Tracking tasting room consumption - looking for ideas/suggestions

[JulianB1]

Last night my friend and I spent about an hour throwing ideas back and forth about how to track patron consumption in the tasting room of the brewery he's opening soon, mostly throwing up methods we've seen before or new ideas and dissecting their weaknesses. I figured that throwing this question out to the TB community could get some useful responses and insights. Here's the deal:

-In South Carolina, distribution breweries are allowed to serve 48 ounces of beer for on-premise consumption per customer per day, of which no more than 16 ounces can be above 8% ABW (that won't be an issue with their standard lineup of beers). They are also allowed to sell up to 288 ounces per customer per day for off-premise consumption (growlers, bottles, etc.).

-Their tasting room is fairly small; it will have some standing tables and a bar rail, but no seating, and will only be selling 4oz samples. This is partly due to space limitations, and partly due to being loosely affiliated with the restaurant next door (they are sub-leasing their space from said restaurant, and are good friends with the owner), which will have all their beers on tap at the bar. The idea being that people can have samples in the tasting room and, if they want to enjoy full pints, go next door (or to some other bar in town). They will have a mobile bar that gets positioned during tasting hours and can be moved out of the way during brewing hours.

So the question we were wrestling with is how to track how many 4oz samples a customer has had in a way which is both difficult to abuse but also not overly cumbersome for whoever is working the bar. I've recently been to five different SC breweries, and all five of them were using different methods to track customer consumption, which tells me no one has figured out the optimal approach yet. I'm open for suggestions.

 

[Brez071]

If your buddy will only be doing 4oz pours, that would mean someone could have up to 12 a day. Maybe it's just me, but I've never gone to a brewery and had that many samples.

That being said, I think a brief description of the person (ie blue hat, Coast shirt, etc) in the POS would suffice

 

[JM03]

Maybe you could get a computer/register system where you would swipe their drivers license. By swiping the license, it opens up a "tab" for that particular person so that you can track what that person has purchased.

 

[xnicknj]

A couple things I've seen at a few different breweries:

-Upon entering, IDs are checked and each person is given a wristband with little perforated notches on it. After each taster, one is torn off so the brewery could cap each person at 8 or 10 samples (or whatever it was, I forget)
-As soon as you walk up to the bar, the server gives each person little tickets for each taster. You need the ticket to get the taster and when you're out, you're done. (Only thing with this is if people aren't using all their tickets they can give them to other people)
-Each person has a separate tab running on the computer, so when you have your limit of tasters/samples, the bartender knows

None of these are perfect but each one could definitely help track people's consumption.

 

[Hanzo1]

Yeah, basically just require tabs, if you do cash and go there is no way for you to realistically track it since tickets can be passed around.

Maybe the wrist band thing but I've never seen one with rip off sections, especially 12 of them...and even then who is to say they don't go outside, snip it off and get a new one.

 

[ASUBeer]

Go old school and get a little piece of wood with holes in it. For every sample give them a golf tee to put in the hole.

Also, SC has ridiculous alcohol laws. I remember when liquor at bars was only sold by the airplane bottle.

 

[BigGene]

I think that most of the Laws regarding the consumption in brewery tasting rooms, only require the establishment to have a way of controlling the sale of the beer. Basically they have to make a good faith attempt to controll it. They dont wont necissarily get in trouble if someone trys to circumvent the system.

If you have say a punch card that you tape/stick to the customer licencse to with the number of samples you are allowed to have, for each sample the bartender punches one of the numbers out. Even if someone doesnt use the whole card and they give it to someone else. The establishment would most likely not be responsible.

If the samples are free, thats another story. But if they are paying for each sample then Hooray, more income.

 

[thewimperoo]

The only place I've seen with a limit around here is credit card only so they keep track based on your tab that you open with the first beer.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

When they enter check their ID at the door and hand them a dated punchcard that their name is written on. When they go to purchase a sample punch the card. Not perfect and some potential for abuse, but really who is going to need more than 12 4oz samples.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

This sounds exactly like what Solemn Oath does, and probably for the same reasons:

- 3x 16oz serving limit -- flight of 4x 4oz counts as one serving
- Credit/debit only - No Cash
- No tipping (again, no cash), but you may purchase a beer for your bartender

 

[vonnegut21]

Like others have said, require that people open a tab to get samples. Let them pay the tab when they're done with cash/card or whatever, but make them open the tab for tracking purposes. I think that's the easiest and most foolproof way, but will also cost more (POS system) than the ticket/wristband/punch card/golf tee methods.

 

[JesusTom!]

Individual tabs on the POS is probably the way to go. If they aren't going to have a POS system, just have the server write down everyone's name on a legal pad (they do have access to pen and paper technology, right?), and put ticks next to names as they go.

 

[stupac2]

Move to a state that doesn't have stupid laws. Is that an option?

 

[RyanG1]

Can you do anything with QR codes?

I have no further information on their use, just I see them from time to time and wonder if they ever serve a purpose.

Or customers could wear flair for each beer they drink

 

[shelf_turd_ferguson]

Another interesting thread from JulianB

There are some good ideas in here, I like wristbands you mark or with pull tabs.

Tickets can work too, and to minimize ticket transfer (if you must) you can note what number range you gave to people. Takes some note keeping though. Person X got 12 tickets starting at 38010, so if that person has ticket 38028 they got it from someone else.

Concerns
I'll say don't go credit only (that might/will stop a chunk of people from going), don't swipe driver's licenses (people with their privacy concerns), don't use anything that limits your audience to people with smartphones (apps, QR codes, etc.).
The expected turnout will also factor into the implementation (note keeping for 15 people an hour vs. 60 is way different).

 

[mcaulifww]

I think a wrist band that gets hole-punch might work. once the thing has been punched by the bartender 12 times. they can't be served again. only attempt to circumvent would be to leave and cut it off. at which point you've done your due dilligence to be in compliance. also cutting people off that seem hammed. I also like the tickets, but obvi lots more ways to pass tickets.

 

[JulianB1]

Thanks for the input so far everyone, I'll definitely be discussing this with the guys again soon.

Another interesting thread from JulianB
Concerns
I'll say don't go credit only (that might/will stop a chunk of people from going), don't swipe driver's licenses (people with their privacy concerns), don't use anything that limits your audience to people with smartphones (apps, QR codes, etc.).

Given the market and some of the clientele we expect to have, those are all concerns that will probably lead us to agreeing with all three of your points. I believe the plan at the moment is to have a cash drawer, tip jar, and a tablet for card orders.

The expected turnout will also factor into the implementation (note keeping for 15 people an hour vs. 60 is way different).

I suspect (and could be way off the mark here) that it will be crazy for the first little while (week? month?) then things will slow down to a more relaxed pace. I also anticipate a lot of the tasting room business is going to be growler fills, and that anyone who's going to be inclined to have 12 samples (which will basically be two full flights, if the plan to have 6 beers on most of the time remains) will probably be one of the regulars who is hanging out to shoot the ****. My feeling is that any potential abuse (from sharing punch cards, tokens, etc if that approach was used) is likely to come from college-aged guys coming in with their girlfriends or something along those lines, which will probably be relatively low volume and thus easy to watch for.

 

[RedCoffee]

I'm on the side of just doing the cheapest, simplest, least intrusive solution. Like a punch card or wrist band or a rubber stamp you smack on a piece of brewery-branded paper you give them on the way in.

In the incredibly unlikely sounding event that this is not enough for the rule enforcing entity near you, I imagine you will get some sort of warning that they are displeased before they come in and shut the place down.

 

[housepants]

You could dose the beer with radioactive material.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

I don't know if this exists already or if it would be cost prohibitive. What about using a tasting glass with 12 silkscreened white boxes on it, and each pour you stamp/mark a box. You would need the mark to be something that would wash off but not just smear off. Just use a glass rinser between samples, this would also prevent strangers from passing off unused samples to each other since it would mean sharing a glass.

 

[harrymel1]

Just over serve everybody for a few months and then after you get them all hooked, employ a better system so you don't get shut down by the local authority.

 

[FishPondManager]

I don't know if this exists already or if it would be cost prohibitive. What about using a tasting glass with 12 silkscreened white boxes on it, and each pour you stamp/mark a box. You would need the mark to be something that would wash off but not just smear off. Just use a glass rinser between samples, this would also prevent strangers from passing off unused samples to each other since it would mean sharing a glass.

Get out of my head! I was having the same idea while reading replies.

Instead of 12 boxes though I was thinking you could just have numbered tasting glasses. Number 1 glasses get passed out at the door or at the bar after checking id's. Person brings back empty number 1 and is poured taster number 2.

 

[salzar1]

Get out of my head! I was having the same idea while reading replies.

Instead of 12 boxes though I was thinking you could just have numbered tasting glasses. Number 1 glasses get passed out at the door or at the bar after checking id's. Person brings back empty number 1 and is poured taster number 2.

I like this idea, but I imagine it would be a nightmare stocking all of that glassware.

I think the punch card is probably the best combo of easiest and accurate, while not requiring too much work or investment.

Another option would be to hand out 11 bottle caps with first purchase that must be turned in with each additional purchase. Yes,people can cheat the system, but it is reusable/minimal work.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

Get out of my head! I was having the same idea while reading replies.

Instead of 12 boxes though I was thinking you could just have numbered tasting glasses. Number 1 glasses get passed out at the door or at the bar after checking id's. Person brings back empty number 1 and is poured taster number 2.

So which number glass would be the most commonly stolen/found left around the room so people can start back at 1

 

[TheDuke1]

Ballast point's homebrew shop/tasting room has(had? It's been at least a year since I've visited) similar restrictions.

They use small clip boards with a list of everything on tap, and attach the ID to the clip board before allowing people to order. They add a tally mark next to the beer ordered to track serving and abv limits. It can be a bit cumbersome in terms of space, but never seemed to actually slow the process down.

Logistically, what's the max occupancy and expected traffic flow? A tasting room that can accommodate 100 will need a different solution than one that can accommodate 30.