Summer in the taproom is a double-edged sword: bustling and unpredictable. For brewery owners like you, it’s important to focus on the things you can control instead of worrying about the uncertain. After all, you want to make the most of the increased traffic to maximize revenue growth!
Guaranteeing yourself a fun, profitable summer instead of a chaotic one comes down to preparation. We’re not just talking staffing up or boosting production, but instead having the right connected systems in place that can flex under pressure.
Here are 5 summer taproom tips on how to get your taproom ready for the busy season ahead.
Summer Taproom Tip #1: Rethink Your Service Model for Flexible Summer Guests
Summer guests behave differently in the taproom. These folks are more likely to be in groups and want outside seating, and they’re less likely to tolerate long lines. If the wait is too long, they’ll head next door!
That’s why flexible service models are a necessity for summertime taprooms. You can flex between service models depending on traffic and your staff!
Here’s what a flexible service model looks like: A group grabs a table on the patio and orders via QR code, while the bartender focuses on serving at the bar. Meanwhile, roaming staff members with mobile POS devices check in on guests: They can suggest the next round or close out tabs.
This flexible environment empowers your guests to order however they want: at the bar, from a server, or from their phones. A synced POS system for breweries makes this possible without any complications on the backend.
Summer Taproom Tip #2: Simplify Your Menu to Enhance Guest Experiences
A surefire way to slow down lines in your brewery? A jam-packed menu of options. Summer is a time you welcome new guests, and your taproom needs to make a good first impression without an overwhelming menu.
Instead, highlight your best-sellers on summer menus. Offering a handful of exceptional beers and snacks is a more successful approach than trying to execute a huge menu. POS reporting is a great way to identify your best sellers. Three Hands Mead stays on top of their margins and knows what’s most popular thanks to Arryved’s Sales By Items Report.
Make menus easy to find, too. QR code menus are a great tool to increase menu visibility without crowding your taproom walls. Here are some menu tips from brewery experts at Arryved:
- Include explanations of your beer on QR code menus, or other places you have the real estate. “Crisp”, “hoppy”, and “slammable” are all adjectives that help guests choose something they like.
- Focus on limited menus in certain venues. Areas in your brewery that aren’t fully staffed don’t need to offer your entire menu. Stick to your best sellers and make the choice easy for guests to order round after round.
- Update menus in real-time with POS-native digital menus. Manage one source of truth—your POS—so when inventory changes, menus automatically update.
Keeping menus simple pays off for guests: Lines and waits are shorter!
Summer Taproom Tip #3: Staff for Adaptability, Not Just Coverage
Staffing up for summer is a given. But simply adding bodies won’t solve the chaos of a busy Saturday.
During a taproom rush, roles blur. At any point, a bartender may have to update the taplist. When preparing for the summer, your team should train for this flexibility.
A POS system that’s intuitive and easy to learn makes that flexibility possible. New staff can jump into different roles without needing extensive training, which keeps service moving even when things get hectic.
Summer Taproom Tip #4: Turn Summer Traffic into Long-Term Revenue Growth
Fast service is critical in the summer, but it’s not the only thing that keeps guests coming back.
With many summer guests being newcomers, every staff-guest interaction is a chance to dazzle. The magic lies in how your staff creates these personal moments without slowing down the line.
The best taproom teams achieve this in small ways. A bartender who drops a taster as a suggestion for a guest’s next pint is a tiny gesture that makes a lasting impression.
In practice, there are plenty of strategies your brewery team can use to both elevate guest experiences and boost revenue growth:
- Sell seasonal merchandise: Taproom guests are suckers for good hats, especially if the summer sun is shining in their faces! Create some urgency with a limited quantity available, and have your roaming staff sport the goods.
- Suggest another round: Train staff to offer upsells when they interact with guests. Secret Hopper found that brewery guests who are offered another drink spend $6.50 more per visit than guests not offered.
- Recruit for your loyalty program: The quickest way to earn guest loyalty is to reward them for spending money. Look to your brewery POS system on how to seamlessly invite guests to your program at checkout.
Summer Taproom Tip #5: Expect the Unexpected
No matter how well you prepare, something will go sideways during a summer rush. You need the tools and systems in place that make adapting to new situations seamless.
Here are some common hiccups and how your taproom POS system can support you:
- A keg kicks mid-line: Flexible POS lets you 86 items instantly, right from the floor. That way, no guest orders a pint from a dry keg!
- A staff member calls out sick: It’s time for your flexible service model to show its stuff. Move team members around based on traffic and the ordering preferences of your guests on-site.
- A storm takes out your WiFi: Arryved POS offers offline mode, so even if your internet is out, your staff can still collect orders and payments. Once the storm passes and WiFi wakes up, all that offline data syncs with your system.
Remember, there’s no need to panic. Just pivot!
Your Brewery POS is the Backbone of a Successful Summer Season
At the center of it all is a POS system that can flex with you—supporting your staff, simplifying your workflow, and helping your taproom perform at its best.
See how Arryved POS and brewery software solutions work as hard as your team does in a customized demo.