Ask an ACityDiscount Expert: Lisa Wilson

I love helping customers prepare to open bars, pubs and other drinking establishments. It takes me back to my bartending days. Some customers walk into the ACity Discount showroom knowing exactly what bar supplies they need to purchase… Others know what they need, and send a green staffer – bar equipment list in hand. This poor guy or girl doesn’t know the difference between a shaker and a jigger (laughs).

Then there’s the newbie owners. They’re rookies in the restaurant business, or adding alcohol for the first time to their establishment’s menu. They don’t know what bar supplies they need, and the clock is tick, tick, ticking closer to the grand opening.

Here’s how I help: I ask questions to gain an understanding of the location’s layout and capacity, envisioning it as if I’m working behind the bar during Happy Hour, and the place is packed.

Is the work station equipped with enough bar supplies – in the right place – to allow for a smooth work flow, from bottle openers and flair bottles to ice bins, bar mats and speed rails?

Is there enough glassware to serve customers without running out before they can be washed and sanitized?

Are customers pleased with the bar service, and will they not only return, but bring friends?"