company was founded in Concord
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The company was founded in Concord, California in 1994 by an investment group headed by Steve Boone who had previously developed the Liquor Barn, a very successful discount alcoholic beverage outlet that was purchased by supermarket giant Safeway in the 1970s. The first Beverages and More opened in Walnut Creek and followed many aspects of the Liquor Barn model including rapid expansion and a huge amount of floor space, generally in excess of 10,000 square feet. However, Beverages and More targeted a more upscale clientele than its predecessor by selling specialty foods and establishing an in-house rating system that scores the wines it sells on a scale between one and one hundred.
Beverages and More’s initial expansion proved to be unsuccessful. In 1998, after nearly going broke, the companies closed stores in Florida and Nevada, and decreased the square footage of their average retail outlet to 7,000 square feet. By 2000 the company had become the second largest alcohol retailer in the nation and was in the black again, earning more than $130 million that year. Since its inception, customers had nicknamed the company “BevMo!,” which became the domain name of the company’s popular website and online store that same year. The nickname is also frequently used to brand the company.
In 2006 the company was acquired by a private equity firm based in New York and London called TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. The company’s future plans include continued expansion both throughout California and Arizona and into other states.
Beverages and More’s Rating System
Beverages and More’s cellar master Wilfred Wong is in charge of rating the wines the stores sell, sometimes tasting as many as 40 wines blind in a single day. Wong tastes approximately 4,000 wines per year. He selects all the wines the stores sell as well which has given rise in some circles to accusations of conflict of interest: if the company has an aggressive marketing plan for a particular brand of wine, how can customers tell whether high marks from Wong represent disinterested appreciation or an attempt to push the product? Wong denies these allegations.
On the BevMo! website the company also features wine ratings from the Beverage Tasting Institute, Robert Parker, Jr., the Wine Enthusiast and the Wine Spectator
Beverages and More’s Private Wine Label Vineyard Partners
Beverages and More distributes its own line of custom blended and packaged wines under the private label Vineyard Partners. While the company had not disclosed Vineyard Partners’ sales figures, the CEO has noted publicly that sales of Vineyard Partners wines constitute a significant fraction of the company’s overall revenues.
Beverages and More’s Website: Bevmo.com
Through its website bevmo.com, Beverages and More’s reach extends into all states where selling alcoholic beverages over the Internet is legal. Bevmo.com has become particularly well known for its periodic five-cent sales during which overstock is sold to customers at a huge discount.
announced today that Ken Sadowsky, a beverage industry leader who serves as executive director of the Northeast Independent Distributors Association (NIDA), has agreed to become an investor and advisor. Bai Brands produces the fast-growing Bai and Bai5 lines of beverages powered by the coffeefruit, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants.
“I am excited to have Ken Sadowsky come aboard as an investor and advisor to Bai,” said Ben Weiss, Bai’s founder and CEO. “Ken has been a major figure in the beverage industry for many years, with a proven knack for associating with brands that are winners. Ken has established a reputation as one of the industry’s most astute trend observers, and I am grateful that he believes in the Bai brand strongly enough to invest in our future. I welcome the opportunity to benefit from his insights and perspectives as part of the network of beverage industry professionals who have supported — and continue to support — the growth of Bai.”
Sadowsky has more than 20 years of operational experience in the beverage industry, with a vast network of relationships with distributors and industry leaders and entrepreneurs. As executive director of NIDA (www.nidaonline.org), he oversees a network of leading multibrand beverage distributors covering nine states. In recent months, Bai has reached distribution agreements with several members of NIDA to significantly enhance distribution of Bai and Bai5 throughout the Northeast.
Sadowsky also serves as a senior beverage advisor to Verlinvest (www.verlinvest.com), a Brussels-based investment holding company founded by the family tied to Interbrew (now Anheuser Busch InBev). He was a principal of Atlas Distributing Inc., overseeing the non-alcoholic beverage division, which he created in 1988 and grew from $50,000 in sales to more than $16 million by 2007. Sadowsky was a director of Energy Brands, Inc. (Glaceau), makers of Glaceau vitaminwater, smartwater, and fruitwater, from 2000 to 2006. He currently sits on the board of directors of All Market Inc., a private company that makes Vita Coco coconut water, and Hint Inc., a private company based in San Francisco that makes Hint Water.
“I am extremely encouraged by what I have seen in Bai — both in the product, which is creating an exciting new segment in the functional beverage category, and in the people involved with building and growing the company,” Sadowsky said. “Bai has charted a very impressive path in a relatively short period of time. I hope to help make Bai an even greater success, the way I have with the other brands in my portfolio.”
About Bai Brands
Harnessing the benefits of coffee’s “superfruit,” Bai Brands produces the innovative line of Bai and Bai5 beverages to meet the demands of today’s health-conscious consumers. Bai beverages offer refreshing, exotic fruit flavors and are powered by the coffeefruit — one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants and, until now, one of its greatest secrets. Based on a scoring method used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC), the coffeefruit extract found in Bai provides more than 40 times the antioxidant benefit of acai per gram and more than 50 times the benefit of pomegranate. Bai is lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice in its traditional line and organic stevia in its low-calorie Bai5 line. Unlike the over-caffeinated energy drinks saturating the market, a bottle of Bai contains 70 mg of natural caffeine — less than a typical cup of coffee — that is derived from coffeefruit and white tea extract.
Bai beverages are available through an expanding network of retailers and distributors in the Northeast, the West Coast and the Midwest, as well as the Caribbean, Dubai and Panama. Bai won the Best New Functional Drink and Best New Beverage Ingredient awards at the InterBev 2010 Beverage Innovation Awards.
A new study reveals that children were exposed to fewer TV ads for sweets and beverages in 2007, but more fast food ads (as compared to 2003).
Past studies have demonstrated that TV advertising influences the short-term eating habits of children ages 2 to 11, and some research shows ads can also influence daily dietary intake. That’s why major U.S. food companies adopted the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative in 2006, which held that 50% of child-targeted advertising would promote healthier products or good nutrition/healthful lifestyles.
But there was one significant problem: Each company had its own definition of “healthier,” according to Lisa M. Powell, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago, whose research will appear in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Here’s what the researchers found:
* Between 2003 and 2007, daily average exposure to televised food ads decreased by 13.7% among children ages 2 to 5 and by 3.7% among children ages 6 to 11, but exposure increased by 3.7% among teens ages 12 to 17.
* Ads for sweets aired less often, with a 41% decrease for 2- to 5-year-olds, a 29.3% decrease for 6- to 11-year-olds and a 12.1% decrease for 12- to 17-year-olds.
* Beverage ads decreased by 27% to 30% across the three age groups, with substantial cuts in ads for sugar-sweetened beverages.
* But exposure to fast food ads increased by 4.7% for children 2 to 5, by 12.2% for children 6 to 11 and by 20.4% for teens 12 to 17.
Dr. Powell and her colleagues chalk up the last statistic to the power of branding. They also found a racial gap in advertising, with African-American children viewing 1.4 to 1.6 times as many food ads per day.
The researchers recommend continued monitoring of ads targeted toward children, as well as nutritional assessments for advertised products.
Our vendor highly recommended that we buy our own wine, so when we saw that the 5 cent wine sale was going on at BevMo! We bought two crates each of Stanza Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiloh Road Chardonnay. Because of the sale, we saved over $400 on wine. We intend to return the unused wine to the store, but the last reviewer is making me worried if they'll take it back or not. I will not tell BevMo! the wine was for a wedding.
Bevmo was great. I waited for the wine to be on sale to buy it, used the ClubCard to get discounts, etc. Almost every time I confirmed with the checkout staff that we could return anything, and their answer was always that we can return anything that is not opened or chilled.
It all worked well until the day I tried to return our leftover wine. The employee working the return desk asked us why we wanted to return and we said it was leftovers from our wedding. The employee then said - well, we accept all returns, except for weddings. I was furious and I told the employee it was not acceptable - nobody told me that, it is not written anywhere, and if I had not told them it was a wedding they would have accepted my return. I fought for 10 minutes and threatened to go to a different store and return it there, by lying on the reason. The employee then consulted with someone else, tried to find the printed "rules" for returns, could not do so, and ended up accepting our returns.
In essence, don't trust the "you can return" policy at Bevmo, or if you do, do not tell them it was for a wedding or a party.
Honestly, if I had known about this headache I would have shopped elsewhere.
When I heard about the 5 cent sale Bevmo was having for wine, I couldn't pass it up. I got 11 cases which included merlot, chardonnay, champagne, etc. The total came to $655, but would have been about $1100 without the deal. They didn't have 5 cent deals on hard alcohol and beer so I had to have my vendor take care of those items.
The aisles are small and it's difficult to move your cart around them. Also, the people working there are so busy that they hardly have time to stop and answer questions. I'm not sure if they are even that well educated on the wine since I asked about several labels and they hadn't tried it. I guess it's more of a warehouse rather than your local cellar. Overall, the experience was great. We really saved so much money.
As I described with Yank Sing, it cost a lot to buy their wine, so we ran the numbers and found three wines that were cheaper than what it cost to buy theirs (even with their ridiculous corkage fees). My husband and I decided not to have hard liquor (we didn’t want crazy drunkenness at our classy event), so bought wine and some champagne from Bev Mo, and then we just bought the beer and soft drinks from Yank Sing. The greatest thing about this Bev Mo was that they let us return unopened bottles of wine (but if you ice them and the labels come off, its yours). Other Bev Mos will not let you return your wine after your event. Another good thing about them is that they will deliver your wine chilled to your event, although there is a $75 delivery charge, I think.
The manager and asst manager at that branch area also very knowledgeable about wines so they helped direct us to affordable but great tasting wines. You’d be surprised how many of our guests (many wine connoisseurs, in fact) were pleased with our wine. To go cheaper but not sacrifice the taste, Id go with Australian whites, and Chilean or Australian Reds. Overall cost for wine and champaign = $500 (but we also spent about that much on beer and soft drinks at Yank Sing). I think we probably saved about $1000 or so by doing this.
Nature of the Work About this section
Food and beverage serving and related workers are the front line of customer service in full-service restaurants, casual dining eateries, and other food service establishments. These workers greet customers, escort them to seats and hand them menus, take food and drink orders, and serve food and beverages. They also answer questions, explain menu items and specials, and keep tables and dining areas clean and set for new diners. Most work as part of a team, helping coworkers to improve workflow and customer service.
Waiters and waitresses, also called servers, are the largest group of these workers. They take customers' orders, serve food and beverages, prepare itemized checks, and sometimes accept payment. Their specific duties vary considerably, depending on the establishment. In casual-dining restaurants serving routine, straightforward fare, such as salads, soups, and sandwiches, servers are expected to provide fast, efficient, and courteous service. In fine dining restaurants, where more complicated meals are prepared and often served over several courses, waiters and waitresses provide more formal service emphasizing personal, attentive treatment at a more leisurely pace. Waiters and waitresses may meet with managers and chefs before each shift to discuss the menu and any new items or specials, review ingredients for potential food allergies, or talk about any food safety concerns. They also discuss coordination between the kitchen and the dining room and any customer service issues from the previous day or shift. In addition, waiters and waitresses usually check the identification of patrons to ensure they meet the minimum age requirement for the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products wherever those items are sold.
Waiters and waitresses sometimes perform the duties of other food and beverage service workers, including escorting guests to tables, serving customers seated at counters, clearing and setting up tables, or operating a cash register. However, full-service restaurants frequently hire other staff, such as hosts and hostesses, cashiers, or dining room attendants, to perform these duties.
Bartenders fill drink orders either taken directly from patrons at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers. Bartenders check the identification of customers seated at the bar to ensure they meet the minimum age requirement for the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products. They prepare mixed drinks, serve bottled or draught beer, and pour wine or other beverages. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes and be able to mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. Some establishments, especially those with higher volume, use equipment that automatically measures, pours, and mixes drinks at the push of a button. Bartenders who use this equipment, however, still must work quickly to handle a large volume of drink orders and be familiar with the ingredients for special drink requests. Much of a bartender's work still must be done by hand.
Besides mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks; maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies; and keep the bar area clean for customers. They also may collect payment, operate the cash register, wash glassware and utensils, and serve food to customers who dine at the bar. Bartenders usually are responsible for ordering and maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixers, and other bar supplies.
Hosts and hostesses welcome guests and maintain reservation and waiting lists. They may direct patrons to coatrooms, restrooms, or to a place to wait until their table is ready. Hosts and hostesses assign guests to tables suitable for the size of their group, escort patrons to their seats, and provide menus. They also enter reservations, arrange parties, and assist with other special requests. In some restaurants, they act as cashiers.
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers—sometimes referred to collectively as the bus staff—assist waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by cleaning and setting tables, removing dirty dishes, and keeping serving areas stocked with supplies. They may also assist waiters and waitresses by bringing meals out of the kitchen, distributing dishes to individual diners, filling water glasses, and delivering condiments. Cafeteria attendants stock serving tables with food, trays, dishes, and silverware. They may carry trays to dining tables for patrons. Bartender helpers keep bar equipment clean and glasses washed. Dishwashers clean dishes, cutlery, and kitchen utensils and equipment.
Food also is prepared and served in limited-service eateries, which don’t employ servers and specialize in simpler preparations that often are made in advance. Two occupations with large numbers of workers are common in these types of establishments: combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food; and counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop. Combined food preparation and serving workers are employed primarily by fast food restaurants. They take food and beverage orders, retrieve items when ready, fill drink cups, and accept payment. They also may heat food items and assemble salads and sandwiches, which constitutes food preparation. Counter attendants take orders and serve food in snack bars, cafeterias, movie theatres, and coffee shops over a counter or steam table. They may fill cups with coffee, soda, and other beverages and may prepare fountain specialties, such as milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. Counter attendants take carryout orders from diners and wrap or place items in containers. They clean counters, write itemized bills, and sometimes accept payment. Other workers, referred to as foodservers, nonrestaurant, serve food to patrons outside of a restaurant environment. They might deliver room service meals in hotels or meals to hospital rooms or act as carhops, bringing orders to parked cars.
Work environment. Food and beverage service workers are on their feet most of the time and often carry heavy trays of food, dishes, and glassware. During busy dining periods, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently. The work is relatively safe, but injuries from slips, cuts, and burns often result from hurrying or mishandling sharp tools. Three occupations—food servers, nonrestaurant; dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers; and dishwashers—reported higher incident rates than many occupations throughout the economy.
Part-time work is more common among food and beverage serving and related workers than among workers in almost any other occupation. In 2008, those on part-time schedules included half of all waiters and waitresses and almost three-fourths of all hosts and hostesses.