Evolution in the Food and Beverage Market

Diane Corcoran, Beverage Director, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

In an interview, Diane Corcoran, beverage director at Miru, part of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant, discusses her views on the changing food and beverage market and her learning of working in the industry over a period of time.

As a beverage director, what are the main challenges in today’s competitive food and beverage market and what steps can be taken to address them?

A unique challenge that I have found is that our guests are a lot more cocktail savvy than they have been in the past. During quarantine, everyone was making their own cocktails and discovering what they really liked to drink. When our bars and restaurants opened back up, guests came in with a lot more requests for very specific cocktails and knowing exactly what they wanted to order. Creating a culture where guests feel comfortable being able to do that and training the bartenders to have the proper conversations and execute anything the guests want are the best steps to taking care of our guests.

The biggest challenge we all face in our industry right now is the workforce: the lack of people choosing to join the industry and talented industry veterans leaving the industry for other career opportunities. You can have great ideas and concepts, but if you don’t have the staff to execute them, then they won’t work. This is on all levels, from hourly staff to managers, directors, etc.

“As a consultant, you have to make sure the team, especially the managers, buy into what you are doing”

The most important step we can take to address this is to continue to work on building a culture at our restaurants that encourages potential employees to not only come work with us but to build a career with us. We need to ensure our employees feel supported, well-trained, and cared for. If we don’t do this, our industry won’t continue to grow and thrive.

What, in your opinion, are some effective digitalization and technology initiatives that can streamline restaurant operations and foster business growth?

This changes with each restaurant and its needs, but I have found one of the most important pieces of technology in a restaurant is its POS system. You need a good POS system with effective reporting. This can help you plan your prep, ordering, inventory, scheduling, etc. Depending on the needs of the restaurant, the POS system you choose could help run all levels of your business.

I also think there are some great tools out there that need to be fully utilized. Like Open Table or Tock for reservations management and events. Provi or other online ordering systems for beverage ordering. Make sure the restaurant managers are fully trained on these programs and are using the tools they have available to them to help them manage their business. This in turn, frees them up to spend more time on the floor with the guests, building relationships and working with the team.

What do you think are some of the new innovations in the field of food and beverage consulting that enhance customer experience and satisfaction?

What excites me the most is the ability to get access to more spirits from other countries, small craft distilleries continuing to produce new and unique products, and overall better quality ingredients on the market. This allows beverage specialists to have more to work with to develop more thoughtful, creative beverage programs. This also allows bartenders to have some fun conversations with guests as they can introduce them to something they may have never seen before. Thus, enhancing the guest experience and repeat clientele.

Before your stint at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, what were some of the previous experiences that empowered you to gain deep expertise in restaurant openings and management as well as spirit and cocktail education?

My first two restaurant openings were very different from the structured openings that are how Lettuce opens restaurants. The first was as a bartender at a local steakhouse in college. It was also my first time working with floor managers and not just self-managing like in previous restaurants. The managers were very good at running a floor, but the training was so focused on food and the systems that beverage and bar were an afterthought. We created the bar systems ourselves, and that was my first true experiment in figuring out how a bar should be opened, closed, deep cleaned, and overall serviced.

Five years later, as the AGM for the second restaurant opening with a team of three, we built everything from scratch. Relying on our restaurant experience, we created systems based on gut instinct. Although we had to pivot and adapt along the way, the opening was a valuable learning experience. Looking back now, with over 20 restaurant openings under my belt, I see that some of the systems I created were on the right track, but I lacked the experience and training to execute them fully.

On an ending note, what is your advice for other senior leaders and CXOs working in the food and beverage consulting landscape?

As a consultant, you have to make sure the team, especially the managers, buys into what you are doing. Work together, train them, help create the culture, and offer as much support as you possibly can. Fully integrate yourself with the team.

Also, find out exactly what that particular client or restaurant needs from you. Work together to help them achieve their goals.