Google Trends shows hospitality is at a five-year high. Learn what this means for breweries and how guest experiences drive revenue and loyalty.
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Taprooms are more family-friendly than ever, with kids taking up more seats alongside $8 pints. If you’re not offering juice boxes, snacks, or kid-friendly merch, you’re leaving money on the table. Here’s how upselling to kids (without ever selling them alcohol) can boost per-seat value, keep parents happy, and help you sell that second beer.
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Discover how a simple rallying cry like “Put cans in their hands!” can inspire your taproom staff. Learn five practical ways to train your team to use short, energetic phrases that boost tabs, tips, and repeat visits while creating moments guests remember.
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Great taproom hospitality is not about being the biggest talker. It is about being a great listener. Learn how simple conversation sparks, active listening, and meaningful follow ups can turn casual guests into loyal regulars while boosting your taproom sales.
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Tips are slipping in taprooms nationwide, but it’s not just about the numbers. Learn how guest engagement affects tipping, why trends are shifting, and what your team can do to turn things around.
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Discover how taproom staff can use simple context clues to create more memorable guest experiences. A birthday cake at Costco sparked this lesson in hospitality and awareness.
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A birthday shoutout from your local taproom staff might seem small, but it’s a powerful reminder that guest connections drive loyalty and boost sales. Learn how thoughtful service can turn regulars into true fans.
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Brewery staff are only asking about to-go beer 18.4% of the time, and it’s costing them and your business. Guests are 480% more likely to buy when asked. The result? Bigger tabs, better tips, and thousands in missed revenue. Here's what your team needs to do next.
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This article explores how non-alcoholic beer offerings in taprooms have evolved from 2019 to 2025, based on Craft Beer Professionals community poll data. Learn why more breweries are embracing N/A options, what the trends reveal, and how offering non-alcoholic beer impacts guest experience and taproom profitability.
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Learn how to build attractive habits that motivate your taproom staff and boost profitability. Discover key strategies for making tasks easier, more worthwhile, and profitable while improving staff engagement and guest experiences.
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Guests come to your taproom for connection. While service is important, true hospitality goes beyond handing someone a pint. QR codes don’t replace staff engagement—in fact, when used alongside strong service, they increase sales. Meet your guests where they are. Give them options. And always, always ask the question.
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As we move into 2025, the taproom experience is being shaped by an ever-evolving landscape of guest preferences, expectations, and behaviors. Craft beer alone won’t keep guests coming back—today's successful taprooms are those that create a seamless fusion of exceptional beverages, a welcoming atmosphere, and an engaging staff. To stay ahead of the curve, it's critical to understand how the taproom audience is changing and what they truly desire from their visits. This session will provide insights into emerging trends, actionable strategies, and new approaches to creating memorable and profitable experiences that keep guests coming through the door.
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Maximize your taproom's revenue by focusing on existing customers! Learn strategies to increase check averages, foster loyalty, boost repeat visits, and upsell effectively. Hear proven tips from taproom experts to create super fans and drive higher revenue per guest. Transform your guest experience and grow your bottom line today!
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The initial greeting and the final goodbye are two of the most impactful moments of any taproom visit. If a guest isn’t acknowledged promptly or made to feel appreciated upon leaving, their likelihood of returning greatly decreases. In a recent study, we analyzed the importance of the greeting. Now, let’s examine the data and strategies for ensuring a successful closing interaction between guests and staff.
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There's really not much need to elaborate on the above graphic. Michael Varda, from Craft Beer Advisory Services, nails it. CBAS help breweries understand their customers in every way possible – why they visit, what they want, how to attract new customers, and how to use data to create experiences that keep them coming back.
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Over the years, Secret Hopper has explored taproom data extensively, examining everything from the significance of the initial greeting to how age impacts spending habits. Two consistent themes have emerged in nearly all our studies: the importance of education and engagement. We understand you’re busy and don’t have time to continually review hundreds of data points, share them with your team, and implement training to maximize them. Don’t worry—if you only have time to monitor two metrics, focus on tip percentage and average tab size.
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You’re in the hospitality business. Relationships, baby. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You’re peddling experiences.
When we first launched Secret Hopper in 2017, most of us weren’t using the word “experience,” let alone “hospitality.” However, times are changing. You’re not just hoping someone chooses you over the nearby brewery; you want them to choose your taproom over any other social activity.
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These things might not matter to guests, but they can significantly impact your taproom. Sometimes, subtle aspects can unconsciously enhance a guest’s experience, leading to more memorable visits. Why should you care? When guests have a better experience, they are likely to spend more.
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In this webinar, we are joined by Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics to analyze the behaviors that set top-performing taprooms apart. From staff behaviors to design elements, our study will pinpoint the top five habits of successful taprooms and offer insight into how you can implement these strategies in your business.
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No one likes drinking alone. And the busier your taproom, the more each guest will spend. In this study, we dive into how the perceived level of busyness correlates to how much guests spend.
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