During my stay in Amsterdam, of course, I wanted to see unusual places that I would hardly find anywhere else. Here is one such place that my friends recommended to me. Welcome to the Wynand Fockink bar!!!

This establishment is interesting not only for its surroundings, but also for its curious business model.

Let's start with the fact that the effectiveness of this business model has been proven by as many as 336 years of existence of this establishment. Attention!!! Since 1679, the Wynand Fockink bar has been working invariably in the same place, 100 meters from the central Dam Square in Amsterdam.

What is also remarkable about this bar is its unique assortment – more than 100 varieties of liqueurs. The liqueurs are made from natural juices, and the recipe is as secret as the recipe for Coca-Cola.

The authentic interior decoration emphasizes the antiquity of the establishment. Some bottles have centuries-old dust on them. I think the representatives of our sanitary and epidemiological station would simply shoot themselves if they saw this.

Selling shots is a whole ritual. I would even say a mini-show. The bartender first asks what flavor you would like. He jokes, tries it himself, and then offers you a sip of several types. After choosing, the most interesting part begins: the drink is poured into a special tulip-shaped glass, which will stand on the bar counter in such a way that you will not be able to pick it up - it will be filled to the very brim, so to speak, "with a slide". That is why visitors lean towards the counter and carefully sip part of the drink.

The bar itself occupies an area of only 12 m², and next to it, on another 13 m², there is a shop where you can buy your favorite drink in small bottles of 0.35 and 0.5 liters. The liqueur production is located behind the wall. The small premises create a queue, a hubbub and a feeling of wild demand.

So, let's sum it up:

• Bar + shop = 25 m²;

• Two bartenders and one salesperson in the store;

• Opening hours 15.00-21.00!!!

• A shot costs €3, a bottle costs €12-20.

And these 25 m² generate more than €4 million in revenue per year!!!

Looking at this bar, I started thinking that if I could add assistants to the bartenders, expand the premises, and then I could earn even more. But I immediately stopped my thoughts, because if I change anything in the processes, in the meters, in the people, then this will no longer be a Wynand Fockink liquor bar, but a completely different establishment with a different business model. Not all business models need to be transformed. Sometimes 336 years of a business model is the strongest competitive advantage of a business.

How do you know if your business model needs to be changed or if it’s already working at its best? Sometimes entrepreneurs miss growth opportunities by failing to notice the weak points in their business model. In other cases, they try to change something that’s already working perfectly.

To make the right decision, it is important to conduct a professional diagnostic of the business model. Want to learn more about How to increase business efficiency by “roasting” the business model? Find out more about this 👉 Here

How to quickly identify when your business model is starting to fail, and what to do about it? Alexander Pankov talks about this in the video "How do you know when a business model is no longer successful?