Microchip Technology Finally Eliminates The Scourge Of Shrinkage

by Terry Singer

To the uninitiated, the term "shrinkage" may sound harmless, but just the thought of it is enough to make seasoned beverage managers wince and bar owners shudder. It refers to the liquor that is lost due to waste, spillage and theft. Shrinkage is a voracious predator, capable of chewing up in excess of 10% to 20% of the bottom line. Theft alone is an insidious source of losses. For many operators, eliminating shrinkage means the difference between financial success and failure.

Opportunities are rife for theft behind a bar. Bartenders are often working without direct supervision. They steal from the bar and its customers because it's easily accomplished, hard to detect, and extremely difficult to prevent on an ongoing basis. The temptations posed by constantly handling large sums of cash and dealing with a liquid inventory can often prove overwhelming. At some point, most bartenders contemplate stealing cash, giving out free drinks, or any one of a multitude of transgressions.

The solution is control and total accountability behind the bar, two of the operational benefits the Berg All Bottle Systems™ offer operators of bars and restaurants. This revolutionary system is capable of dispensing an unlimited number of liquors and liqueurs using a unique ring attachment, a collar-like device that couples with specially designed pour spouts that deliver multiple portion sizes with computer accuracy. Unless the patented activator ring is attached, the spouts won't pour, making overpouring liquor and selling unrecorded drinks a thing of the past. Bartenders who play fast and loose with liquor have met an insurmountable obstacle in the All Bottle System.

The Berg system is also capable of interfacing with electronic cash registers or point-of-sale systems ensuring that every drink poured is accounted for and charged the correct price. At the end of a shift, all of the operational data from each system downloads into your computer, providing you with a detailed sales report of exactly what was poured and at what price.

While attaining strict portion control and accuracy, the system is completely unobtrusive to the operation. Bartenders use a conventional pouring motion, and the customers seated at the bar see that the brand they ordered is actually what is being poured. The system is fast, easy to use, and doesn't require a complicated installation or a computer technician to operate.

The Berg All Bottle™ Systems have a significant financial impact on a beverage operator's bottom line. It is so effective at controlling liquor costs and eliminating fraudulent practices behind the bar that its return on investment is typically less than one year.

Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the Berg Company™ is the country's leading manufacturer of liquor control systems. With tens of thousands of system installed, approximately half of all establishments utilizing liquor control systems have chosen to invest in a Berg system. The company also manufactures the Berg Laser™ Liquor System, an efficient and highly cost-effective system that dispenses liquor stored in a secure, remote location through a specially designed beverage gun. The Laser™ Liquor System pours extremely fast and accurate measurements, and is capable of dispensing up to 48 preprogrammed cocktails, each prepared precisely according to your specified recipes.

Another element of the company's overall strategy of complete beverage accountability is the Berg Tap 2™ System, a draft beer dispenser that uses state-of-the-art flow meters to monitor and record every ounce of draft beer dispensed. The system can be programmed to dispense up to eight portion sizes, each with the prescribed amount of foamy head. The Berg Tap 2™ System provides an invaluable and previously unavailable means of verifying the profitability of draft beer sales.

For more information on the Berg All Bottle™ System, or any of the other Berg beverage control systems, contact the Berg Company™ at (608) 221-4281.