To say the craft beer movement has exploded in recent years would be something of an understatement. While the scene might have begun on the West Coast of the USA, it’s been fully embraced by the UK and is only gaining in strength and size as more people are turned into the joy of independent breweries.
The popularity of craft beer has also led to a great uptick in the amount of smaller craft bars and taprooms, with most small breweries now offering up their small-batch creations to the public. But with the menu changing constantly, it’s simply not practical to rely on old-fashioned chalkboards and paper menus. This is why digital menu boards have become the standard.
The benefits of digital beer boards
While some more traditional pubs and bars might feel a digital menu board would clash with their more conventional aesthetics, craft beer bars are all about pushing against the norm and experimenting with what’s new and exciting.
For obvious reasons, it’s a concept that grew wings during the pandemic, when social distancing was enforced and everyone was trying to streamline ordering processes to avoid potential contamination. However, it’s continued to build in popularity in the months following the pandemic too, as drinkers and landlords alike discover the benefits of a digital menu and, in some cases, a digital ordering system.
Saving time – When a new beer is available or one of the casks runs out, it takes literal seconds to update a digital menu board. This information is also shared among all other linked digital signage so you only have to make the change once rather than physically wiping away and replacing menu items every few hours.
More orders – Bars and restaurants using digital menu boards typically generate more income than those using traditional menus and do so faster too. This could be due to the sheer convenience of the system, which allows customers to view what’s available and the price, percentage and style of each beer without having to ask a server.
Social media engagement – Thanks to smartphone apps such as Untappd, customers can link their social media accounts to whatever establishment they are currently drinking in and log their beery activities to share with their fellow connoisseurs. Digital menu boards can be set to display notifications and even review ratings from guests and make them feel a deeper connection with your bar and its beers.
Presentation – A chalkboard is only ever good for the first few uses. After a few wipes, they always start to look cloudy and virtually illegible in darker rooms. There are also potentially bad handwriting and spelling mistakes to take into account. A digital menu doesn’t have that problem. It can also be presented in landscape or portrait and can include more information including the name of the brewery, ABV, serving size and even the brewery logos. This makes it that much easier for customers to decide on something they want.
Flexibility – An increasing number of breweries and taprooms are choosing to offer either their own food or stock food from pop-up eateries such as food vans. Digital signage can be altered to add a menu or advertise a food van as and when required.
Customisation – Digital menu boards offer dozens of ways to customise your display with bespoke graphics that suit your brand identity and the ability to choose the features and the layout that works for your brand. You can even integrate advertisements into the system to be played on a rotational basis which could display anything from happy hour announcements to pub quiz questions.
The craft beer movement is still a very young and agile beast and if you want to stay ahead of the curve, you’re going to want the latest technology on your side. Digital menu boards are cost-effective, easy to set up and will give patrons more confidence to order more exotic items. So, why not retire the old chalkboard and raise a glass to the future of craft hospitality?
Image: joojoob27 / Shutterstock.com
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