Depending on the size of your bar or nightclub, the idea of buying bulk bar supplies has probably crossed your mind. It’s definitely true that buying bar supplies in bulk will get you the lowest possible price on an item. However, there are other factors that contribute to deciding whether or not it’s a good idea. For instance, you can get a great price on a pallet of cocktail napkins you purchase direct from China. But then you’d need to store all of those cocktail napkins and take up valuable floor or shelf space. If your bar or nightclub is busy enough to go through that many napkins in just a month or two, then buying in that quantity is almost a no brainer. Unfortunately, the options are rarely that black and white.
The reality of the matter is that each type of bar supply will be used at a unique rate. That means knowing how much to order can be a little bit of a dance. Should you buy gold bottle sparklers in large quantities or not? Do I use enough cocktail napkins to justify the storage space? Here are some examples of different bar supplies that are commonly considered to be bulk bar supplies. We will discuss some of the benefits of buying these bar supplies in bulk as well as how to balance a great price with how many you really need on hand.
Standard Bulk Bar Supplies
Standard supplies like napkins, disposable coasters, and straws are the lifeblood of any bar or nightclub. Having plenty of each on hand is important to keeping things running smoothly. You should never run out of any of these items otherwise someone isn’t doing their job correctly. At the same time, you probably only have a certain amount of storage space for these types of supplies. You’ll need to be careful finding the right price break in relation to the amount of space those supplies take up. As a rule, you should try to have a 2-3 month supply on hand for each item. You should use your common sense to find where the discount in price comes in versus the quantity you actually need on your shelves.
Specialty Items
Specialty items are anything that you use on an occasional basis. You probably don’t use these specialty items as frequently as your standard supplies. So, you shouldn’t consider than as a candidate for bulk bar supplies. However, there are certain items that can be bought in bulk if they are used often. Or perhaps you plan to use a bunch of them at an upcoming event. If you sell a lot of bottle service for instance, buying wholesale bottle sparkler packages is probably not out of the question. If you don’t sell a lot of bottle service but still want the big discount, you can consider having a special and promoting your bottle service. Continue until the number of sparklers you have on hand is at a low enough level to be considered normal.
Your Top Sellers are ALWAYS Bulk Bar Supplies
Many clubs have certain bottles or mixers emerge as your top sellers. You probably are considering buying them by the case instead of by the bottle. A good rule is to only buy bulk bar supplies of spirits and mixers that are popular among several customers. If you are buying based on one or two frequent customers, you may be left holding the bag in the end. Make sure you’re basing your numbers off of total business rather than just one or two people. Using that method, everything should work out perfectly.
