Serving alcohol responsibly is one of the many highly critical requirements restaurants must follow, whether you’re a rookie, experienced server, restaurant manager, or owner. Although providing alcoholic drinks could help boost a restaurant’s bottom line, serving alcohol improperly or overconsumption by patrons might cause the company to face significant fines. Dangerous drinking endangers the guest and the other diners. Hence, it’s important to practice safe serving. Below are ServSafe Alcohol Instructor tips on how to offer alcohol responsibly at your restaurant.
Staff Training
Proper employee training can assist your institution in proactively avoiding many possible alcohol-related concerns. This is especially crucial for bartenders, but don’t underestimate the need for server training. Knowing the signs of intoxication is vital to keeping customers safe and protecting your business.
Establishing Strict Policies
Setting up rules and ensuring that your staff follows them is a safe and legal approach to avoiding disasters caused by intoxicated customers. These regulations could include verifying IDs, slowing down alcohol service, and denying beverages after a certain number of drinks have been consumed or if signs of intoxication are observed.
Checking IDs
As taught in ServSafe Alcohol Training, checking IDs is one of the simplest method to verify that everyone drinks lawfully. This can safeguard your business, your staff, and your customers’ safety and protect you from heavy fines if you are found to be supplying alcohol to minors. Serving alcohol to children is a severe violation, with fines of thousands of dollars possible.
Refusing to Intoxicated Customers
When you notice a customer showing signs of intoxication, ensure you refuse to sell them alcohol. Sure, they may become irritated, but a disgruntled customer is a lot simpler to deal with than the potential consequences of such a client initiating a fight, damaging your restaurant, or harming others. It is not worth allowing someone to become too intoxicated: the hazards exceed any potential bar cost.
Have a Taxi on Speed-Dial
Even with the greatest processes in place and the best-trained workers, overindulgence can happen. Ensure you have a cab service number on hand at your restaurant to help ensure their safety (and the safety of other commuters on the road!).
Practicing ServSafe Alcohol tips when serving alcohol at a restaurant or bar is essential to protect the safety of your customers, as well as the well-being of your company. Do you need ServSafe Alcohol training for your staff? Give us a call today to schedule a training appointment.
