Tap into Profit

THE DECOR, AMBIENCE, music and human anatomy are major factors for both fine-dining aficionados and marathon bar-hoppers when selecting establishments from which to indulge in weekend-long merrymaking. While these eye- (and ear-) catching ingredients work in tandem to draw patrons into dimly lit, neon-laced nooks and crannies, truth be told, it is spirited drinks, such as beers, wines and cocktails that keep frolickers there. However, besides the overabundance of wine and spirits, there also are a host of promotional items that serve to attract party-goers from tavern to tavern, ultimately attracting them to advertisers’ brands.

If a distributor thinks barware could only be sold to restaurants and cafes, think again. According to Fred Haleluk, president of Mr. Ice Bucket-Shelton Ware, New Brunswick, N.J., a primary market for barware—including ice buckets, champagne buckets, wine coolers and serving trays—is hotels.

While the company’s wine coolers and champagne buckets largely are geared toward the retail sector, Haleluk said promotional products distributors wanting to experience intoxicating profits should consider adding ice buckets to their repertoire. “We sell ice buckets that have the coverings on them that can match what a designer might have chosen for the wall decor of the hotel,” he explained.

GLASSY EYES

Glassware is undergoing a revolution of sorts in bar and restaurant circles. Frank Chiorazzi, president of Salinas, California-based Franmara, said the category is becoming more adventurous. He pointed to the growing range of colors and flashy styles, particularly among cocktail shakers, as an example.

Haleluk concurred. “One of the things we are doing in barware right now is ... an art deco glass,” he noted. The colorful, Venetian-like glass is created by molding more than one type of glass together, resulting in a heavier product. “That’s what we’ve done with our cocktail shakers, our ice buckets, a water pitcher and an 11 oz. cocktail glass,” he said, adding the items were well-received at a recent trade show in New York.