Late morning on a sunny Sunday, and who doesn’t love the idea of brunch? Offering brunch service is a great opportunity for restaurants to reach their client base and offer a unique selection of menu items and beverages. But remember, just because it’s the daylight hours, that doesn’t mean servers should be any less vigilant about safe beverage service. Bloody Marys and mimosas are standard brunch fare, and day drinking can still lead to over-intoxication. Here are a few tips that servers can keep in mind to help keep things safe, and make sure their customers still have a great experience.
- If customers are drinking, promote low-proof beverages or mocktails to go with their meals. A mimosa with orange or pear juice is a popular choice for brunch service. For recipe ideas for brunch-themed mocktails, head to the Martha Stewart website.
- Customers should eat and stay hydrated if they are consuming alcoholic beverages. If customers want to linger after their meal and continue beverage service, try suggesting a special brunch appetizer or snack to go with their beverages. Food helps keep alcohol in the stomach for a longer period of time which means that it will be absorbed into the bloodstream at a much slower rate. Try offering an appetizer to go with their drinks. A simple, “Would you like to try some of our brunch crostini or chips and salsa to go with your cocktail?” is always a good tactic.
- With each drink order, also offer to bring your guests a glass of ice water. Offering water is one of the easiest ways to help customers stay hydrated. That goes doubly for brunch served poolside or on the patio. The hot Las Vegas sun can speed up dehydration. Enjoying an alcoholic beverage on a hot day can be a refreshing treat, but it can also accelerate dehydration and can lead to heat-related illness.
- Remember, it is a myth that the caffeine in coffee will sober a person up faster. A person cannot consume multiple alcoholic beverages and then polish it off with a cup of coffee to ‘sober up.’ Coffee certainly goes hand in hand with eggs and potatoes, but it isn’t going to lower someone’s BAC. The body needs time to metabolize alcohol and then return to normal. There are no quick cures, only time.
- No matter what time of day, use the Techniques of Alcohol Management® to keep an eye on guests, use good judgement, and serve them safely. You have an obligation to serve responsibly. To and learn more and get your TAM Card®, register on our website.
What other brunch service and day-drinking tips would you share with hospitality workers? Tell us in the Comments below.
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