Bar & Restaurant Consulting

A better bar program is good for your guests. It's also good for your bottom line.

The bar is often the highest-margin part of a restaurant — and one of the most overlooked. Whether you’re opening something new, refreshing a program that’s gone stale, or building a beverage identity from scratch, The Cocktail Guru brings the experience and outside perspective to help you do it well.

Since 2006, Jonathan Pogash and the Guru team have worked with bars, restaurants, hotels, and resorts across the country. The work is hands-on and collaborative, and every program is built around the specific needs of your venue — not off a template, and not influenced by distributor relationships or brand deals. 

A bar program built with intention performs better. Every time.

What We Work On

  • Specialty & signature cocktail menus
  • Staff training & hospitality best practices
  • Classic cocktail programs
  • Beer & wine programs
  • Non-alcoholic & mocktail selections
  • Bar design & layout
  • Operational efficiency & inventory
  • TIPS-certified alcohol service training

A well-run bar program can increase overall restaurant revenue by 35–40% — one of our clients saw a 51% jump in beverage revenue year over year after a program overhaul.

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Why operators work with The Cocktail Guru

Running a bar well is harder than it looks. Menus go stale, staff turn over, operations get sloppy, and it can be difficult to see any of it clearly when you’re in the middle of it every day. An outside perspective — from someone with real experience and no agenda — can make a meaningful difference.

Here’s what that looks like in practice: 

Independent advice, start to finish

Every menu we develop is free from distributor influence or brand incentives. What we recommend is what’s actually right for your venue, your guests, and your price point.

Real craft, not just credentials

Jonathan and the Guru team are working practitioners — not consultants who stopped bartending twenty years ago. The knowledge is current, the taste is calibrated, and the standards are high.

Built around your venue

We take We take time to understand your concept, your clientele, and your operational realities before anything is designed or recommended. No generic menus. No one-size solutions.

Staff that can actually execute

A great menu only works if your team can deliver it consistently. Our training programs build real technique, product knowledge, and the hospitality instinct that makes guests want to come back.

Fresh eyes on an old problem

Sometimes the most valuable thing a consultant brings is the ability to see what you’ve stopped seeing. We’ll tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s worth changing — directly and without judgment.
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What Clients Say

"Jonathan created a delicious and unique signature cocktail list for us, assisted with setting up and stocking our bar, and provided invaluable information on the history of spirits — ensuring we were creating proper craft cocktails. Very glad we found Jonathan and would hire him again in a heartbeat."
Molly Youssef
Ruckus & Redemption
"Since our revamped beverage program took effect, we have seen a significant uptick in beverage revenue: a 51% increase since the year prior."
Robin Kirk
CEO, Scout Hotels

Let's talk about your program

Tell us a little about your venue and what you’re working on. Jonathan responds personally.

The Cocktail Guru team are certified TIPS trainers. Proper alcohol service — knowing the laws, reading the room, and handling situations with confidence — is something every bar team should have. We can make sure yours does.