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Is Your Food and Beverage Operation Ahead of the Curve?
By Colin Minehart, Vice President, American Beverage Licensees
Due to government mandates passed over the last few years, most food and beverage operations in the United States today can boast about the number of staff members that have completed a food safety program. Don't get me wrong; food safety should be a paramount concern in anybody's business. The big question is what are you doing to protect your business operation in areas where there are no government mandates? Does your food and beverage operation have all of your staff, including yourself properly trained to serve wine, beer and spirits?
My experience reaches four generations of selling beverage alcohol. I am the second member of the fourth generation in my family to hold a liquor license. With twenty-plus years as an owner in this industry, I'd like to share some of the knowledge I have acquired. One thing that I can say for sure is selling alcohol today is 180 degrees different than when my grandfather ran seven bars at one time during the 1950s and 60s.
For those readers with a few whiskers or wrinkles you can remember a time when it was "acceptable" to go out and have up to ten or fifteen beers and then drive home. If a police officer pulled you over and you weren't belligerent (remember, the acceptable BAC was .15 at that time) the intoxicated person would probably get a ride home, just in time to do it again tomorrow. Thank goodness, we can look back at history and understand that we had to make some changes. States began to lower their BAC to .10 and law enforcement began to crack down on the senseless driving by high BAC drivers. Now all 50 states are at .08 BAC and continue to work with state licensed beverage associations to reduce drunken driving fatalities.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Minnesota lowered it alcohol-related fatalities 30.8% from 2003 to 2004 while the state was at .10 BAC. Educating the public and instituting server training in the bars and package stores were critical factors for the dramatic improvement.
Do It Now!
By now, I hope you are asking yourself, "What could I do to get ahead of the curve before government mandates are put in place?" If you are the owner or general manager of a food and beverage operation you need to be the first one trained to serve wine, beer or spirits. Be trained so well that you could in turn, train your employees. In addition, you should obtain a current copy of your state's liquor laws and local ordinances concerning the sale of alcohol. Read them cover-to-cover and know the laws, as your employees will look to you for answers. I can assure you it's not hard to become an expert on liquor laws that affect your operation.
Now, get your staff trained. Don't just train the ones, who regularly serve alcoholic beverages, train them all. I also recommend that you train each new employee before they begin working. It's a great way to protect your new employee from making mistakes as well as protect your business from the consequences. Most liquor law violations committed by an employee will result in a fine for the employee and a fine for the business. It is also possible you might suffer temporary business closure or worse yet, the loss of your liquor license. For me, this would mean more than just an employee's job lost. A lifetime of operating a fully law-abiding business is also gone in an instant.
So where do you find training that will "fill the bill" to protect your operation? First, call your state licensed beverage trade association. In Minnesota, it's the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association (MLBA). If your state doesn't have a trade association call your state government agency that regulates the sale of beverage alcohol. Online training is also available from a few sources. Scrutinize these carefully as some won't "fill the bill". There are several excellent trainers across the United States. Find one, now! And if all else fails call me! I would be happy to help you find a solution.
How Much is Your Business Worth?
This is the magic question I have put to hundreds of liquor license holders over the years as I have challenged them to answer why they do not train their entire staff serving beverage alcohol. Many shrug their shoulders or tell me that they have been doing this longer than I have and they know all the laws they need to know. Well, even as a fourth generation license holder I can tell you that I am still learning new things about working in this industry as a retailer. However, one thing that steadfastly sticks out, as being a responsible retailer is the importance of getting your staff properly trained. Notice I use the words properly trained.
Remember, a properly trained staff not only protects you as the business owner or manager, but also protects your customers, as you want them to keep coming back to your establishment. Anytime your employees serve beverage alcohol, you need to have a staff that is properly trained even if it's a volunteer fundraising event. Especially, if it's a volunteer fundraising event. Beer gardens and wedding dances with open bars are notorious for allowing adults and underage individuals to become intoxicated. This can create one of the most dangerous situations today, when a high BAC individual gets behind the wheel of an automobile. The result could be not only the loss of your business but also the loss of somebody's life.
Now Take Your Business to the Next Level!
When you have taken the necessary steps to get yourself and your staff properly trained to serve beverage alcohol, give something back to the food and beverage industry. Join your local and state trade association representing retailers just like you. Find the time to become active in your state trade association and you will grow immensely as a business owner or manager. I can tell you this from experience, as I have been active for nearly 20 years now, on the state and national level. I know my time is well spent, because I know I am working to personally protect my business as well as yours. Working with state government to reduce drunk driving and prevent youth access to alcohol will preserve and expand the prosperity our industry has experienced throughout the years. Get ahead of the curve. Get your staff properly trained. Drink Responsibly, Drive Responsibly.
Colin Minehart is owner of the Main Street Grill, Alden, MN, and Vice President of American Beverage Licensees. For article feedback, email Colin at: colin@mlba.com
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