“Drinks reached exorbitant prices”. “I prefer to make Spritz for myself at home”. “Mixology is just a fad”. How many times have you heard your friends (or yourself) comment on the phenomenon of not-so-selective mixing anymore? The truth is that today everyone wants to drink well, but (almost) everyone complains about the average price of drinks. But have you ever wondered what the real cost of what you drink is? In other words: Do you think it’s fair to pay up to 15 euros for a drink – euros more, euros less? We asked two experts in the industry, Diego Rampietti and Tommaso Sarti, who today manage the restaurant offer of two of Florence’s most important hotels but have a long experience in various venues behind them.
How much does a cocktail cost the consumer?
If it is true that every city in Italy has its own reference parameters, the indicator figure we can take as an example is It costs around 10-15 € capitals of the local bar: Florence, Rome and Milan. Something less for the classics, more for the classics signature, or the house drinks. Something less for street bars and more for hotel bars.
“There are many factors that make a difference when choosing a cocktail price” he starts Diego Rampietti, current Food and Beverage Director Cibrèo, at the Helvetia & Bristol hotel in Florence on Via dei Pescioni. “The first distinction to be made is between hotel bars and street bars, because the elements we consider inevitably vary: around €20 in the first case, around €10 in the second. But consider that the final cost of a drink also includes service, ambiance, venue rent, and labor. If staff are paid illegally, as unfortunately often happens in the bar world (although almost never happens in hotel bars), labor costs will be lower and so will cocktails. But that’s definitely not the example to follow”.
How much does a cocktail cost in the club?
“The food cost of a classic cocktail is around € 1-2, a signature sometimes costs even less, but for the consumer the price of the cocktail is higher, taking into account that we pay not only for the ingredients, but also for the bartender’s opinion”explains new Food and Beverage Manager Tommaso Sarti Plaza Hotel Lucchesi in Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia. “In my opinion, a profit margin of three to three and a half times the cost of the beverage is the most fair and equitable. Let me explain better: If our cocktail costs around 2.50€, we put it on the menu for 10€. But everything changes if we find ourselves in a certain position where management and rent have higher costs, and therefore the prices of goods sold also increase.” continues Rampietti.
How do you determine the fair price of a drink?
“Renting a cocktail bar in Bari is not the same as renting a cocktail bar in Milan or Florence.”explains Diego. “This is the first thing we should consider when evaluating a cocktail bar’s prices and deciding whether they are fair to us. The price depends on where you are, what you offer and how you present it. Let me give you an example: Bitter Campari costs the same for everyone, but the cost of the venue that uses it in their drinks is definitely not the same.”.
“Price is a marketing tool, not the result of multiplication”This is Tommaso’s opinion instead. “At least I see this not as the result of a cold mathematical equation, but as a tool that serves to make and position the product being sold more marketable. Therefore, the balanced price should be the meeting between the mood of those who offer and the mood of those who go to consume. If these come together, there will be no price problem; It’s more a matter of how much I’m willing to pay for what I get. In summary: a gin and tonic priced at €15, but served by a welcoming, polite and charismatic bartender will clearly be superior in the customer’s eyes compared to a gin and tonic made with a more expensive gin but not with a more expensive gin. a place that has neither good service nor good environment”.
Why is a hotel bar more expensive than a street bar?
Diego stopped us immediately. “The reasons are many: for refined garnishes, for the regularity of the people working in that structure, for the quality of the service provided, for the value of the raw materials used, for quality some ice, never forgetting the glasses”. Still: “In most five-star hotels, all cocktails are served in crystal glasses or crystal glasses, that is, containers costing on average € 5-7 each. For all these reasons we have to stick to higher values, with a price around €20 per drink. This greater marginality compared to other rooms also allows you to develop the typical conviviality of a hotel; In this environment, the daily goal is certainly to make your guests feel as comfortable as possible. on the streetmeat stick most of the time there are not even snacks to accompany the drinks, there are fewer staff (and therefore lower human capital expenditure), the ice is of poor quality and the glass costs no more than 4-5 Euros. Now you understand the difference?
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Source: Today IT
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
