How long should a guest wait for their drink?
In the fast-paced world of bars, timing is everything. From the moment a customer enters and places an order to the moment they receive their drink, every second counts. Understanding the factors that influence cocktail preparation time is essential for delivering exceptional service and maximizing profitability.
Now, the real question should be: while a cocktail can take anywhere from 15 seconds to 5 minutes (or more) to make, what's a reasonable wait time for a customer to be both intrigued and fascinated by a mixologist/bartender making a drink?
The key here is to always manage customer expectations. A well-executed cocktail, even if it takes a bit longer, can leave a lasting impression.
Factors Affecting Cocktail Timing
Depending on a number of factors, the wait time can vary tremendously.
So what are the major factors you need to take into account?
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Cocktail complexity
What is the number of separate ingredients and how long they take to gather and combine? Cocktails with more ingredients and intricate preparation will naturally take longer to make. -
Profitability
The desired profit margin for a drink can influence how quickly it is prepared. How much will the drink sell for, versus cost and time to make? Can you make an 80 percent gross profit and still sell the drink. What's the expected sell price versus the cost price, including labour? -
Staffing
How many people are making drinks behind the bar? The number of bartenders on duty and their skill levels will impact service speed. -
Ingredients
Having pre-prepared ingredients for popular cocktails can expedite service. -
Venue type
The type of bar—high-volume, speakeasy, dive bar—will influence customer expectations and service pace.
Furthermore, we have identified key elements that need to be considered to ensure efficiency, effective management of guest expectations and positive turnover:
- What are the guest’s expectations?
- Do you have a clear drinks philosophy?
- What's the expected spend per guest target?
- What’s the demographics of your patrons?
- Who is your competition in the area?
- Is your bar set-up so staff can move quickly and efficiently?
- Do you have a glassy/bar back support to help?
Tips for Optimizing Cocktail Timing
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Use pre-batched ingredients
Prepare popular cocktails in advance to speed up service during busy times. -
Use quality tools
Invest in high-quality bar tools to streamline the cocktail-making process. Start with properly-fitted speed pourers for your speed rail brands to ensure liquor pouring is smooth and leak-free. -
Optimize the bar layout
Ensure your bar is set up for efficient workflow and easy access to ingredients and equipment. -
Train staff
Invest in regular training to ensure your bartenders are skilled, efficient and updated on the latest bar practices. -
Manage customer expectations
Communicate estimated wait times. Offer alternative options, if necessary, but if this happens much more frequently—then your bar might already be suffering from category swap.
Reflecting carefully on each of the tip and questions will determine the ideal time your bar can turn a multi-drink order around.
Ultimately, it's the guest and what's left in the till at the end of a shift that will be the ultimate arbiter of how long the average drink should take to make. Remember, the goal is not just to serve drinks quickly but to serve them well.