Step three: Quarterly engagement
A beverage specialist behind your team, on a quarterly rhythm.
Ongoing support puts an experienced beverage specialist behind the owner, manager and team you already have. It runs in three-month blocks, long enough to see decisions through the sales cycle and to work properly with your people.
The problem this addresses
Some venues need beverage expertise every month, not once: buying decisions, list changes, margin checks, team confidence. But not every venue can justify a full-time beverage manager or sommelier.
Ongoing support is built for that gap. You keep your existing structure and add specialist input where decisions are made.
It is agreed by the quarter because beverage performance shows over cycles, not weeks. Three months gives time to review the numbers, make changes, watch their effect and refine. It also gives us the continuity to understand the venue properly rather than start again each visit.
Signs ongoing support could help
- Beverage decisions are made by whoever has time, and often put off.
- Nobody reviews the beverage figures on a regular schedule.
- The list changes when stock runs out, not by plan.
- Buying depends on whichever supplier representative called last.
- The team's confidence with drinks varies with who is on shift.
- You have had good advice before and it faded once the project ended.
Questions ongoing support helps answer
- What should we buy, from whom, and in what quantity?
- What are the figures telling us this month, and what do we do about it?
- Which wines should come on, rotate or leave the list?
- Is the team confident and consistent when recommending drinks?
- How is the program performing against what we planned?
Typical focus, tailored to the venue
- Monthly commercial performance review.
- By-the-glass rotation and profitability.
- Buying, sourcing and supplier strategy.
- COGS, pricing and stock oversight.
- Menu pairing and list maintenance.
- Staff tastings, training and sales resources.
- Owner and general manager decision support.
What your written scope sets out
- A regular performance review with recommended actions.
- Ongoing input on list, buying and pricing decisions.
- Team tastings and resources, as agreed.
- A defined meeting rhythm and response expectations.
- Clarity on what sits outside the scope.
Pricing starts from $1,500 per month. The scope and fee are confirmed in writing for your venue and depend on its size, reporting needs and the level of involvement you want.
How an engagement works
- 1
Talk it through
A conversation about the venue, the team and what you need. Many clients arrive after a Snapshot or a Full Review.
- 2
Agree a written scope
Deliverables, meeting frequency, response times, onsite arrangements and exclusions are set out before the first quarter begins.
- 3
Work through the first quarter
We start with the numbers and the list, then work through priorities with you and the team.
- 4
Review each quarter
At the end of each block we look at what changed and agree whether and how to continue.
Suitable follow-on support
Common questions
Why is it agreed quarterly?
Beverage decisions take weeks to show in the numbers. A three-month block gives enough time to make changes and see their effect, and gives us the continuity to work closely with the venue and team.
Is this the same as hiring a sommelier?
No. It is specialist beverage direction behind your team, not floor coverage or daily operational management.
How much does it cost?
From $1,500 per month, with the scope and fee confirmed in writing for your venue.
Can we start with a smaller project first?
Yes. Many venues begin with a Beverage Profit Snapshot or a Full Beverage Review. The $750 Review fee is credited towards your first month if you move into support within 14 days.
Do you work onsite?
Most recurring work is remote, through lists, invoices, sales reports and scheduled calls. Onsite tastings, training and planning days can be arranged.
What happens after the first quarter?
We review together. You can continue, adjust the scope, or stop.
Related reading
The Commercial Case for an External Beverage Consultant
When outside beverage expertise pays for itself, when a full-time hire makes more sense, and how to judge the value before you commit.
Sales, Reporting & TeamWhat Your Beverage Sales Reports Should Tell You
Which beverage sales reports are worth reading, what to look for in them and the decisions they should lead to for restaurants and wine bars.
Building the ProgramHow to Build Beverage Expertise Without Hiring a Full-Time Specialist
Practical ways for independent restaurants and wine bars to build beverage expertise in-house or bring it in, without a full-time sommelier or manager.
Ask about ongoing support
Tell us about the venue and what you would like off your plate. We will suggest a sensible scope.