses that handle both food and beverage inventories, it provides a comprehensive list of features. Depending on your plan, BevSpot offers reports for inventory, pricing, sales, and alcohol usage.
WISK
It wouldn’t be a best best bar inventory software list without including WISK! While many apps focus on only one specific feature or type of bar, WISK prides itself on being the most versatile app available.
WISK isn’t just an inventory management software, it’s a complete bar manager app. You can use it to do anything from weighing bottles on the Bluetooth scale to ordering and receiving any type of alcohol from a database of over 50,000 bottles. With its smart technology, you can reduce inventory time by 80 percent, cut waste, optimize drink prices, and take advantage of analytics that show future data, not just past.
The main goal of WISK’s software is to not only save costs, but make your bar more profitable. Tools like beverage costing and data analytics help you determine what you need to improve future sales and increase your bottom line.
Best of all, you know you’re in good hands with 24/7 customer support, 30-day money back guarantee, and no shady long-term contracts or obligations.
Which one should you go with?
Overall, the data and features speak for themselves. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive liquor inventory software in 2021, WISK is the right choice.
No matter which app you choose, though, make sure it's the one with the features and tools you need to successfully run your business. To really make the investment worthwhile, commit to the bar inventory app that goes above and beyond improving your processes and making your bar more efficient, accurate, and profitable.
Selecting the right beverage inventory app for your business isn't just a tech decision; it's a strategic move that can significantly impact your bottom line. Make the right choice with WISK, and you'll undoubtedly see your ROI grow.
Ready to see WISK’s features in action? For more information on how to sign up, please visit https://www.wisk.ai/demo
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