Above and Beyond with Crooked Crab Brewing Company and Fiction Beer Company
In a country closing in on 10,000 breweries, making great beer is a must. Our series Above and Beyond highlights taprooms focusing on the little things that can make a big difference.
Events: The Extra Reason to Come
Crooked Crab Brewing Co.
Earl Holman, Founder
How do you get that person in the door first? Events, programming, social media, branding, and of course, the beer. Give people a reason to come in your door as opposed to visiting one of any number of other breweries they can drive to. And when you get them in the door, that’s when you deliver on the experience.
For us, events are a huge deal. These days people can drink good beer anywhere. People can drink Crooked Crab beer anywhere; we distribute our cans all over the state of Maryland. So why should people drink here? Throwing events gives people that extra reason to come out. Perfect example - we partnered recently with a local bookstore and threw a boozy book fair. Rather than just having a normal Sunday, we had a huge Sunday. Customers motivation level to come out for a beer? Average. Customers motivation level to come out for books and beer? Significantly higher. And the bookstore promoted it on their social media channels, which helped bring in a crowd that maybe we haven't been reaching before.
We've done events with local bakeries, coffee roasters, sports team (notably one coming up with the Baltimore Oriole), charities, etc. These events are on top of regular programming (paint your pet nights, themed trivia, general trivia, etc.). You can get good beer anywhere, but you can't always get these beer + experiences everywhere. That's a draw that your establishment can offer that no one else is. And if you are delivering on great beer and great service while you have these customers in the door, they're more likely to think of you next time they want to come out for a pint.
Attention to the Guest
Fiction Beer Company
Mallory Gillette, Taproom Manager
Fiction Beer Company is located not only in a city that is populated with competition, but a neighborhood with bigger brands/names that are more common to the household tongue. This is not to say that our beer cannot stand up to these bigger names, because we sure know they can! But, to stand apart, we strive to create a warm and friendly environment not only for our regulars, but any new face that comes in. From the moment someone walks in we greet them with a smile or a "hi there!” We pride ourselves in being helpful when someone needs help deciding what beer is best suited to them and follow up to see how they’re enjoying it. We enhance the experience by checking in on patrons at their table during their stay, and finally by educating patrons not only on the nuances of our beers, but also on any brewery happenings that may be of interest to them.
Our standard is to always greet the guest, followed by, at minimum, one interaction at the table -no matter how busy. Even if this is simply clearing glassware with a quick “ya’ll doing okay over here?”
Little touches like this open the opportunity for more engagement. Everything from teaching the customer more about our beers to conversations on events at the brewery.
I continuously observe how my bartenders engage and interact, and provide feedback and training to support my staff. We continuously work to provide the best experience possible. Above all, as a taproom manager, I aim to lead by example.