Why Don't Taproom Staff Pick Up The Trash?
Have you ever walked by another brewery before they opened and seen a team member with one of those little trash pickin’ claws removing litter? Me neither. Truly never. I rarely see staff at any business doing this. Fortunately for taprooms, guests are typically decent human beings and clean up after themselves. However, accidents happen, and messes can go without getting cleaned up.
Over the course of a 15-minute walk from my house to the nearest coffee shop, I passed about 10 different bars and restaurants. Each had some level of trash in its outside area. What does this say about their business?
Despite the out of character negativity of this post (trash is gross), I did recently see hope. Outside a 7-Eleven Exxon gas station, I saw a team member wearing gloves and using their fancy trash claw to clean up the outside of the business. It made me smile.
It’s not the most glamorous or glorious job, but it’s important. First impressions…are first impressions, and they matter.
The taproom experience, or rather the guest’s experience with your brand, begins well before a guest enters your taproom. As they approach your property, it’s the fight or flight moment. No visit is guaranteed. If trash cans are overflowing and litter is strewn across your patio, they can still run.
On most Sundays, I bring along my 7-year-old son and some of his friends to clean up trash on our block. When I first yell out to the motley crew of elementary schoolers, “Who wants to help me pick up trash?!?!” the response is often a tad lackluster. I don’t get any “Yeah! Trash!” But once I get buy in from one of the kids, more always jump in. Then it becomes a game of who can pick up the most and/or biggest piece of trash. In about 20 minutes, our block is clear of any debris that could go astray in the wind.
That’s how it works with staff too. If the owner or manager grabs the claw first, the team follows. Make it a game.
I don’t think offering up a few pieces of leftover Halloween candy will motivate your team, but I do think this is a task that can’t be assigned to Mother Nature.
Which brings me to your daily checklist:
Is someone responsible for checking how clean the outdoor area is?
Is someone responsible for picking up any garbage?
Before opening, does someone do a visual check of the outside area to see if it would look appealing to a potential guest?
Your team is not above picking up trash. Neither are you or I.
You’re probably already doing a great job keeping your business clean. But it never hurts to double check. Grab your trash claw and make it part of the routine. A taproom visit starts outside. Make it clean.