Unsurprisingly, a lot can go wrong when measuring your bar or restaurant’s liquor inventory manually. So, if manual methods like pen & paper, Excel, and spreadsheets have been slowing you down, a liquor inventory scale may be worth considering.
We’re going to hazard a guess that you got started in the restaurant industry because you love it, not because you were looking to get rich. Your number one priority is most likely making your customers happy. However, increasing sales and becoming financially successful is just as crucial.
While it can be exceedingly difficult to manage a bar with no software, the right platform with a liquor scale app can make all the difference for your bottom line. Greater accuracy, consistency, and AI analysis are all different features you can expect and profit from when you switch to using a bar manager app with an integrated Bluetooth scale.
What is a liquor inventory scale?
In short, a liquor inventory scale is a tool that allows you to get accurate measurements quickly and efficiently. Instead of spending days learning how to weigh liquor bottles for your bar manually, you can simply get precise calculations for your entire inventory instantly. But, there’s more to it than just that. Before you can begin to understand all the benefits of using a liquor inventory scale, let’s take a look at the process of using one for measuring liquor bottles for inventory.
How do you measure liquor bottles for inventory?
In order to do liquor inventory properly, you’ll need a few things on hand.
First and foremost, you’ll need a scale. Eyeballing or “weightless” inventory is an option but if you want the most accurate and profitable measurements for your bar, we recommend having a scale. Otherwise, you’ll need a calculator, pen, and paper along with your product density.
Why do you need to know density? It’s important to know what it is because liquid’s density has a huge impact on how much liquor you have left and it can vary a lot depending on the product. For reference, water has a density of 1. 80 proof liquor is thinner and lighter than water, so it has a smaller density, more like .9 than 1. Liqueurs and cordials, on the other hand, are thicker and heavier than water, so their density is larger than 1.
Calculate the density of your products and use it in conjunction with the weight from your liquor bottle scale for the most accurate count.
How to Weigh Liquor Inventory for your Bar: A Step by Step Guide
Next, let’s check out the steps involved in measuring liquor bottles
1. Use a scale and weigh a full bottle of each product. Then, find each bottle’s full weight, with no liquid missing, to calculate product usage later.
2. Calculate each product's adjusted fluid ounce size. This is where density comes into play. The adjusted bottle size is fluid ounces multiplied by density.
3. Determine the weight of the empty bottle by taking the full bottle weight and subtracting the adjusted bottle size.
Now, let’s get measuring
4. Place a bottle on the scale and record the weight. You should note that full bottle weight minus the empty bottle weight equals the fluid ounces in the bottle.
5. Calculate your usage for each bottle. To do this, subtract the ending weight data from the starting weight data.
6. Keep track of any new bottles that are added between the start and end.
For example, say you measure a mostly full bottle of gin at the start of the day or inventory period. Throughout the course of the day or inventory period, your bartender pours dozens of gin and tonics to your thirsty customers. During, he not only finishes the mostly full bottle of gin, but also finishes two additional bottles and some of a third bottle.
When you measure your stock again, be sure to account for everything that was used, including the two full bottles and two partial bottles. This is an extremely important step for accurate usage counts.
What makes a bar inventory app different from other measurement methods?
It’s no secret that many methods exist to measure inventory. There are numerous “old school” options such as pen & paper and calculators. However, these are not the most useful nor effective. If you’re looking for an affordable and efficient option, the right app will keep costs and time spent measuring product low.
Keep in mind that the best type of scale is one that integrates with your bar inventory management software. To clarify, having accurate measurements helps speed up the inventory process while also cutting out mistakes caused by human error. Investing in a liquor inventory scale also gives you greater flexibility since a scale app is easy to transport, always within easy reach, and can be downloaded on multiple devices.
With an app, you’ll no longer have to fear those inaccurate measurements that have been causing you to lose money. Instead, you’ll be able to take full control of your inventory and make miscalculations a thing of the past. An app will also get rid of the need for pen & paper calculations, allowing you to focus more on your customers over endless bar inventory formulas.
Is it worth it to invest in a bar inventory scale?
From the above information, you should now know what makes a liquor inventory scale different from other weighing options and how measuring bottles for inventory works. Though, is it really worth investing in this tool?
The answer is a definite yes! But, don’t worry. We won’t just leave you with a yes or no answer. Below, we’ve broken down some of the benefits you can expect when you upgrade to software.
Cut down on equations, formulas, and calculations
Put away the calculators and finally shelve all of your math skills. You won’t need them with a good inventory app. After all, you didn’t get into the restaurant business to spend your whole day bent over a bar inventory spreadsheet. With a high-quality scale, you can focus more on the things you enjoy.
Conduct more practical and efficient inventory
Taking inventory is in no regards a pointless task. It’s critical to the success of any bar or restaurant. That being said, efficiency and accuracy are extremely important. A scale that integrates with your bar management software will help cut down the amount of time you spend conducting inventory. To your advantage, it will give you the information you need to determine everything from how much liquor to order to drink prices and more.
Make decisions in real-time
When you know that your weight measurements are correct, you can confidently make decisions for your bar in real-time. An integrated scale will communicate with your inventory software and quickly update your data. This will essentially let you know exactly when to make new purchase orders. With this powerful integration, you’ll also be able to better evaluate employee performance and understand sales numbers as they come in.
Recognize opportunities and waste
Are you wasting money or liquor through over-pouring, spillage or shrinkage? An accurate measurement of your stock will help you recognize any issues.
Are you using more rum than usual this summer? Have your customers developed a taste for IPAs over pale ale? Precise and timely measurements of your bottle usage will tell you this and more. Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to recognize opportunities to optimize your stock as well as cut down on waste where it happens.
Handle all of your data from a central location
You’ll be able to manage everything from a single location when you integrate a bottle scale with your other applications. Not only is this more productive than a file folder or multiple different software systems, it’s also more convenient for you. Specific tasks like ordering, recipe creation, and evaluating stock can all be done from one place.
If your system is smart, you can also use your data to make informed promotions, price changes, menu updates, and more. That being said, a scale is a key part of these decisions and will help you stock the back room appropriately.
Never run out of stock again
Speaking of stock, the most important benefit you’ll receive from a scale is never running out of the bottles you need. With a scale, your bar can run like a well-oiled machine, while you spend less time on the back room tasks and more time pleasing your customers or tackling the things that excite you.
Your employees, your bottom line, and your back room will all thank you.
Convinced a liquor inventory scale is for you? Now, choose the best one on the market. Choose WISK.
You’re now ready to reap the benefits of an integrated scale app, however, you need to make sure you invest in the right one. Look no further. WISK comes with a Bluetooth scale, direct POS integration, and smart technology to make your bar run more smoothly. This will undoubtedly lead to an increase in sales and customer satisfaction.
The value of a liquor inventory scale extends far beyond its cost. By reducing waste and enhancing stock control, you'll quickly see your ROI, solidifying the rationale behind this investment.
Above all, our software was created by restaurant owners for restaurant owners, so we know your challenges and needs. WISK was specifically developed with all of your concerns in mind. If it feels like we’re in your head, it’s because we’ve been in your shoes.
Essentially, we want to make your beverage inventory process 100% stress free. The stats say it all. WISK decreases inventory time by up to 80 percent, minimizes spilling by approximately 90 percent, and features a database of over 50,000 bottles to order from. No other software is more comprehensive or supportive. To read more about our software, visit https://www.wisk.ai/for/wisk-bar-management-software.
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