Optimizing Your Bar for Alcohol To-Go
Keeping Up With Cocktails: Alcohol-To-Go Is Good for Business—Is Your Bar Set Up to Handle It?
When Texas made alcohol-to-go permanent in 2021, it was a lifeline for the restaurant industry. Today, it’s more than a stopgap—it’s a staple. Guests want the convenience, restaurants welcome the extra revenue, and bartenders…well, they’re busier than ever.
But with more orders comes more pressure on your bar setup, especially behind the scenes where the prep and cleanup happen. Whether you’re mixing drinks for dine-in guests, preparing a round for curbside pickup, or sealing up margaritas to go, your team and your tools need to keep up.
Understanding the Law (And Why It Matters)
Here’s a quick refresher: Under Texas law, alcohol-to-go orders must:
Be accompanied by food
Be sealed in tamper-proof containers
Be sold by restaurants with mixed beverage permits
While it sounds simple, it adds complexity to your operations. Bar staff aren’t just prepping drinks for dine-in service anymore—they’re now handling packaging, labeling, and sealing for to-go orders too.
That means more tools in use, more glassware in circulation, and more strain on the cleaning station.
Water Quality Matters—for Cleaning and for Taste
One of the most overlooked factors in bar service? Water.
A commercial water softener does more than keep your machines clean—it improves the taste of the water used in ice, soda guns, and drink prep. And when you’re selling high-end cocktails or margaritas to-go, off flavors caused by minerals in hard water can ruin the experience for your guests.
Benefits of a water softener include:
Spot-free glassware
Extended machine life
Better-tasting drinks
Faster, more effective rinsing
Chemmark Helps You Keep Up—On Every Front
You’re running more drinks, using more glassware, and working your bar harder than ever. Chemmark of East Texas is here to help you stay ahead of the rush.
We offer:
Reliable, compact dish machines for bar glassware
Water softeners tailored to restaurant use
Detergents and rinse aids that deliver spotless results
24/7 support when you need it most
If alcohol-to-go has become part of your everyday service, your bar should be built for it—front to back.
📞 Call 281-290-6801 and talk to our team about upgrading your glass machine, improving water quality, or optimizing your cleaning station.
