As many breweries, bars, brewpubs, and restaurants reopen and business owners strategize around how to successfully run their companies in a pandemic climate, finding the best way to safely and efficiently display menus has become essential.
If you’re the person making a decision about menu displays for your organization, you’re probably asking yourself several questions. Should you start or continue using paperless QR codes? Go to a digital menu board? Or switch back to paper menus? The decision you make could have huge repercussions on whether or not you attract new customers, retain loyal ones, and boost your bottom line.
For the last three months, the CPG Restaurant Group has been leveraging Untappd for Business’ QR codes and digital menus to help organize and implement drink and food menus in a safe, contactless way across their two Cheesie’s Pub & Grub and Whiskey Business establishments in Chicago, IL. With over 45,000 menu views at Whiskey Business and both Cheesie’s Pub & Grub locations combined over three months, the CPG Restaurant Group reports that their experience with Untappd for Business has been overwhelmingly positive. For them, Untappd for Business QR codes have helped reduce printing costs and improve their bottom line, with whiskey sales for all of their locations increasing by a combined fifty percent.
But the PJW Restaurant Group, which operates twenty-six locations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has gone a different direction, using Untappd for Business software to create custom digital and print menus. In the last year and a half, they’ve racked up 300,000 menu views, almost 15,000 check-ins, and just under 10,000 unique users. However, like the CPG Restaurant Group, PJW reports that their experience with Untappd for Business has been very beneficial for a majority of its businesses.
Because businesses are unique, each of them have different needs. Below, we take a look at all three menu options available for Untappd for Business partners, along with the pros and cons of each.
Cheesie’s Pub & Grub’s Untappd Case Study
With three locations across Chicago, the CPG Restaurant Group operates a series of unique concepts including two Cheesie’s Pub & Grub grilled cheese restaurants and the Whiskey Business craft whiskey bar.
Operating several establishments each with their own variety of food, brunch, drink, and craft beer menus poses its own unique set of challenges. Mainly, each location needs to constantly maintain and update a rotating series of menus. Furthermore, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPG Restaurant Group wanted to find a secure, touchless way to display its menus to consumers.
For the last three months, the CPG Restaurant Group has been leveraging Untappd for Business’ QR codes and digital menus to help organize and implement each location’s drink and food menus while simultaneously providing a safe, contactless way for patrons to view what they can order. Partnering with Untappd has provided a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution for all three of the CPG Restaurant Group’s concepts.
With over 45K menu views at Whiskey Business and both Cheesie’s Pub & Grub locations combined, the CPG Restaurant Group reports that their experience with Untappd for Business has been overwhelmingly valuable. The Untappd for Business software has helped improve their bottom line and reduced printing and labor costs.
We sat down with Tony Contri, CSG Chief Operating Officer, and Juliette Driscoll, CSG Marketing Director, to chat about running a business that brings out the kid in adults, the importance of operating digital menus in a post-pandemic climate, and how Untappd for Business’ QR codes have helped Cheesie’s and Whiskey Business run easy-to-update, safe, streamlined digital menus.
5 Minutes with Trevor Tyler from the Eureka! Restaurant Group
With twenty-five locations across California, the Eureka! Restaurant Group operates a series of modern restaurants dedicated to supporting American craft beer. As the company writes on its website, “Eureka! is defined as expressing delight on finding, discovering, or solving something. Those that truly appreciate great food, craft beer, and small-batch spirits are discovering a better restaurant experience and Eureka! has elevated it to an art form.”
Operating a high number of establishments means that the Eureka! Restaurant Group is constantly striving to promote new beers, many of which are unique to each location. Additionally, educating their staff and guests on these location-specific craft beers is integral to Eureka!’s mission.
For about the last three years, the Eureka! Restaurant Group has been leveraging Untappd for Business (Try For Free Today!) to create custom menus to help promote not only their extensive craft beer list, but also their whiskey and specialty cocktails. From creating custom print menus to curating bespoke training materials for its staff, the Eureka! Restaurant Group has partnered with Untappd for Business for a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution.
We sat down with Trevor Tyler, Vice President of Beverage Operations at Eureka! Restaurant Group, to chat about how Untappd for Business has helped him create custom menus, efficiently operate menus at a large number of Eureka!’s high-volume establishments, and even how Untappd for Business’ analytics have helped him plan beer menus for future locations.
The Advantages of Outdoor Spaces At Your Business
Outdoor seating gives a distinct advantage to your brewery space. Even in pre-COVID times, brewery patios and beer gardens were uber popular. Often magazines and newspapers put together lists of the best places to eat and drink outdoors in their respective cities.
While there is a lot to be said for a well-crafted indoor space, outdoor spaces at your brewery or restaurant can add personality and artistry—as well as more customers. Plus, during the global pandemic, outdoor spaces have been crucial for breweries to safely reopen and once again welcome people into their establishment.
“People want to be outside now more than ever,” says Frank Scott Krueger, Co-Owner of Humble Sea Brewing in Santa Cruz, CA. Scott Krueger and his team just opened a new taproom in Pacifica, CA, and their outdoor beer garden has been incredibly important for their business.
So what are some things to think about when you’re looking to design the perfect outdoor space? We’ve got some ideas to get the ball rolling.
Kids in Taprooms: Good or Bad for Business?
Opening a brewery can have a profound effect on both the local economy and community. Historically, beer gardens have been a gathering space, providing people a home away from home.
With this idea in mind, breweries have grown from welcoming just adults to being spaces for families too.
While being inclusive is an important aspect of any business, it may not be right for every brewery. How do you decide?
It’s important to understand all of the factors when determining if you’d like to allow kids in your brewery.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
The 5 Best Brewery and Bar Event Strategies
Updated: 5/20/2022
Hosting events at your brewery or craft beer bar is a great way to attract new customers and strengthen your brand. Breweries and craft beer bars have become increasingly popular choices for social gatherings among friends and family. And hosting and promoting events will help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace.
It can be as simple as including “plug-and-play” events in your monthly schedule, or as complex as customizing an event around a theme.Keeping events in line with your marketing strategy will help you decide the right mix that will appeal to your specific market and ultimately help you attract and retain new customers.
The Comprehensive Guide to Pricing Liquor
Many bars and restaurants offer a wide selection of alcoholic drinks, including beer, cider, wine, and spirits. While we’ve written extensively on exactly how to price your craft beer selection, finding the right price for your liquor drinks is a different game. Liquor prices that are too high could turn customers away while prices set too low could affect your bottom line. Because of this, a business owner needs to find a sweet spot in order to retain guests while simultaneously making a profit.
Mastering the pricing calculations of liquor drinks is an art because many factors go into determining the price, including how you serve your drinks, drink pour size, the competitors in your market, and your customer demographics. However, there’s also a science to pricing liquor drinks, and that’s what we’ll cover in this article.
The Top Strategies for Creating the Perfect Tap Wall
Whether you own a brewery or a craft beer bar, your tap wall selection drives repeat customers to your business. Crafting a well-thought-out selection strategy will ensure your tap wall is an asset to the core of your business.
Like a business plan, a tap wall selection strategy is intended to be a living document, updated as various market factors change.
Top Tips for Designing Your Brewery or Restaurant
There are many facets to running a restaurant. While hiring a chef and developing a cuisine is undoubtedly important, the most front-facing consumer experience is your restaurant design and concept. When conceptualizing your space, you’ll want the two—food and decor—to speak to one another, while staying on board with your brand and vision.
These, along with a handful of ideas we’ll cover when planning your space, will allow for a great jumping off point, whether you devise the space yourself or enlist the help of an interior designer.
Brewery Self-Distribution vs. Traditional Distribution: Which Is Better?
Traditional distributors are the second tier of the United States’ three-tiered system. In this system, a brewery sells beer to a distributor, who then goes on to sell it to various retail, bar, or restaurant accounts. In many states, and if you want to move beer across state lines, a traditional distributor is a necessary partner for any brewery.
But not always. For those committed to keeping beer local, learning about their local regulations, hiring sales reps and drivers, and ensuring their production matches demand, self-distribution is an option.
As a brewery, you need to make a choice. Do you want to self-distribute, work with an outside distribution company, or some combination of both?
Breaking down the advantages and disadvantages of self distributing versus traditional distribution simplifies the decision-making process. We’ve spoken with a few experts in the field to help you make a well-informed decision.