Operator blog
Wine program notes for steakhouses
Notes for GMs and beverage directors on BTG economics, floor training, and list design.
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Train servers to sell more wine in ten minutes
A repeatable 10-minute pre-shift: two-sentence pitches, hesitation handling, and why the second-cheapest bottle beats “safe” defaults on ribeye tables.
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Target 20–25% pour cost on wine by the glass
Target 20–25% pour cost with worked examples by pour size - and how over-pouring, oxidation, and mispriced splits quietly erode margin.
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Keep hesitant guests choosing between pours
Table-reading cues, food-order bridges, and a two-option close that keeps guests choosing between pours - not between wine and water.
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Run six to eight wines by the glass
Velocity vs. breadth, rotation rules, preservation economics, and why lean BTG lists are winning in 2026 high-check dining rooms.