Ask An Admin: Beverage Director Kenneth Crum

How NYC’s Tokyo Record Bar, Champagne Parlor, and Niche Niche got their groove.

Ask an Admin is an interview series spotlighting professionals in every corner of the restaurant world. Keep up with more restaurant industry content by following BentoBox on Instagram.

Kenneth Crum is the Beverage Director of NYC’s Air’s Champagne Parlor, Special Club, and Tokyo Record Bar. In addition to curating the wine lists and cocktail menus, Kenneth takes on various operational responsibilities to keep each of these restaurants buzzing. Scroll through to hear from Kenneth about the tool he can't live without and how he believes that restaurants should prioritize a team mentality.

What was your path to becoming a beverage director?

Like most people in restaurants, I got into the industry out of necessity. It was a good way to make a decent amount of money. I'm not really the type of person who can mindlessly do a job and be content, so I started to learn more about cocktails. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.

Eventually I decided to shift a bit more focus to restaurants and became the Bar Manager. I loved the creativity involved with creating cocktail programs. Being behind the bar felt like being in the control center of the restaurant. Not only could I see everything, but I could inadvertently touch every table and influence their experience. I also had a perfect view of the wine station. I would observe the sommeliers toiling away with all their tools from afar. Soon, I started asking questions and tasting wines with them. Not long after that, I began selling wine on the floor. It was then that I decided that the restaurant industry was no longer a back-up plan for me, it was where I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I started taking my wine education more seriously. My dedication was noticed and helped me get promoted to Beverage Director. Since then, I've tried to challenge myself with each position that I've held, so that I'm always learning.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do day to day?

My job involves directing the operations as much as the beverages, so there is quite a bit of time spent on the computer. Things like scheduling, payroll, reviewing sales, updating menus, ordering wine, and anything else integral to service. Those are things that happen weekly but there's always a surprise that pops up, like when the music equipment at Tokyo Record Bar needs to be repaired or a wine fridge breaks down. I'm always ready to put out a fire. If I’m lucky, I have enough time to taste wines.

Working behind the scenes can be a somewhat thankless job. Do you have any advice for other restaurants?

Make sure the management team feels supported, respected, and appreciated. Not only does their happiness spread to everyone in the restaurant, but the staff will feel more inclined to work towards those positions.

In your opinion, what is a well-run restaurant group like and what can restaurant groups do to be more like that?

I think it’s important that the staff really feels like a team. What I mean by that is everyone understands how integral each role is, from the chef to the dishwasher. The best way to accomplish that is make sure no one feels above doing anything. When I’m in the restaurants, I’m as prepared to sell wine as I am to wash a dish or polish a glass. The upper management should lead by example.

What’s one thing you wish the FOH and BOH staff knew about your administrative work?

I wish they knew how much the little things, like making sure they clock in and out, make my job easier.

Are there any tools that you use that you would suggest for other beverage directors?

My favorite tool is my inventory system, BinWise. I’ve kept track of inventory on spreadsheets before but using an actual program makes life so much easier. It cuts down on the time it takes to do inventory and the reports it generates really help me see the big picture of the restaurant's performance.

What’s a memorable moment you’ve had in one of your restaurants? Do you have a favorite?

This is probably the hardest question because there are so many! My favorite moments are probably some of the producer-driven wine events we’ve had. There’s something special about having the guests, staff, and the producers in one space. It’s nice to know that even champagne producers drink cheap beer from time to time.

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Ask An Admin: Beverage Director Kenneth Crum

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