Below you will find the most important anonymized results of the major 2024 market survey of the 101 best bars in Switzerland.
Number of employees
In small companies (up to three employees), the proportion of full-time positions has decreased in favor of part-time positions. In medium-sized companies (four to six employees), on the other hand, the proportion of full-time positions has increased.
Proportion of women
The proportion of women working in the bar sector remained roughly the same as in the previous year. Around a third of the bars surveyed stated that they employ more than 50% women.
Offer and bar menu
This year's survey revealed a relatively large change in the coffee on offer. Compared to the previous year, the coffee on offer in the 101 best bars has increased by ten percentage points. There have been relatively few changes in the range of drinks on offer. The biggest increase can be seen in the range of beers on the drinks menus, where on average between eight and nine products can be selected.
The rise in non-alcoholic cocktails could go hand in hand with the trend towards conscious drinking. When it comes to issuing a new bar menu, the survey shows that the majority of bars continue to issue a new bar menu two to three times a year. The biggest change can be seen in the publication of more than four editions.
Products and trends
The survey of the 101 best bars on sales estimates for 2024 shows a particularly strong increase in tequila / mezcal. A positive trend is still predicted for non-alcoholic cocktails. An even stronger positive trend is expected for Low-ABV drinks. They are on trend and are the absolute winners in the trend barometer.
In the whisk(e)y sector, it is noticeable that whisky from the USA/Canada in particular has positive expectations. The survey shows that a further decline is expected for grappa and absinthe, which bring up the rear in terms of popularity. Swiss specialties are still in demand, which underpins the trend towards regionality and seasonality.
Opportunities and risks
Staff turnover in the restaurant and bar industry has always been higher than in other sectors of the economy. Even today, the industry faces an even greater challenge in finding good employees and ensuring staff planning with a fluctuating number of guests. This is the result of this year's study and is evident as a difficulty in business management, which also has an impact on the working atmosphere.
The work attitude of many younger people, such as part-time workers, and the lack of passion and identity with the job profile are also cited critically Barkeeper. In addition, restaurants are struggling to make their respective locations attractive as meeting places for people. In some cases, there is also a shift in peak frequencies. Saturday is no longer one of the peak days in some places.
The general price increases are causing problems for some establishments - good cost management is important. The relationship with competitors was also described by the Swiss bar scene in this year's assessment as simple and mostly harmonious. The relationship with residents/neighbors has probably become even more relaxed and, according to many businesses, is easy to live with.
This article appeared in
issue 2-2024
BAR NEWS magazine as single issue
Sustainability
In this year's market survey, sustainable management in bars, the use of local and seasonal products, the avoidance of plastic and zero waste and saving electricity are also important parameters in the entire bar culture. Many establishments are actively striving to implement these measures in order to promote the environmentally friendly use of resources.
Many companies state that they are already quite well positioned in the area of sustainability, but are always looking for new ways to optimize. Some companies check the amount of waste they produce on a daily basis and look for solutions to reduce it.
