When I opened my first restaurant in 1989, it was 5,000 sq ft, the POS system used bar codes (touch screens weren't around) and we sold a lot of soft drinks. The concept was extremely successful and virtually all the revenue was generated in the dining room.
In November we'll open our latest concept, a 13,500 sq ft food hall. While the space is much larger there were other considerations including; on-line ordering, catering, to-go orders, and 3rd party delivery services. Nationally, many of our clients have experienced shifts of 30% or more of their business to Uber Eats, Grubhub, Doordash etc.
Regardless of where an order is placed, one constant is beverages drive profitability. Unlike in 1989, consumers are drinking substantially less carbonated soft drinks and have switched to non-carbs, healthy options, energy, tea, juice, coffee, flavored waters etc. We advise our clients, just as we do in our own restaurants to include bottles and cans as part of their menu. At RestaurantLink, our beverage suppliers will provide a custom brand set, merchandising materials and often free coolers. For assistance with growing your beverage dollars, please feel free to give us a call.