If doctorates for blended drinks were handed out, the good folks at Vita-Mix would be the first recipients. They have made it their business to know everything there is to know about preparing and marketing killer frozen drinks.

Vita-Mix recently conducted a market survey of leading casual dining establishments around the country and found that the average 16-ounce blended drink yielded a profit margin of $3.02. Selling fifty blended drinks a day equates to a profit of just under $55,000 per year.

It’s hard to imagine a more lucrative, more responsible type of adult beverage to serve at a bar. Blended drinks possess every marketing attribute one looks for in a specialty drink. You just need two things to successfully pull off the strategy — know-how and the proper equipment.

Educating the staff on how to prepare consistent blended drinks is crucial. If first drink doesn’t taste great, the guest won’t buy a second. You can have the best recipe on the block, but if your bartenders don’t properly measure the ice, or don’t blend it for the right amount of time, the drink is going to be inferior. Consistency in every sense of the word is critical to the process.

When it comes to investing in a bar equipment, beverage operators today are savvier than ever. They’re looking past purchase price and considering such factors as maintenance cost and speed of service.

Jamba Juice switched to Vita-Mix blenders because they found that the increased speed of service and the resulting enhanced quality of their smoothies more than offset the higher purchase price of the equipment. Their people were no longer having to re-blend drinks with more ice to achieve the desired consistency.

Don’t try to get Ed Kolesar to go back to using inexpensive bar blenders in his restaurants. As the operating partner of P. F. Chang’s in Scottsdale, he has tossed out more than his fair share weak, burnt out blenders. “We actively promote our frozen drink specialties and we need equipment that can keep up with demand. We found that in the Vita-Mix blender. It’s durable, gear-driven and makes consistent drinks every time.”

Kolesar didn’t outfit his machines with the optional noise abatement chambers. “The blenders rev like well-tuned engines and their sound injects energy into our bistro. I think the sound alone makes people more receptive to ordering blended drinks. It certainly works well for us.” The machine’s time function allows Kolesar’s bartenders to make other drinks in an order and simultaneously create a perfectly blended drink.

The secret to a technologically advanced blender like the Vita-Mix can be found in the design of its blades, the singular shape of their canisters and the power efficiency of their 2-3 horsepower motors.

Outfitting your bar with state-of-the-art equipment is like handing a talented musician a finely crafted instrument. In both cases expect a standing ovation.