Amber Wood had built its identity on beer variety — 40 rotating taps and a bottle list that stretched past 80 options. The team took pride in the selection. But inventory counts told a different story: 15% of SKUs generated 68% of beer revenue, and the remaining 85% sat half-empty on shelves, occasionally producing flat inventory that couldn't be used.
Menu Profit Lab's analysis cross-referenced pour data with keg yield reports. Several specialty sours and low-demand seasonals were flagged as consistent waste — they sold 2-3 pints per keg before the rest went down the drain. The bottle list had items that were ordered once a month.
The rebuild cut the tap list to 28. They kept the rotating seasonal rotation but reduced depth — one seasonal at a time instead of three. The bottle list dropped to 24 focused options. Staff training simplified because servers could actually memorize the lineup.
Keg waste dropped significantly. Bar staff stopped spending time on inventory management for SKUs that barely moved. Per-seat revenue lifted 19% as the curated selection gave servers something to recommend confidently rather than reading a novel at the table. Owner Brent Kim says the bar now feels intentional rather than exhaustive.