Bar Exam
Ask Ian Stiller whether the glass is half full or half empty, and he can tell you within 1/100th of an ounce.
Using a laptop computer, electronic scales and a bar-code scanner, the South African-born entrepreneur operates a computerized liquor-auditing service for clients in the bar and restaurant business.
“What I do is much more than weighing and counting,” Stiller says. “I help owners make money.”
Thanks to sophisticated software created by Bevinco, a Toronto-based liquor inventory control company, Stiller has honed his one-man franchise to a science. The program tracks beverage sales and purchases to the nearest fraction of an ounce.
More than an auditor, Stiller also doubles as consultant. Tapping into a client’s database, he calculates how much and what brands to stock, and provides precise recipes for mixed drinks. Sometimes, he even rearranges display shelves.
Selwyn Yosslowitz, owner of the four Marmalade cafes in the Los Angeles area, estimates the tracking system has saved his business thousands of dollars. His biggest problem, he explains, is controlling inventory shrinkage--the difference between product used and product sold. Common losses include spilling or overpouring.
He can now tell where the shrinkage is and how to reduce it, Yosslowitz says. “The result is your cost of running a bar is much lower than it was before.”.
Stiller started his franchise last year. After getting a green card in 1978 as a controller for a Texas steel conglomerate, he moved to Los Angeles and opened a computer-generated sign-making business. But after 10 years, he was looking for new challenges.
For the personable Stiller, who enjoys being his own boss, an independent franchise was ideal: low overhead, no employees and no office.
His biggest expense was the $22,500 franchise fee, which includes the software, training and a protected work territory. Other expenses included the electronic scales for $2,000 to weigh bottles and kegs, a bar-code scanner and direct-mail advertising costs. He already had a laptop computer from his sign business and a portable Hewlett-Packard printer, which he uses to give clients an instant printout of their weekly audits.
Stiller currently services six accounts, charging $150-up per audit, depending on the bar’s size and complexities. He begins early, when few customers are around, and can conduct up to four audits a day.
The first year is the hardest, notes Ian Foster, Bevinco’s West Coast development head, who runs a San Diego franchise. But by the second year, a franchisee can earn more than $100,000, according to Foster. The company, which boasts 130 franchises in 10 countries, has about 15 more openings in the Los Angeles area. Those wanting to learn more can click on https://www.bevinco.com
“What we really need are people like Ian, who can cross the line from analyst to consultant,” Foster says. “Ian ran a business before. He is used to dealing with people and is a good candidate.”
