Public tools
Bar ROI calculator
Estimate what shrinkage and manual count labor could be costing your bar each year. The math runs in your browser, updates live as you move the sliders, and every assumption is labeled so you can audit it. No email is required to see results. See all of our free beverage inventory calculators.
ROI estimator
See what your bar is leaking
Three numbers in, see your projected annual savings from cutting shrinkage and reclaiming count labor. Illustrative, based on industry benchmarks - run it on your own numbers to see the upside.
Based on a 20% cut to your 20% shrinkage
~260 hrs/yr back at $25/hr
Total projected annual savings
$15,652
How the math works
The projection is a simple three-part model. Nothing here is a measurement of your venue. It is an educational estimate you can interrogate, built from the same identities our free calculators teach.
Start with annual liquor cost
The calculator starts from two numbers most operators already know: weekly beverage revenue and pour cost. Multiplying them and annualizing gives an estimate of what you spend on liquor in a year (the pool of money that shrinkage erodes). If you are unsure of your pour cost, measure it first with a count and your sales for the same period.
Annual liquor cost = weekly beverage revenue × pour cost × 52 × locations
Apply a labeled shrinkage baseline
Shrinkage is usage your sales cannot explain: over-pours, unrecorded comps, spillage, transfers, theft, and measurement error. The calculator applies a baseline shrinkage rate to your estimated liquor cost, then a modeled reduction factor to estimate the recoverable portion. Both assumptions are labeled on the page: treat the output as an illustration, and measure your real gap with a variance check.
Baseline shrinkage loss = annual liquor cost × baseline shrinkage rate
Projected recovery = baseline shrinkage loss × modeled reduction factor
Add back count labor
Manual clipboard-and-spreadsheet counts consume paid hours every week. The calculator compares the hours a manual count takes against a barcode-driven count at a loaded hourly labor rate, and adds the difference to the projection. The labor rate and count cadence are editable assumptions, not measurements of your venue.
Labor reclaimed = hours saved per year × loaded hourly labor rate
ROI calculator FAQ
- How does this bar ROI calculator work?
- It multiplies your weekly beverage revenue by your pour cost and annualizes the result to estimate annual liquor cost. It then applies clearly labeled assumptions for baseline shrinkage, a modeled shrinkage reduction, and count labor. Every assumption is shown on the page so you can audit the math.
- What is pour cost and how do I calculate it?
- Pour cost is beverage cost used divided by beverage sales, expressed as a percent. Cost used for a period is beginning inventory plus purchases minus ending inventory. The free pour cost calculator on our tools page walks through the same formula step by step.
- What counts as shrinkage in a bar?
- Shrinkage is the gap between what your sales say you should have used and what actually left the shelf. Over-pouring, unrecorded comps, spillage, breakage, transfers, theft, and measurement error all contribute. A gap is a signal to investigate, not proof of theft.
- Are the projected numbers a promise of results?
- No. The projection is illustrative, built from assumptions you can see and adjust. It is an estimate to frame the size of the opportunity, not a guarantee. Run it with your own revenue and pour cost, then verify against your own counts and sales.
- Do I need to enter my email to see results?
- No. The projection updates live in your browser as you move the sliders and nothing is saved to an ExactPour account. Email is only needed if you want the full report with assumptions and benchmarks delivered to your inbox.
These educational estimates are not accounting, tax, legal, or employment advice. See the methodology and corrections policy.
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