Bar Technology – The Best Bar Technology for Growth
Venues that welcome and utilize new bar technology are more likely to save on costs and increase revenue.
There is so much “good” bar technology out there that bar owners and managers have a lot of options.
With everything going digital, businesses need to adapt.
If you’re looking to give your bar business a much-needed boost, it’s time you look out for unique and effective bar technology.
Depending on the business, you can pick bar technology that’s well-suited to your venue.
With so many innovative technologies out there, we have listed down some of the best bar technologies for you.
If you are a bar owner looking for some innovative and super useful technologies to boost your business, read on to find out more.
New bar technology to boost your business:
1. Bloc
2. Projection-mapping
3. QR codes
4. Self service beer taps
5. Digital beer boards
6. Digital point of sale (POS) systems
7. Dedicated mobile apps
1. Bloc
Bloc is a location-based app that connects people to events.
It is widely used by people across the world, which means your bar will get instant visibility.
Bloc attracts customers to your venue by rewarding them for coming.
The way this works is that users who check-in on the app and physically attend a venue (tracked via geo-location) will be rewarded with Bloc’s in-app currency.
This currency can then be used in the app or exchanged for real money.
Bloc is also known for its super easy and accessible interface, which makes it easier for customers to find the desired location without any hassle.
When a user wants to visit a particular location, take, for example, a bar – Bloc will suggest places to them based on their location.
If a user checks into one of the venues listed on Bloc, they earn stars on Bloc. To ensure the customer has visited the bar, Bloc uses a geo-location tracker.
Users just have to earn 1000 stars to make £1000.
How can bars take advantage of this technology?
Bars can advertise with Bloc, which means that bar will be placed in 4 special locations in the app for increasing check-ins.
A newsfeed ad will also be pushed to every Bloc user within a 10-mile radius.
A big plus for bar businesses is that the advertising is pay-per-result, which means they only pay if Bloc brings them a physical customer (tracked via geo-location).
This means it’s budget friendly and trackable which means no wasted marketing budget on impressions or clicks, which doesn’t really mean anything.
Bars can also take advantage of a free trial whereby the first 75 customers are free (with £150 ad credit).
2. Projection-mapping
Projection mapping is a great way to add a unique, aesthetic feel to your bar.
This is definitely not a tool that would directly help you boost your revenue, but it is an excellent way to showcase your venue.
Typically, most bars have a couple of screens on which they display sports events or other entertainment. But beyond this, you don’t really have anything different to offer.
With projection mapping, you can instantly glamorously transform your venue without investing a lot.
As a result, the ambience of your bar will be instantly enhanced, which would make it appealing to the masses.
The best part about projection screens is that the décor of your bar will not remain permanent.
Instead, you can keep changing the patterns and colour schemes on the screens as often as you like.
Thanks to the flexibility projection mapping offers, you can revamp the look of your bar.
This would give customers a renewed, fresh experience every time they visit.
The interactive features of projection mapping would also allow your guests to experience different aspects of the layout of your venue.
As a bar business, you too would have the opportunity to show your bar from a whole different perspective.
That is the level of flexibility that creative projection mapping offers.
With limitless possibilities, you can go big by creating a spectacular virtual world for your customers.
This is what the people visiting your bar want to experience – a wholesome, out-of-the-box and impressive experience.
Once you experience the fantastic ambience of your bar, they are sure to come back for more and recommend your bar to others too.
Projection mapping will help you set your bar apart from other common bars out there. So go ahead, experiment all you can and want to with this superior design technology.
3. QR codes
QR codes are a simple yet highly effective technological solution that you can use to improve the quality of service in your bar.
QR codes are helping businesses overcome their shortcomings – so the next time there’s a massive crowd in your bar, and there aren’t enough menus, you know what to do – get QR codes on every table and surface.
All that your crowd of guests need to do is scan the QR codes to access the menu via a destination URL.
You can also go a step ahead and list out all the free coupons and discounts in the same way so that your guests don’t have to waste time looking for the menu.
There are numerous benefits of QR codes, and they are changing the face of how different types of businesses are functioning.
They’re coming in handy to provide a seamless and effortless experience to customers.
With a QR code, your customers will have all the access to the information they need.
The best part about QR codes is that they are a small, cost-effective, and easily implemented solution.
You can paste the QR codes on prominent locations in your bar – like the tables, poles, or even the billing counter if space permits.
QR codes would also help automate the process of ordering food and drinks in your bar.
It would be easy to keep track of the service while ensuring a wastage of time in placing the order. Also, your staff would be able to cater to the customers without the added pressure of rushing from table to table to take orders.
On an overall basis, QR codes can revolutionize the way your bar functions.
Becoming tech-savvy is very important for businesses, and QR codes are a great start.
4. Self service beer taps
This is indeed a groundbreaking concept when it comes to the self-service revolution.
This would not only encourage your customers to have unlimited access to beer but also ensure high revenues in your bar.
So, how do these self-service beer taps work?
Every customer would be provided with a card that is enabled with a radiofrequency enabled micro-chip.
The microchip captures the required information, which is then transferred to the machine.
As complex as this sounds, a patron would only need to tap the card on the machine to ensure the chip pairs with the sensor.
Once this is done, the customer can pour out the drink, which is then deducted from the chip’s data.
Every card comes preloaded with a fixed number of drinks, which, when used up, can be replenished when the customer recharges the card.
The whole mechanism helps to provide a safe and seamless serving experience.
The fact that every card comes preloaded with a fixed number of drinks also helps maintain accountability.
As a bar business, your staff would be less burdened – as you can reduce one major task of serving rounds of beer with this technology.
And, of course, your patrons would love the cool concept of self-service beer taps – so why not introduce this funky machine in your bar?
5. Digital beer boards
Those who aren’t really keen on QR codes can try out digital beer boards instead.
These digital boards are an appealing way to display the menu, offers, and discounts you offer at your bar.
Ditch the traditional menu card and introduce these in your bar, and you’ll notice a rise in the number of orders placed.
You can place digital boards in any prominent part of the bar, where patrons can view the details.
Also, as the display of digital boards can be customized as required, you need not worry about aesthetics.
The digital board will easily blend in the overall interiors of your bar without becoming an eyesore.
Do ensure you list out all essential information on the digital board.
It needs to have all the food and drinks you offer, the prices, discounts, upcoming events (you could install a separate board for this), as well as other happening offers your customers need to know.
6. Digital point of sale (POS) systems
While Point of Sale systems are very popular in most bars, very few, actually take a step ahead to introduce advanced POS setups.
POS systems come in different types and help various kinds of businesses to make their sales process seamless and efficient.
One great feature about POS systems is that it is possible to get well-suited systems for the requirements of both small and large-scale businesses.
Therefore, depending on the scale of your business, you are free to choose a POS system to help make the service of your bar more efficient.
An automated POS system can work wonders for your bar. It helps maintain accuracy by preventing minor errors – which cumulatively prove to impact your profits in the long run negatively.
It can also help cut down the time customers have to wait for their transactions to be processed.
A high-end POS system would help you eliminate all these drawbacks, which makes it a must-have for every business, irrespective of the scale.
Now, you may not be able to afford a high-end POS system as of now, but don’t worry!
You can always choose a relatively lightweight system that can efficiently run on smartphones.
This way, you can automate your sales without worrying about the extensive costs of a proper POS system.
All you need to do is look for alternatives, and you will find the perfect POS system for yourself in no time.
7. Dedicated mobile apps
There’s nothing like a dedicated mobile app for your bar!
A mobile app will be a one-stop for all business activities, making it easier for your customers to access your bar.
They can pre-book tables, reserve the bar for special occasions, place their orders for food and drinks, access other information such as the menu and discounts on the go.
To ensure your app is on the customer’s phone, you can also offer specific incentives like a free drink or discounts for couples if they download the app.
Once the app is on their smartphones, the probability of them opting for your bar will be high.
You can also create a loyalty program to ensure your patrons keep coming back.
You can convert their number of visits, plus the amount of food and drinks they buy, into points via these loyalty programs.
Once they collect a certain number of points, the patrons can then redeem those to access discounts and other offers.
Apps are an inexpensive way of marketing your bar.
Plus, they would also help you serve your guests well. It’s a win-win situation for both your bar as well as the customers – so try to get your business an app as soon as you can.
Summing up
While we have listed out these bar technology ideas, you can also explore and think out of the box for different ideas.
Of course, the requirements of every business are different and no one other than the owner would know what best fits their business.
However, technology is an essential element in every business, especially when we have witnessed how it has helped businesses survive the pandemic.
The bright side about these bar technology solutions is that businesses, both big and small, can easily implement them.
You don’t have to worry about the exorbitant cost of investment – find alternatives that best fit the scale of your business.
No longer is technology a far-fetched dream for businesses. And as businesses, we should ensure we use technology to offer better services to our patrons.
