What we work on
Prices that protect margin without pushing guests away.
Beverage margin is shaped by dozens of small decisions: how a wine was priced, how a glass is poured, how a supplier increase was handled. We help operators see those decisions clearly and make better ones.
The problem this addresses
A venue can run a sensible cost percentage on paper and still leave money behind. A very low percentage can mean prices that put guests off. A higher one can be fine if the gross profit in dollars is strong. The percentage alone rarely tells the story.
Margin also leaks quietly: supplier increases that never reach the menu, pours that vary by who is working, glasses that expire in the bottle, wines that sit in stock for months. Most of it can be found once someone looks.
Signs margin may be slipping
- Beverage cost percentage has moved and nobody knows why.
- Supplier price rises are absorbed rather than reviewed.
- Menu prices were set once and rarely revisited.
- By-the-glass wine runs out of life in the bottle before it runs out of guests.
- Pour sizes differ between team members.
- You can state the percentage but not the gross profit in dollars.
Questions we help answer
- What is each category actually earning in dollars?
- Where has cost moved without price following?
- Is the by-the-glass range priced to cover wastage and pour variation?
- Which wines look profitable but earn little because they rarely sell?
- In what order should price changes be made?
What we look at
- Cost, sell price, cost percentage and gross profit in dollars.
- Price steps and structure across the list.
- By-the-glass pour sizes, pricing and wastage exposure.
- Cost movements and whether prices followed them.
- Sales mix and what it does to overall margin.
Where it fits
Common questions
What is a good beverage cost percentage?
There is no single target for every venue. Our guide explains why gross profit in dollars, sales velocity and wastage matter alongside the percentage.
Will you just raise our prices?
Not as a reflex. Sometimes prices should rise. Sometimes the answer is wastage, a supplier invoice, pour control or sales mix. We look at the cause first.
Do I need a point-of-sale export?
It helps, especially for a Full Beverage Review, but a Snapshot can begin from your list and menu alone.
Related reading
What is a good beverage cost percentage for an Australian restaurant?
Why a good beverage cost percentage depends on gross profit dollars, sales velocity, wastage and stock, with practical starting points for restaurants.
Profitability & MarginWhere Restaurant Beverage Margins Quietly Disappear
Eight common places beverage margin leaks in restaurants and wine bars, with a worked example and a simple monthly check to find them.
Find where margin is going
Tell us what you are seeing in the numbers. We will suggest the most useful first step.