Pop-Up Bars Boosted Tab Size By 11% For This Music Venue

Avondale Brewing Company’s growth has come from a series of game changing decisions: Buying property that increased capacity by 50x, building a stage, and becoming an exclusive Live Nation venue established them as a coveted music destination for people all over the country. 

But what changed the service game? Arryved POS, which helps Avondale:

• Service guests anywhere thanks to the flexibility of a mobile, cloud-based system 
• Utilize mobile pop-up bars which have proven to increase tab sizes by 11%
• Discover the most effective bar arrangement with robust reporting tools, ultimately reducing pressure off the main bar with 43% of sales coming through pop-up bars 

Let’s see how this brewery-turned-music venue went from humble crawfish boils to staging world-renowned acts for thousands of guests.

A Mobile, Cloud-Based System Lets Service Flex 

Avondale is a fully licensed brewpub in Birmingham, AL, serving everything from their own A-OK IPA and specialty cocktails to name brand seltzers. With a full lineup of food trucks and acts—including comedians, musicals, and even football watch parties—there’s something for everyone at Avondale. 

But perfecting how to serve these massive crowds, in addition to navigating the fluctuations in traffic between show days and regular days, was no small feat. It started with Arryved’s cloud-based system which allowed Avondale to set up an advanced network of wireless access points throughout their space. Now, Avondale staff can seamlessly service guests anywhere using mobile POS devices. 

“The network architecture that it fits in is a no-brainer, especially for the venue world. In the venue world, we’ll have 2800 [guests] one day and 300 the next. You could make those bars 2 different things,” said Michael Sellers, the Owner and Manager. “We used to have to run with cables across the yard! It was awful… From that perspective, it’s saved us a ton of infrastructure build out, safety issues, and flexibility of moving around!”

More Ordering Options = Bigger Tab Sizes

That same flexibility is key when Avondale is preparing for shows. For big acts, they report using 20-22 POS terminals, which includes 2 pop-up bars with 6 terminals each. By making it as easy as possible to get the next round, guests take advantage of their options by ordering more: Pop-up bars have proven to boost average tab size by 11%!

And ease is considered from guests’ first card swipe, which on Arryved, opens their tab throughout the venue. Now, guests thirsty for their next drink simply give their name and go!

“We get a lot of compliments,” notes Taylor Lander, Director of Marketing and Events. “We’re one of the only venues you can go to that have multiple bars, but your tab remains open. It’s just like being in a bar!” 

Good Reporting Identifies What’s Working

Not only are the satellite bars inspiring higher tab sizes, they’re also taking pressure off the main bar. In fact, 43% of sales are going through the satellite bars! 

The effectiveness of Avondale’s setup wasn’t a result of dumb luck. Thanks to Arryved’s robust reporting capabilities, the brewpub has fine-tuned their pop-up bar arrangement to meet the natural tendencies of traffic in their venue. 

In reference to Arryved’s Sales Analysis Dashboard, Michael said: “You can see the movement of the crowd by where they’re buying products from. That allows you to see what’s working and what’s not. If something’s not working, you just don’t do that anymore, based on that report.” 

Avondale was able to experiment and strategically place their pop-up bars to meet the most guest demand, and its success is reflected in the additional revenue they’re bringing in. Plus, with labor shortages abound, Avondale makes sure each staff member is making the best use of their time.

And when a guest’s favorite song is next on the setlist, what’s better than a quick, easy way to get another beer?

*Featured Image courtesy of Avondale Brewing Company