A model of this publish initially appeared on August 3, 2025, in Eater and Punch’s publication Pre Shift, a biweekly publication for the business professional that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world.
This ship is the primary in a three-part collection on high-volume eating places, offered by Sq. — the know-how firm that makes commerce and monetary providers straightforward and accessible.
Hop Metropolis Beer & Wine, based on founder and CEO Kraig Torres
The place: Atlanta, Fayetteville, and Alpharetta, Georgia; and Birmingham, Alabama
The backstory: Kraig Torres opened Hop Metropolis Beer & Wine in Atlanta in 2009, working 12-hour days, six days per week, to run the retail retailer with the assistance of 4 staff. Torres realized that the margins had been too skinny to make his retailer profitable, however increasing would permit him to make the most of economies of scale. He opened a second location in Birmingham, Alabama, with a bar, after which paired new retailers in Atlanta, Alpharetta, and Fayetteville with restaurant ideas. His enterprise now employs 185 folks and introduced in about $14 million in income final 12 months. Right here, he discusses the coaching and planning required to handle his busy ideas.
It begins earlier than you’re even open. Having a extremely good POS system makes a world of distinction. Having the ability to monitor, hour by hour, what your gross sales are over six or eight weeks makes it a lot simpler to foretell the place I have to have employees. I be certain that to have all stations staffed, have staggered break occasions, and have a succesful workforce chief who is ready to inform an individual, “No, I’m sorry, you possibly can’t take a break proper now. Now we have 17 tickets within the window.”
On coaching efficient managers
Generally perspective helps every part. Virtually all of our administration workforce members have labored at a number of areas, as a result of we need to be certain that there may be some commonality to how we do issues. My kitchen supervisor in Alpharetta received employed part-time at Boxcar, our second restaurant, and labored his method up 4 totally different positions [to his current role].
Our managers are targeted on the large image. They’re watching the host stand they usually be certain that to inform the host: “The window simply crammed up. I simply received 13 tickets in two minutes. You may’t seat extra folks.” After getting anyone watching the entrance door, watching the ticket window, watching to verify the meals doesn’t die within the go — that’s the way you run a high-volume restaurant.
On high-volume customer support
We do quarterly breakout coaching on visitor service, the place we discuss the way to learn personalities and the way to contact a desk once they’re indignant [compared with] the way to contact a desk once they’re laughing [and] having a superb time.
There’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy to visitor administration. Not too long ago, we received a two-star overview on Google and I used to be in a position to monitor down the visitor and name him. He had some very legit live shows in regards to the velocity of service, and that dropped ball led him to be additional important of his meals. He additionally had simply gotten his property tax invoice and was involved with gentrification within the neighborhood, plus he seen a latest worth improve on our wings. He actually simply wanted to vent for 10 minutes about his altering neighborhood. I met him per week later for a beer — on the home, in fact — and he nonetheless is available in weekly. To me, it’s extra in regards to the magic of empathy and, generally, conserving my mouth shut.
On balancing the retail retailer and bar
At Boxcar, our restaurant in Atlanta, the retail is downstairs and the restaurant is upstairs [and] we actually wrestle with that. That’s our highest quantity restaurant, and I feel generally you’re targeted on watching the door [and] watching the window, and if it’s important to triage your day, getting referrals right down to our retail part might be low on that record.
However in Birmingham, the bar aspect and retail aspect have wonderful synergy. If we’ve got a limited-release draft beer that each visitor who comes into the shop goes to need to strive first, we’re going to verify we construct shows for that model and [position] that particular beer reverse the faucet. Individuals drink the beer, flip round and go, “Oh, I can take a six-pack dwelling.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for readability.
