The goal of a destination resort is simple: offer guests and members an oasis of recreation and relaxation. Nothing embodies this notion of paradise more than outdoor bars, complete with specialty beverages, comfortable seating, and spectacular views. With creative designs and themes, outdoor bars are unchallenged as the "go to" places for boosting revenues and capturing resorts' personalities in ways their indoor counterparts just can't approach.
Following the leads of their exotic cousins, "regular" country clubs and golf courses are now also finding that outdoor bars can create special magic on their properties, too. And the best part is that outdoor watering holes don't have to be limited to the Southern or coastal regions; at locations across the country, clubs and resorts are benefiting from exterior bar expansion.
The 150-person outdoor Margarita Bar at the Woodlands Inn & Resort in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., may only be open from May to October. But it is one of the Woodlands' most popular spots, thanks to the breathtaking view—overlooking the Laurel Run Creek and shaded by enormous trees—and the casual, spirited atmosphere. "Our view is spectacular, and it would be silly not to take advantage of it with a bar outdoors," says Rick Kornfeld, General Manager.
Such thoughtfully designed exterior bars can unquestionably add variety and personality to a property. But just taking bars outdoors won’t automatically ensure success; a new set of operational challenges and liability issues must also be understood and handled properly.
Let Your World Be Your Stage
A tropical pool- or oceanside bar is a triedand-true concept for any outdoor operation. But, rather than cluttering the area with neon signs and oversized beach toys, the goal should be to make the surroundings the main attraction.
In South Carolina, at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, the poolside Loggerhead Grill relies on subtle sandstone tiles, tiki torches and palm trees to set the mood. Meanwhile, the large fountain in the pool—and the Atlantic Ocean just beyond the wrought iron fence surrounding the pool area—create the drama. “We let the pool and the ocean do the talking—that’s what people come here for,” says Vijay Singh, F&B Director.
While Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa in Kelseyville, Calif., hosts big name concerts and has a number of entertainment venues and bars, the Tenderfoot Bar is its most consistently popular area. This lakefront locale has a thatch roof over the serving station and an open seating area elevated above Clear Lake. Bar stools face the water, so guests can take in the mountainous Northern California landscape.
“Our indoor [operations] are driven more toward live entertainment, but the feature in the outdoor bars is the view and environment,” says Greg Bennett, General Manager and President. “Even on a cold Saturday night in January, there will be a lot of people at the Tenderfoot, because it’s such a beautiful environment.”
Inside Out
Bringing interior design details outside is another proven way to fashion popular outdoor bars. Rich and textured fabrics, oversized seating, and multi-cultural décor crafted in traditional outdoor materials like wicker can create an unconventional, yet sophisticated mood.
The design for Salud, the outdoor tequila bar at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz., was inspired by the Sonoran Desert, Tucson Mountains and the local agave plants (used to make tequila). Salud establishes an intimate Southwestern mood with large fire pits, wood-burning kivas and oversized, water resistant wicker couches and armchairs.
“Salud is its own oasis,” says Beverage Manager Brian Jaymont. “What sets the bar apart is how we embrace tequila culture, and we have built that into the bar.” Salud uses local, custom-made, handblown glasses for margaritas, and custom made shot glasses and racks for flights of the 130 tequilas on the menu.
Similarly, the 100-person Beer Garden at Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, Ga., takes an international design approach and culls its theme from traditional German beer gardens. Barnsley Gardens’ version serves beers from Germany, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand, the Czech Republic and beyond, along with wines from several continents.
Surrounded by a white picket fence in the middle of the property, a large stone fire pit sits in the middle of the gravel-floored bar area. Patrons enjoy their beverages in beer-logo glassware while sitting at wooden picnic-styled tables and benches under European-inspired umbrellas adorned with beer advertisements. “The goal of the Beer Garden is to create an atmosphere and offer people another outlet to enjoy,” says Alister Glen, Food & Beverage Director.
A Nice Ring to It
Outdoor beverage operations can add value to a property in many ways. “Giving people a variety of areas to have a cocktail certainly enhances the ability to drive revenue,” says Konocti Harbor’s Bennett. “We can do a couple million dollars of beverage revenue a year.On our big concert nights we can do $80,000 to $100,000 in one day.”
The Loggerhead Grill at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island relies on strong profits during inseason months to make up for slowdowns as weather cools. “During June or July, liquor sales at Loggerhead alone are close to $80,000 to $90,000 per month,” says Singh. “The liquor sales at Loggerhead—not including beer or wine—make up about 21% of our entire liquor sales.”
For Barnsley Gardens, however, the revenue attained from its outdoor operation is secondary to the value it provides to the resort as a whole. “If you look at the bigger scheme of things, the total alcohol sales from the Beer Garden are maybe 5-10% of our total liquor sales,” says Glen. “But the Beer Garden is more about adding value to the property, rather than trying to make millions of dollars.”
Taking Stock
Having an efficient operating system to order and receive bar supplies is a must when bars are spread throughout the property.Many clubs and resorts have one central receiving area for the entire property. From there, deliveries are often transported to a central beverage storeroom for bar operations. At that point, each separate bar’s bartenders, bar-backs and/or beverage managers are responsible for taking necessary stock to their designated bar location.
The Starr Pass Resort recently installed an electronic bottle-for-bottle record system operated through individual desktops. The software coordinates the different departments involved in ordering, receiving and stocking the bars, and helps maintain each bar’s par system.
“This system makes it easier because there is no need for me to count the bottles and do the ordering,” says Jaymont. “Instead, [the program] actually keeps a par system so if the par drops below what is in [our stock] and no one has requisitioned it, it automatically reorders.”
With multiple beverage venues stretched over more than 100 acres, Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa has one central storage location and several satellite storage areas across its property. “Over the years we’ve created satellite storage areas with power systems and control mechanisms in place that can be stocked out of the main storage area,” says Bennett. Each bar at the resort has a pit boss responsible for keeping the bar up to par and several barbacks responsible for stocking. “The pit boss has a walkie talkie and calls the bar-back supervisor, who then dispatches one of the bar backs to the beverage location,” explains Bennett.
At Fairmount Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura, Fla., its Ocean Club is located j
ust off the main property, and on-site vehicles transport stock to its outdoor Tiki Bar. “There is a central receiving area and main store areas on the main property,” says Peter Schreurs, Director of Food & Beverage. “The Ocean Club gets supplies from the central storeroom two or three times a week. There is a small storeroom with limited stock at the Ocean Club that we use if needed.” The Ocean Club manager maintains the Tiki Bar’s par system and requisitions supplies as needed.
Protect Your License
While many outdoor bars have a more relaxed mood, policing underage drinking is always serious business—and there's a need for special vigilance in club and resort settings where underage patrons are often allowed in bar areas.
"When you're doing large beverage numbers, the liability issue is a challenge," says Bennett. "You have to protect your license and your guests." Before approaching an over-21 serving area at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, patrons must show identification and receive a wristband. "This is not a foolproof program, but it certainly helps us make sure we're diligent in checking if [people being served] are 21," says Bennett."Our staff still checks people who look young, even if they have a wristband."
Other properties simply prohibit the under-21 set from entering certain bars. Before entering the Woodlands Inn & Resort's Margarita Bar, guests must show identification to a security guard posted outside the bar. Once inside, bartenders may check identification again, if a guest looks young.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, Calif., requires TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers of Alcohol) certification for its staff. "The program teaches how to spot potential underage drinking and how to make sure we don't serve people too much," says Tom McLaughlin,Director of F&B. "A member of our management team is a certified trainer, and everyone on the staff has the training every two years."
Along with the obvious advantages for helping to police underage and problem drinking, TIPS-certified clients can receive tangible benefits, according to the National Bartenders School, including insurance discounts for liquor liability premiums, and court recognition of TIPS as the accepted standard for server training programs. C&RB
Summing It Up
• Outdoor bars and lounges don’t have to be limited to warm-weather locales. Even seasonal operations can boost overall beverage revenues, especially when they capitalize on the surrounding scenery.
• An outdoor venue doesn’t mean you should forego the principles of “interior design.” The decor is just as important as it would be indoors.
• Increasing the options for members and guests seeking a drink can lead to increased revenues. If the decor or views are breathtaking, people might linger a bit longer.
• Sprawling resorts and even small clubs with multiple venues can benefit from centralized storage areas. But satellite staging areas can also be helpful, as a supplement to the main receiving area.
• To protect your alcohol license, ensure that servers know how to spot minors and adults who are overly intoxicated. TIPS training can help with this, and may even help reduce liquor-liability premiums.
Cheers at No Charge
Nothing gets bar-goers in the mood like a free drink. Each night at dusk, the casual daytime mood at Salud— the outdoor tequila bar at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa— shifts into a festive nighttime hot spot, as Beverage Manager (and resident Tequila Master) Brian Jaymont leads a tequila toast around the fire pits. Each patron receives a complimentary tequila shot, as Jaymont tells the legend of how Pancho Villa won the hand of his beloved Juanita, and then toasts to the evening. "We change the tequila every day," says Jaymont. "We're trying to get people into tequila, because everyone has had that bad experience with tequila in the plastic jug back in college. So I'm trying to get everyone away from that image. One evening we'll pour an Añejo aged tequila, the next a mini-tequila sunrise, and the next, one of our own tequila infusions."
Weathering the Storms
It's hard for anyone to erase the devastating pictures of 2005's hurricane season. But the destruction did drive home an important lesson for those who needed a reminder on how to protect outdoor operations. As Hurricane Wilma approached Florida in October, the staff at Fairmount Turnberry Isle Resort's outdoor Ocean Club Tiki Bar began moving all of the furniture and other loose items into the indoor restaurant, and the hurricane shutters were closed to protect the interior. Because Wilma was expected to slow to a mild Category One storm, the resort opted to pass on the costly process of dismantling its cabanas. The storm, however, escalated to Category Two and destroyed a number of the cabanas. The Sanctuary Hotel at the Kiawah Island Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., has a similar storm protocol for moving furniture and outdoor equipment inside. However, the outdoor bars are permanent fixtures that currently do not have any shutter protection. "We're looking into putting in storm curtains next season," says Vijay Singh, Food & Beverage Director. "Storm curtains are high-grade plastic that rolls down from the ceiling and is tied down at the base. They will protect it, but if you have 100-mph winds, nothing protects against that."
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