Pouring loss (German: Schankverlust) is the difference between beverages purchased and beverages actually sold (billed) — caused by over-pouring, foam loss, mis-serves, breakage, staff consumption and shrinkage. Normal and plannable are 2–5%; poorly controlled operations reach double-digit loss rates. Because beverages are the highest-margin product group, every percentage point of pouring loss hits profit directly.
Enter beverage revenue and estimated loss rate — the annual damage appears instantly.
Calculated at sales-price level — the loss escapes you as revenue on goods already paid for. Determine the rate via beverage stocktake: (opening stock + purchases − closing stock) vs. billed quantity.
| Cause | Typical | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Over-pouring | "generous" beer, wine & spirits | Calibrated glasses with fill line, jiggers/pourers, dispensing-system dosing |
| Foam & keg change | beer: first glasses, line remnants, keg swaps | Well-maintained system (cooling, CO₂ pressure), documented cleaning, record remnants |
| Not billed | "on the house", forgotten orders, staff drinks | Bill everything — including comps (own reason code in the POS system), staff-drinks rule |
| Breakage & spoilage | open wines, expired juices, broken glass | Date open bottles, wine by the glass with preservation, keep a breakage list |
| Shrinkage | unpaid give-aways, theft | Stocktake rhythm, POS permissions, spot checks — communicate controls fairly and transparently |
Rule of thumb: 2–3% for bottled goods and spirits, 3–5% for draught beer (foam, keg change, line cleaning). Persistently above 5% overall means: measure, find the cause, counteract.
Separate the stocktake by product group: if only draught beer stands out, it's the system/tapping technique; if spirits, jiggers or billing discipline are missing. A week of tally marks at the bar works wonders.
Industry-typical rates with plausible documentation (stocktakes, cleaning records, breakage lists) are generally accepted. Implausibly high rates without records quickly count as an indication of unrecorded sales in audits — clean records protect twice.
From a notable draught-beer volume usually yes: flow meters make the target-actual gap visible day by day. The investment often pays for itself through the first prevented percentage points.