Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/808089
www.cheersonline.com 25 March/April 2017 • in general. Guest favorites also include the Markham Napa chardonnay and Franciscan Estate cabernet sauvignon. The restaurant regularly reviews and updates its wine list and has multiple offerings across the country. Three to four times a year Firebirds will feature specific wines, such as Chateau Ste. Michelle's 50th Anniversary wine. The chain plans to offer Poema wines from Spain this summer as a way "to showcase different wine styles and wineries from around the world," Pulsinelli says. STEPPING UP THE CRAFT BEER OFFERING Firebirds, which generates about 25% of its revenue from alcoholic beverages, early on focused more on wine and cocktails, Pulsinelli says. But the chain has been honing its focus on beer in the past two years to keep up with guest demand. The new "Discover the Art of Craft" menu is part of that effort. Local general managers can now choose what craft beers make sense for their region's tastes, and change out selections based on the season. "We don't mandate craft beer styles, but focus on seasonality," says Pulsinelli. So in the winter beer menus were offering a lot of celebration ales, porters and stouts. In many Firebirds locations, beer sales are 50% domestic big brands/imports, 50% craft, but in some markets it's closer to 60% craft. Charlotte, NC, for instance, has nine different local craft breweries. Firebirds typically carries beers from at least three, including Olde Mecklenburg, Birdsong and NoDa. "We also carry some of the bigger craft players—New Belgium, Boston Beer, Magic Hat," Pulsinelli adds. Servers had extensive training so that they can talk guests about the beer selection with confidence. Staff education is important to the success of a craft beer program, Pulsinelli adds. Firebirds works with partners such as local brewers and distributors, who will come in and do a tasting and go over the particulars of a brew's color and flavor profile with the staff. There are more beers to keep track of these days. "We started with six tap handles for beer," Pulsinelli notes. "Now the average is eight at new locations, and new prototypes will have 10 taps." ATTENTION TO DETAIL Firebirds not only cooks on wood fire vs. gas, the chain is also particular about the type of wood, using a combination of hardwoods, primarily oak. Some locations add a local flavor with regionally sourced woods such as pecan, hickory and apple wood, which produce different levels and types of smoke. Menu specialties include Wood Grilled Salmon basted with Key lime butter, served with parmesan mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables; Pecan Encrusted Trout topped with pineapple salsa and tortilla slaw; Cilantro-Grilled Chicken Breast with crisp ranch rings and smoked tomato jack cheese sauce, parmesan mashed potatoes; and Chile Rubbed Delmonico Steak. In addition to its food and drink offerings, Firebirds heightens the guest experience with attention to detail such as chilled salad plates, extra-long sharing forks with dessert and refreshed frozen Martini glasses; wines are served at proper cellar temperatures. To ensure that employees provide a quality and consistent customer experience across all locations, Firebirds uses several different methods of training. "We utilize e-learning to help get the basic information out," Pulsinelli explains. Firebirds also provides each team member with a job aid that fits in their server book and includes a picture of the drink along with a description. Bartenders are equipped with cheat sheets—quick reference tools that include color pictures of what the drink looks like, along with the recipe, Pulsinelli says. Regular bar meetings and enable team members to see and taste the drinks. "We provide continued education through pre-shift topics, which are available weekly and include role-play topics, quiz questions, tips and tricks to successful drink making and tips on how to create extraordinary experiences through hospitality," Pulsinelli says. INSIDE THE INNER CIRCLE Firebirds developed its Inner Circle loyalty program about 12 years ago; it now boasts some 500,000 followers. Rather than offering them discounts, the programs focuses more on sharing news and information with members via email, Loftis says. For instance, Inner Circle members are the first to know about new menu items, seasonal offerings, restaurant openings and remodels and so on. The members do get the occasional deal, such as a welcome offer when they join and a promotion on their birthdays, as well as seasonal specials, Loftis notes. But for the most part, they participate for the feeling of inclusion and connection to the Firebirds brand. That connection with customers has helped propel Firebirds' growth. The company is looking at 10% -plus year- over-year growth, Pulsinelli says. Firebirds, which is opening its 43rd location in May, will continue to spread its wings, he adds. The chain is focused on "back filling our current footprint and other select markets that can accommodate multiple locations." Firebirds started with six tap handles for beer; now the average is eight at new locations, and new prototypes will have 10 taps.