Role Play: Pair Wine with Desserts for Increased Sales

After-dinner drinks are great ways to bump up bar profits, but what about the guest who says, “I don’t do the hard stuff” and turns down the Irish coffees and Grasshoppers? Train your waitstaff how to suggest wine with desserts by pairing them well. An effective restaurant training program that includes role-playing on pairing wine with desserts will increase sales, improve service, and earn servers more tips. Check it out:

Server: Our specialty dessert tonight is a six-layer chocolate cake with mocha filling and fudge icing. Can I bring you a couple?

Male guest: I’ll try it with some coffee.

Server: Great! We also have a wonderful, dry cabernet that goes perfectly with chocolate and coffee. Would you like try a glass?

Male: OK!

Server, to female guest: Can I bring you a dessert?

Female: The cake’s too much for me. Thanks, anyway.

Server: How about some fresh fruit and some sparkling wine? It tastes great together, especially with our fresh strawberries. It’s light and sweet and a perfect finish!

Female: Sounds perfect!

Looking for more ideas to increase your wine sales? Train servers to pair wine effectively with a variety of menu items with the Real-World Selling: Wine DVD. Check out an excerpt here: