Creating more memorable and profitable taproom experiences

Secret Blogger

Seating, Spending, and Service: How the Ordering Experience Impacts Taproom Guest Behavior

Guests come to your taproom for connection. While service is important, true hospitality goes beyond handing someone a pint. QR codes don’t replace staff engagement—in fact, when used alongside strong service, they increase sales. Meet your guests where they are. Give them options. And always, always ask the question.

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What Taproom Guests Want in 2025

As we move into 2025, the taproom experience is being shaped by an ever-evolving landscape of guest preferences, expectations, and behaviors. Craft beer alone won’t keep guests coming back—today's successful taprooms are those that create a seamless fusion of exceptional beverages, a welcoming atmosphere, and an engaging staff. To stay ahead of the curve, it's critical to understand how the taproom audience is changing and what they truly desire from their visits. This session will provide insights into emerging trends, actionable strategies, and new approaches to creating memorable and profitable experiences that keep guests coming through the door.

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How Punk Rock Partnerships Can Inspire Taproom Success

Discover how taproom managers can draw inspiration from punk rock musician Frank Turner's global collaborations to expand their audience. Learn how creative partnerships, community events, and cross-promotion can help your taproom reach new customers and build lasting connections. This article explores unconventional strategies for attracting diverse crowds and fostering a unique experience that encourages repeat visits.

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WATCH: Proven Strategies to Increase Guest Spending in Your Taproom

Maximize your taproom's revenue by focusing on existing customers! Learn strategies to increase check averages, foster loyalty, boost repeat visits, and upsell effectively. Hear proven tips from taproom experts to create super fans and drive higher revenue per guest. Transform your guest experience and grow your bottom line today!

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Reasons to Return: How to Promote Events Within Your Taproom

Reasons to return. That’s what it’s all about you. You don’t just want a guest to visit your taproom, then spend the next year visiting the others in your area. The ultimate goal is to get them in, wow them, and have them already craving their next visit. Despite the growing importance of events for taprooms, there is still room for improvement in how businesses promote them.

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How Customer Insights Drive Taproom Success

ConsumerPulse and Secret Hopper provide you with the opportunity to more effectively access and assess how your taproom is performing. By adding data to your toolkit, you can maximize unique aspects of the experience, continually monitor the quality of your taproom, and better understand your guests to keep them coming back and spending more.

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Setting Your Taproom Apart from the Rest

There's really not much need to elaborate on the above graphic. Michael Varda, from Craft Beer Advisory Services, nails it. CBAS help breweries understand their customers in every way possible – why they visit, what they want, how to attract new customers, and how to use data to create experiences that keep them coming back.

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Monitor These 2 Taproom Metrics Now

Over the years, Secret Hopper has explored taproom data extensively, examining everything from the significance of the initial greeting to how age impacts spending habits. Two consistent themes have emerged in nearly all our studies: the importance of education and engagement. We understand you’re busy and don’t have time to continually review hundreds of data points, share them with your team, and implement training to maximize them. Don’t worry—if you only have time to monitor two metrics, focus on tip percentage and average tab size.

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The Art of Timing: How Speed of Services Influences Taproom Experiences

How does the speed at which a beer is served impact a guest’s taproom experience? Faster isn’t always better. The right level of engagement with guests doesn’t necessarily correspond directly with speed—other factors should also be considered. When a guest chooses to visit your taproom, they do so with intention. Understanding that intention and their goals can help you provide the experience they seek.

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5 Simple Techniques to Increase Tips in Your Taproom

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.

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Throw Up on a Rollercoaster: How to Prepare Your Team for Less-Than-Ideal Situations

It’s important to provide your team with a roadmap. As owners and managers, there are likely certain ways you’d prefer specific situations to be handled. Consider cataloging these in your handbook. Don’t just write them down, LEAD. BY. EXAMPLE. Walk through unique scenarios with your team on a monthly basis. Roleplaying can be particularly helpful. Additionally, rapid-fire questioning, where you ask staff how they’d handle various situations, may help them prepare to think quickly. Ultimately, it’s valuable for your team to understand the order of operations for common occurrences when following a playbook, and to have the skills to act off-script, improvise, and make strong decisions.

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