A complimentary item given to a guest at no charge — typically at manager or bartender discretion. Comps are a legitimate hospitality tool, but untracked comps are indistinguishable from theft and create inaccurate variance reports.
Every hospitality professional knows comps are part of the job. A regular gets a round on the house. A complaint gets resolved with a free cocktail. The sommelier pours a taste at the table. These are relationship-building tools that drive loyalty and repeat visits.
The problem isn't comping — it's comping without tracking. When comps aren't recorded, two things happen: your pour cost appears inflated (you poured product that generated no revenue), and your shrinkage figure looks worse than it actually is. More critically, untracked comp authority becomes cover for theft. A bartender who knows comps aren't monitored can pour for friends indefinitely.
A functional comp policy requires three things: defined authorization levels (who can comp what, up to what value), a recording mechanism (logged at point of sale or in a comp log), and periodic review. Most venues have the first. Very few have the second and third. The result is month-end numbers that confuse legitimate hospitality with operational loss.
methodus helps you track comp data as part of your spec and cost reporting — so hospitality decisions are visible, not hidden in variance numbers.
Total beverage cost divided by total beverage revenue.
The percentage of revenue spent on drink ingredients.
The difference between theoretical and actual inventory — lost to waste, theft, or overpouring.
Recording complimentary items given to guests for accurate variance reporting.
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