The 6 Best Bar Trends

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, March 16, 2023

Updated: 3/16/23

Three years ago a global pandemic forced establishments in the hospitality industry to completely rethink, recreate, and reinvent strategies to maintain a revenue stream. And while in 2021 many bars began to return to “business as usual,” the lockdowns from COVID-19 started new bar trends that will keep developing throughout 2023 and beyond.

Above all, keep an eye on these six bar trends, which reflect the inventive ways bar owners have adapted and persevered to keep their businesses alive and their patrons happy.

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All About Untappd Badges (2023)

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, March 9, 2023

Untappd is the world’s largest community of beer enthusiasts with over 1o million registered users. At its core, Untappd is an app that invites people to socially share the beers they’re currently enjoying by “checking them in.” Curious about what your friends are drinking or where they’re hanging out? Just check out their Untappd profile.

In April 2021, Untappd hit over 1 billion check-ins worldwide, making it the premier social platform to engage with a community of dedicated craft beer drinkers.

And in 2022, the community registered its one billionth badge earned. What is a badge you ask? Well, for a brewery, beer business, taproom, or bar, one of the best ways to tap into this hyper-engaged community is through Untappd badges.

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The 8 Best Ways to Display Your QR Codes

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, February 16, 2023

UPDATED 2/16/23

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in the early months of 2020 the most requested feature on the Untappd for Business platform was a way to allow customers to see food, wine, and cocktails by scanning a QR code.

According to an eMarketer report from Insider Intelligence, during the height of the pandemic (2020) smartphone users who scanned a QR code at least once during the calendar year surged to 65.7 million people. And while the rush to implement this technology has certainly slowed, businesses are continuing to turn to QR codes as a viable part of their business model.

Even three years later, touchless web and app-based menus remain extremely important, giving your customers quick and easy access to your menus.

These QR codes give a full contactless experience for your patrons. Whether through printed materials or digital menus, customers can safely scan a code and view any type of menu—beer, food, wine, or cocktail.

From a business perspective, QR codes and digital menus can help you save on printing and labor costs and even potentially drive your bottom line.

With the popularity of QR codes on the rise, it’s crucial to use this tactic to save money and better serve your customers.

Thanks to some creative thinking, there are a variety of ways to display QR codes throughout your establishment. From creative posters to simple table tents, here are the top nine ways to display your QR codes in your restaurant or bar.

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10 Best Restaurant Shoes and Brewers Boots for Hospitality Workers (2023)

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, February 16, 2023

UPDATED 2/16/23

As a brewery, restaurant, or bar owner, chances are that you and most of your staff are on your feet for a majority of the day. Spending your entire shift standing up makes it critical that you give your phalanges the right footwear to make them as comfortable as possible.

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, in both the back of house, front of house, production area of a brewery, or taproom/bar, hazards abound. Choosing the correct footwear will minimize the risk of injury.

So consider buying the right shoe or boot a sound investment.

You should find a good pair that will keep you comfortably working throughout the day. As a brewery or restaurant owner, you might even consider investing in this apparel for your employees. It will be a smart decision in the long run if it keeps your entire team comfortable and safe.

But, what makes the best kitchen shoe or brewers boot?

What are the advantages of the proper footwear?

And finally, what are some versions you can find out in the market right now?

We have all the answers to help you “step up” your footwear game.

Photography courtesy of Georgia Boot

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How to Choose the Best TV for Digital Menu Boards (2023)

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, January 27, 2023

UPDATED: 1/27/23

As bars, breweries, and even restaurants have evolved, writing menus on chalkboards has become a thing of the past. Today, digital menu boards have become a streamlined, easy way to display what’s on tap, driving customer engagement and saving your team valuable time.

Digital menu boards can make an impression on your customers, ultimately adding to your bottom line. As one of the latest trends in digital signage, these boards can give customers a sleek, modern way to read what you have on hand and in stock.

While many establishments use a good ol’ fashion TV to show their offerings, there are plenty of options that are both reasonably priced and high quality. In fact, there may be too many options. But if the number of TVs on the market seem daunting, don’t fret.

We’ve sifted through the multitude of options to show you which ones are the best to display your menus.

After all, if you’re choosing to showcase some of the now three million beers in Untappd’s database on your digital menu board (as of 2023), you’ll want the best, most reasonably priced display.

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The Best 6 Happy Hour Ideas (2023)

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, January 19, 2023

UPDATED: 1/19/23

Two words: Increased revenue. That will continue to be the name of the game in 2023 as breweries, taprooms, bars, and restaurants have all returned to a “new normal” style of business and continue to deal with supply chain and economic challenges.

In the past, we’ve written about several strategies to help hospitality establishments generate increased revenue, including starting a mug club, the best bars games to attract patrons to your brewery, and the best ways to display QR codes. But another top tactic is to establish a happy hour, or to find more creative happy hour ideas.

Happy hours can be a simple strategy to attract new consumers, create loyal fans, and bring in more revenue during non-peak business times. They’re a win-win-win.

With that in mind, we put together a list of some of the top happy hour ideas to generate increased revenue, whether you’re considering the idea for the first time or you’re looking to bring some fresh post-COVID perspective to a tried and true tactic.

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10 Most Popular Beers in London for the Last 90 Days (2024)

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, January 6, 2023

What would it be like to have unlimited access to data from the 10 million registered users on the world’s largest social networking app for craft beer drinkers?

Well, it means you could learn the top styles folks are drinking in your state.

As a brewer, that could help you decide that the next best beer to brew will be a hazy IPA or an imperial stout.

You could discover the most popular beers in your area.

As a craft beer bar, that could help you choose the next beer to bring on tap.

Untappd’s data & analytics open up a world of possibilities for your beverage business. And as an Untappd for Business partner you have access to all of this information that shows you the trends and insights of drinkers in your city, state, region, and beyond.

Learn what craft beer consumers are drinking in your area. Give Untappd for Business a try without talking to anyone—no credit card required.

To show you the power of Untappd’s analytics, we’re breaking down the most checked-in beers over the last ninety days in London, England, the most checked-in country outside of the U.S.

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Gift Guide: 5 Holiday Stocking Stuffers for Brewers

Posted by Sarah Buckholtz, November 23, 2022

Those batches of beer, like your brewers, are continuously in motion.

As the holidays approach and your staff continues to work hard to bottle and distribute those final batches of seasonal beers, it’s a good opportunity to thank them for making it all possible.

As the brewing season of 2023 approaches, help keep your brewers comfortable (and caffeinated) with some practical, brewer-friendly gifts.

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Should Breweries Make Non-Alcoholic Beer?

Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, November 22, 2022

A few years ago, a beer without alcohol in the United States seemed crazy. But today, non-alcoholic beer has become a growing trend in the U.S. So much so that many American craft breweries have taken a stab at making their own versions of non-alcoholic beer.

Beverage e-commerce site Drizly reported that NA category shares rose twenty-four percent on the platform year over year compared to the same period in 2021. More than one hundred non-alcoholic brands including beer, wine, cider, and spirits now live on Drizly, a seventy percent increase from last year. In the United States specifically, Statista reported that non-alcoholic brands contributed to over $414 million in sales.

While on a global scale, leading global alcohol industry market research firm IWSR reported in its IWSR Drinks Market Analysis that volume of no- or low-alcohol beverages grew by thirty-one percent year over year in 2022.

Basically, all signs point to non-alcoholic beer trending, if not growing into something more.

As a result, over the past few years, many craft breweries have added innovative, flavorful non-alcoholic beers to their portfolios. And entirely non-alcoholic beer brands are emerging in the market.

For instance, major established brands like Brooklyn Brewery, Boston Beer Co., and Dogfish Head have all crafted their own NA beers.

And solely non-alcoholic beer producers such as Athletic Brewing Co. are changing the status quo.

We predict this beer trend will continue to grow and that soon Americans will be drinking non-alcoholic beer all year round. So now the big question becomes: Is it worth your brewery investigating and investing in starting a non-alcoholic beer line?

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The 5 Most Profitable Bar Foods

Posted by Sarah Buckholtz, November 18, 2022

These days, serving food has become a core component of any drinking establishment. Adding a food menu to your bar or brewery creates a reason for people to stay and order more beers, increases your revenue, and brings more customers into your space.

And while the popularity of to-go meals increased during the pandemic, today, people are once again going out to eat in person at bars and breweries.

And when potential customers decide where to eat, the caliber of the meal takes precedence.

In fact, of the 2,600 diners questioned for a TouchBistro 2022 Diner Trends Report, sixty-eight percent agree that when deciding where to eat, food quality is the most important factor.

With food at the top of diners’ minds, bars and breweries, especially those just considering whether to serve food at all, should focus on developing a menu full of money-making foods to draw in those hungry customers.

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