An empty taproom doesn't have to feel empty. Here's what real guest data says about the three things that make or break the experience when the crowd isn't there to do it for you.
Read More
Engagement was flat quarter over quarter, but recommendations jumped and a few key habits improved. Here's what the Q2 2026 data shows about where taprooms are winning and where they're still leaving money on the table.
Read More
Guests in busier taprooms spend more money. But staff are only asking guests if they want another drink 60% of the time, no matter how busy or empty the room is. Here's what the data says about closing that gap, and why it's a habit problem, not a busyness problem.
Read More
My dentist tried to upsell me while I was flat on my back with a water tube in my mouth. It got me thinking about how taprooms handle the upsell, including the $7 question most staff aren't asking.
Read More
What's the best review a customer has ever left you? Most guests aren't telling you everything they really think.
Read More
Nobody Reads Your Taproom Signage. But when they can't find what they need, they order less, tip less, and don't come back. Here's what your signage might be missing.
Read More
Most taproom guests leave without knowing what's coming up next or that private bookings are even an option. Here's a simple audit to fix that.
Read More
A nonprofit farm market in a town of 270 people taught me more about customer data than most breweries I talk to. Here's what they got right, and how your taproom can do the same.
Read More
In a Taproom Success exclusive conversation, we chat with Doug Cunningham, founder of Crafted Ledgers and former CFO of Denver Beer Company, to talk about what it actually takes to run a brewery off its numbers.
Read More
A keynote at the Craft Brewers Conference referenced a hospitality study that found servers earned 18% more in tips with one small change at checkout. Here's what the research actually says and how it applies to your taproom.
Read More
5 stats from thousands of mystery shopping visits that you can share with your team to build more profitable habits.
Read More
Engagement dropped from about 75% in Q4 to 44% in Q1. Not because taprooms got worse, but because when things slow down, most teams fall back to transactional service.
Read More
A cluttered bar top might not seem like a big deal. But small moments of friction add up fast. When no one owns the problem, it becomes normal. And that’s where the experience, and your revenue, start to slip.
Read More
A bartender who loves talking with guests can be a huge asset. But when the line starts growing, great hospitality also means knowing when to move things along. This article introduces the 30 Second Conversation and offers practical ways to manage overly chatty bartenders without sacrificing guest experience.
Read More
When this brewery's first Secret Hopper visit came back, the results were rough. Guests were being served. Drinks were being poured. But there was no greeting, no recommendations, no real connection. The experience felt transactional.
Four months later, they'd nearly doubled their performance score.
No renovation. No rebrand. No new menu. Just consistent execution of basic hospitality behaviors, tracked and improved one visit at a time. Here's exactly what changed.
Read More
Many breweries are operating in survival mode right now. Cash flow pressure. Staffing challenges. Rising costs. But what if the real shift is not about resources, but mindset? In this post, we explore how the concept of survival mode versus creative mode, inspired by Minecraft, can help you rethink staffing, engagement, and intentional taproom design.
Read More
Working in your own taproom can become routine. The little details that drive higher tabs and tips start to fade. What if you paid your staff to visit another brewery with fresh eyes and come back sharper, more engaged, and more revenue focused?
Read More
Learn how brewery owners and taproom managers can use AI to turn Secret Hopper taproom data into a clear SWOT analysis. This session covers organizing feedback, identifying opportunities, and turning guest insights into actionable improvements.
Read More
Raise your hand if you like to wait in line. Exactly. No matter where we are, we like to receive our services, our products, and especially our beer as quickly as possible. Despite everyone’s general opposition to waiting, sometimes it’s unavoidable. So instead of simply chalking up a guest’s wait as part of the process to get a drink, ask yourself, how can you make your line a positive part of the experience?
Read More
For years, great beer was the differentiator. Now it’s the baseline. As quality levels out across craft, breweries are being chosen and remembered for the experience they create, not just what’s in the glass.
Read More