Does Your Empty Taproom Have a Vibe?

Last week we learned that the likelihood of a guest purchasing a second drink in your taproom increases 32% when a taproom is packed, vs empty. While I wish you sunny skies and packed taprooms, this unfortunately isn’t always the case. So, while having big crowds gets everyone spending more, you realistically need to ask yourself does your empty taproom have a vibe?

Recently, I visited a taproom where the only real décor was a few random flags. No unique art, nothing that caught my eye. Just a few random flags, without any explanation. And it was empty. The staff were on their phone. No music playing. I didn’t receive a single check-in after ordering my beer. It felt awkward to stay.

I get that the energy of a busy taproom gets more people spending more money, but you still need to be able to offer a vibe even to the first guest who shows up on a Monday.

Let’s first look at feedback from visits when guests showed up to an empty taproom, and the vibe also felt empty. You don’t want to be at the receiving end of one of these real taproom visits below:

• "I sat at a little table and drank the beers. There was no further interaction with any of the staff…and when I arrived, I was the only customer inside."

• "She seemed very disinterested... It was a similar experience to using a self-checkout.”

• “No one came out to check on us or clear tables... It didn't seem like they wanted to be there that night."

• “There was no music playing. There was minimal décor. The modern industrial vibe is neither awe inspiring nor completely hideous.”

Now let’s look at a few real guests quotes from empty taprooms, but positive experiences.

• “Without the music in the background, it would have been much more awkward with the seating arrangements. It made it easier to try and chat between the two of us, despite having random people right beside us on each side."

• "The music was playing slow enough that the vibe of the place... made me stay longer, despite it being nearly empty."

• “The artwork on the wall is mesmerizing and you feel like you've been transported down the rabbit hole. It's colorful and fluorescent and serves not only as eye candy but as a conversation piece.”

• "Upon entering, our eyes turned to the modern turntable with a Miles Davis album on the front left corner of the bar. It wasn't just a bar, it was a destination for a beer and music experience. We had a great chat with the bartender and felt very welcome. This is now one of our new favorite 'next town over' finds, totally worth the 40-minute drive."

Both sets of quotes come from guests experiencing empty taprooms. The first four reflect guests that may never return based on a negative empty taproom experience. The second four represent guests, who despite an empty taproom, were impressed.

Of the empty taproom visits we analyzed, only 52 of 109 had staff introduce themselves, and only 52 had staff offer recommendations. That's a coin flip on two of the easiest things staff can do when the room is dead and they have nothing else competing for their attention. When staff did introduce themselves or offer recommendations, second drink rate was 69% vs 61% when they didn't. Not massive, but meaningful when you're trying to maximize each guest’s visit.

Out of the 28 guests who did not get any conversation from the staff, nearly 20% said they wouldn’t recommend the business. When staff did engage, that figure dropped below 4%. Disengaged staff are much harder to hide in an empty taproom than a busy one.

When the room is empty, your staff are the vibe.

• Introduce yourself by name, right away

• Ask what brought them in or if it's their first visit

• Ask about their style preferences before offering recommendations, not after

• Offer a sample or flight before they commit

• Check in regularly, not wait for the guest to flag you down

Silence is the enemy (unless you’re going with the college study lounge vibe). From our data, we see that volume matters too. The consistent thread in the positive responses was that they want music loud enough to hear but quiet enough to talk over.

From the data, 49 of 109 empty taproom visits had music or art that didn't enhance the experience. That's nearly half. And the free responses show music doing something specific in a quiet room that art can't. It fills the silence before a guest even sits down. Art works once they're settled. Music works the second they walk in.

People also want something to look at.

When guests are sitting alone or with another friend in an empty taproom, their eyes can wander. As with my experience, random flags on a wall don’t cut it. Art and décor work when they connect to your brand, your story, your community, or your beer. They give guests something to think about, ask about, talk about, and/or remember.

Look at your art and décor, and ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this tell a guest something about who we are before we say a word?

• If a guest asked "what's the story behind that?" would we have a good answer?

• When describing our taproom to a friend, would a guest mention it?

It comes back to a concept we introduced many years ago: the Venn Diagram of Taproom Experience. One, you’ve got to have well-made beer. Two, hospitality matters, and this is where your team’s engagement matters. And three, without a memorable atmosphere, the guest could be anywhere. When you get to the intersection of all three components, even an empty taproom can turn a first-time guest into a regular.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with someone who’d also find value. Thank you for reading.

The data was collected from a set of 1398 unique taproom visits from January 1, 2024 to August 23, 2025.