Designing a Beverage Program for a 575-Seat Operation
Pella Signature · Beverage Director
Scale changes everything.
A beverage program created for an intimate bar cannot simply be expanded to serve a 19,000-square-foot, 575-seat restaurant. The program must remain distinctive while functioning across volume, staffing, inventory, cost control and multiple styles of service.
At Pella Signature, my responsibility was to build that infrastructure without allowing scale to erase identity.
The Mandate
Create a commercially viable Mediterranean beverage program capable of supporting a large, multifaceted operation while remaining approachable to guests and executable for the team.
My Approach
I developed the program as an interconnected business system:
Built a curated 100-bottle Mediterranean wine list
Created an accessible cocktail identity around spritzes and regional flavors
Developed the seasonal “Summer of Spritz” platform
Introduced high-volume executions, including a nitro Espresso Martini and Garibaldi
Balanced recognizable drinks with more distinctive offerings
Designed selections around guest accessibility, operational speed and margin
Established a program the staff could understand, communicate and reproduce consistently
Every creative decision was evaluated against operational reality. A drink had to be more than interesting—it had to be trainable, repeatable, profitable and appropriate for the scale of the restaurant.
The Result
The final program gave a massive operation a clear beverage identity without depending on unnecessary complexity.
Wine, cocktails, service and production were designed to support one another, allowing the program to deliver personality at volume while remaining commercially disciplined.
What This Demonstrates
I understand how to move between creativity and infrastructure.
I can develop a compelling beverage identity while accounting for the less visible systems that determine whether it succeeds: purchasing, training, preparation, speed, consistency and financial performance.
Creativity gives a program character. Systems allow that character to survive scale.
