Want Another? How to Encourage Taproom Guests to Order a Second Beer

One of my favorite things to do is find how the little parts of a taproom experience impact the big picture. The value of a bartender offering their name? A tab that’s on average 20 percent higher. The extra spending that results from merely offering a physical menu? A whopping 35 percent bump versus visits without. The effect of encouraging guests to take some beer home? The average guest is 5 times more likely to make the final, added purchase. These seemingly simple touches can transform a guest’s experience from enjoyable to memorable. Equally as important, paying extra attention to the little things can make a guest’s visit more profitable for your brewery.

The more your staff can build a connection with a guest over the course of their experience, the more that guest will be willing to spend. Sometimes, as demonstrated above, all it takes is the knowledge to ask the right questions. Would you like another beer? Yes, really. Simply suggesting that a guest consider ordering another beverage will increase the amount they spend in your taproom.

While this question seems like an obvious service tactic, it isn’t happening as much as it should. Staff are failing to suggest a second beverage during 44.9 percent of brewery visits. It should never be taken for granted that a guest will spend more time and money at your brewery. Guests who are encouraged to order a second beverage spend on average 8.8 percent more time at taprooms, equating to roughly an additional 10 minutes.

So how much does suggesting a guest order another beverage increase their tab? When guests are not asked if they would like another beer after completing their first, that guest will spend an average of $39.83. When staff suggest that a guest order a beer after completing their first, the guest will spend an average of $46.33. This is an increase of 16.3 percent, and $6.50 more, just by suggesting another beverage.

Let’s put some numbers behind this. Currently, out of 100 tabs, 44.9 percent are not being encouraged to have a second drink. If your staff asked this segment if they’d like a second beverage, this would increase the value of those 100 tabs from approximately $4341 to $4633 – an additional $292 generated from a simple interaction. Make this happen more.

A guest chooses to visit your brewery. However, you contribute to how long they spend there. Interact, engage, encourage. There is power in suggestion. Safely serve them a memorable experience that makes them crave more of both your beer and your company. It’s the little things that ultimately make a big difference.

This research was collected through Secret Hopper, based on 5711 non-paid brewery visits, studying spending trends among men and women across various age ranges. The average brewery tab studied includes 1.95 guests. The sample set includes nearly a 50/50 mix of men/women.

We would love to offer any brewery that reaches out after reading this article one free Secret Hop*. Please email andrew@secrethopper.com to schedule. Cheers!

*1 free visit per brewery per calendar year