Creating more memorable and profitable taproom experiences

Secret Blogger

Taproom Guests Say "Yes" to Flights

You know I love flights – both as a taproom guest and as a strategy for your business to see greater success. Previously, we explored how likely taproom staff are to encourage flights and the financial gain for your brewery. Today, we will analyze not only how often staff suggest starting with a flight but also the likelihood of a guest purchasing one and how much they spend.

BIG PICTURE: Taproom guests are 343% more likely to order a flight when it is recommended.

Whoa! You’re telling me a guest is nearly 350% more likely to order a flight simply because the staff suggests it? That is correct.

For this study, we use a data set of 1997 unique taproom visits from January 1, 2021, to November 14, 2022. Each visit represents an average of 2 guests, and the total spend includes tip and tax.

What the data shows:

  • 14% of taprooms aren’t offering flights.

  • When available, taprooms do not suggest starting with a flight on 71% of visits.

  • To put it another way, taproom staff encourage a flight on only 29% of visits.

  • When a flight is not suggested, the guest makes the purchase on only 15% of visits.

  • When a flight is suggested, the guest makes the purchase 65% of the time. 

As with many of our taproom strategies, it comes down to asking a question: Would you like another drink? Would you like some beer to go? Would you like to begin with a flight?

“Ok, Andrew, I get that you preach the gospel of flights, but will suggesting them really make me more money?”

Indeed, they will! Visits where staff suggest a flight and the guest makes the purchase generate tabs 30% higher than visits when staff don’t suggest it and the guest doesn’t order one.

While I almost don’t like even sharing this stat, guests even spend a few bucks more when staff don’t suggest it, but they order it on their own ($51.40 vs $47.65).

Even when staff suggest a flight and the guest chooses not to order it, those tabs are higher than when staff don’t encourage it and the guest orders it on their own. As always, the staff member taking the time to suggest a flight is probably doing a lot of other things right.

Now, let’s focus on how our industry is changing. No longer is your audience just beer nerds. Your taproom is seeing new guests with little experience in the world of beer. So, how can flights benefit first-time guests?

Let’s see what the data says:

  • A first-time guest will say “yes” to a flight 72% of the time when asked.

  • A first-time guest who is encouraged to order a flight spends 25% more than a first-time guest who is not encouraged to begin with a flight ($58.99 vs $47.24).

  • The average tab for a new guest who is encouraged to have a flight and orders one is $62.27 – 32% higher than guests not encouraged who don’t make the flight purchase.

  • A positive note: staff are nearly 50% more likely to encourage first-time guests to try a flight compared to return customers.

How about return customers? Yup, they like flights too.

  • A guest who has visited your taproom before is 394% more likely to take you up on that flight when it is suggested.

  • The average tab for a return guest who is encouraged to have a flight and orders one is $60.86 – 27% higher than return customers who are not encouraged and don’t make the flight purchase. 

Here’s a quick list of when to consider offering a flight:

  • You don’t recognize the guest.

  • The guest says they haven’t visited before.

  • The guest appears confused about the ordering experience.

  • The guest appears unsure of what they want.

  • The guest has questions about the menu.

  • Your taproom has a large selection.

  • Your taproom has a rotating menu.

In the past, we have looked at the likelihood of taproom staff encouraging a flight. This study continues with that data and also pairs it with the guests’ actions of ordering one. It’s all about building positive habits. By training your team to regularly encourage flights, you’ll consistently see higher tabs. Sure, it may take a little bit longer, but the effort put into better educating your guests on your offerings will help deepen relationships and contribute to everyone's success.