Innovative Approaches to Optimising Bar Menu Design: Enhancing Operational Profitability and Service Quality

Citation: Volodymyr Tolstov, "Innovative Approaches to Optimising Bar Menu Design: Enhancing Operational Profitability and Service Quality", Universal Library of Business and Economics, Volume 01, Issue 01.

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Empirical research on bar operations at Waterpark Odessa and Waterpark-Hotel Zatoka during the summer seasons of 2018–2022 evaluates how compact beverage assortments, standardized production cycles, and visually structured drink cards affect profitability and guest service in seasonal entertainment venues. The study employs a mixed-methods design, combining indices from managerial accounting for core beverage categories with qualitative reconstructions of production flows, stock policies, and menu design decisions. Case evidence is linked to international literature on menu engineering, digital ordering tools, and theme park F&B strategies. The menu redesign replaces overloaded assortments with a focused set of margin-rich beverages, supported by unified ingredients, pre-preparations, and simplified drink assembly schemes. The visual layout draws attention to signature items, family bundles, and photogenic drinks, which are promoted through social media and digital channels. A comparative analysis of records from the pre- and post-optimization periods reveals lower food costs for cocktails and soft drinks, reduced all-inclusive production costs due to decreased labor intensity and waste, shorter service times during peak loads, and higher average check sizes. At the same time, the beverage share in total food and beverage (F&B) revenue moves closer to benchmarks reported for successful bar and nightclub operations. Sales data indicate a shift in demand toward visually highlighted items and bundle offers, while rarely ordered, complex cocktails are losing prominence or disappearing altogether. The case refines menu-engineering approaches for environments with extreme seasonality, pronounced daytime peaks, and guest streams dominated by families. A scalable managerial framework is proposed for beverage assortment design, stock management, menu visualization, and digital ordering in waterparks and related leisure properties.

Keywords: Menu Engineering, Bar Menu, Beverage Assortment Optimization, Waterpark, Seasonal Entertainment Venue, Digital Menu, Service Speed, Profitability.

https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulbec.2024.0101008