Secret Hopper

Guests aren’t tipping more because of your beer. It’s the human interaction. Your taproom staff can make or break a guest’s experience, and as an owner or manager, you play a critical role in shaping your staff’s work environment. Here are 5 easy-to-implement techniques you can train your team on to help them earn more tips.

#throwbackthursday Food. If you don’t have it on your menu, you’re losing money. We've heard it time and time again. So what can you do? Well, you can start by reading this blog post which lays out some strategies for adding food to your taproom! 😎

Convenience can be a driving factor in, well let's face it, many choices we make. But what about taproom visits? Yup. It can even (or especially!) make an impact there, too. How does proximity and convenience play into how you choose which taproom to go to?

You’re in the hospitality business. Relationships, baby. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You’re peddling experiences. When we first launched Secret Hopper in 2017, most of us weren’t using the word “experience,” let alone “hospitality.” However, times are changing. You’re not just hoping someone chooses you over the nearby brewery; you want them to choose your taproom over any other social activity. TLDR: Guests from 2022 to 2024 who receive high-level engagement spend 40% more than those who receive low-level engagement.

The impact of checking an ID on spending is something we’ve never explored in before. We discovered that guests over 35 years old who are ID'd spend more than guests over 35 who are not ID'd. Why is this? Perhaps they’re flattered. Maybe they’re surprised. They could even be reassured that the taproom is strict about checking IDs, which may make them feel more secure about the establishment’s commitment to following laws and maintaining a responsible atmosphere. So, that person who’s obviously over 35 may actually spend a bit more if you card them.

We’ve conducted prior studies that demonstrate the standalone value of physical menus and the benefits of offering this option as part of your overall menu strategy. We are also strong advocates for providing food in taprooms. When someone asked us, 'Are breweries with food more likely to have physical menus?' we knew we had to investigate. The initial theory is that because brewpubs are more akin to restaurants, breweries with food options would be more likely to have physical menus. The data validates this. Food experiences where physical menus are offered are 142% more common than food experiences without them. But what does the rest of the data say on how menus and food impact taproom spending? (Spoiler: Physical Menu + Food + Larger Party = Greater Spend)

According to Craft Beer Advisory Services, 25% of brewery goers are beer nerds, those guests for whom beer is the prime motivation for visiting. The next 35% are foodies, for whom food is the greatest driver. The other 40% are social drinkers, highly motivated by environmental elements (i.e. outdoor seating, live entertainment, picking strawberries). Younger guests are even more likely to be social drinkers. 60% of Gen Z falls into this category - highly motivated by environmental elements (i.e. outdoor seating, live entertainment). Experience matters and it’s a huge driver to why people may or may not choose to visit your business.

No one likes drinking alone. And the busier your taproom, the more each guest will spend. We analyzed thousands of taproom visits to see how the perceived level of busyness correlates to how much guests spend. Guests spent 38% more in packed taprooms compared to empty taprooms from 2017 to 2022. At one point, it was simply about the beer. Then the word 'experience' crept in. 'Experience' refers to every little aspect that contributes to a guest having a more memorable time. Their experience could be enhanced by something as basic as the music playing or something as extravagant as a decked-out anniversary celebration. See how by consistently facilitating and delivering these wow moments, you can see a busier taproom with higher tabs and more smiles.

As we wrap up our study on drinking habits by generation, we look at when Gen Xers and Boomers are visiting taprooms. Recap: -Gen Xers are most likely to visit taprooms at 6pm on a Saturday, followed by 1pm earlier that same day of the week. -Boomers, like Gen Zers, spend almost half their time visiting taprooms Monday to Thursday, but Fridays at 5 and 6pm are the times they are most likely to arrive. -It’s all about understanding your audience and creating customized experiences.

How do you feel about flights? 👀