What do today’s most profitable taprooms have in common? A knack for spotting opportunities. With rising costs, shifting guest expectations, and tighter margins than ever, breweries are rethinking how and where they grow revenue.
Below we explore how breweries are increasing profitability through reporting, inventory insights, and memberships, without compromising hospitality or guest experience.
Creative Strategies for Tapping into Higher Profits
In today’s ever-evolving craft landscape, breweries are navigating a complex mix of challenges. Shifting guest expectations means taprooms need to offer exceptional experiences in addition to great beer. At the same time, rising costs are squeezing already tight margins, and competition is steeper than ever.
The brewery world doesn’t lack creativity, and breweries continue to flex those creative muscles to boost margins despite the challenges. Get inspired below with real-world ideas you can put to work in your brewery and taproom.
Use Sales Data to Your Advantage
The ultimate roadmap to more profitable decisions? Your sales data! The better you get to know your brewery, the more informed and optimized your decisions will be. POS data in particular gives a clear playbook on what’s working, what’s not, and where there’s room to improve.
With the right insights, you can reduce costs and enhance the guest experience. Because you probably got into brewing for the beer and camaraderie, and not the number-crunching, you need the appropriate tools to analyze your data.
Plus, data doesn’t mean you can’t still nerd out on the beer! Some breweries even use draft monitoring to ensure their pours meet quality standards. BarTrack integrations track pour consistency, flag carbonation issues, and help ensure every pint meets your standards.
Chuck Norman, owner of Grist Brewing, praised the BarTrack integration with their POS system:
“This is the solution for breweries to start re-examining their draft program in the taproom and take a revised approach to maximizing potential profits and improving brand integrity through quality.”
Better beer means happier guests, which leads to a stronger brand name, long-term growth, and higher profitability. If you’re not sure where to start with your data, reach out to the support teams of your POS and other key sales integrations. Those folks are happy to set you up for success!
Inventory Data: Critical for Smarter Decision-Making
Inventory insights provide you with the data necessary to make profit-driving decisions about purchasing, production, and sales. By effectively managing your brewery inventory, you can:
- Reduce waste: Accurate inventory tracking helps minimize overstocking, reducing the risk of ingredients spoiling.
- Optimize production: Detailed inventory insights allow you to forecast demand more accurately and align your production schedules accordingly.
- Increase efficiency: Inventory management systems can automate many tasks, including tracking and ordering. This reduces manual errors and frees up staff.
- Boost guest satisfaction: Ensuring you have the necessary inventory on hand means guests get all the pints, 6-packs, and merch they desire.
When it comes to brewery profit streams, it’s not just about the beer. Ex Novo Brewing Co.’s merchandise flies off the shelves at both of their locations and online. With inventory selling from multiple places at once, the team needed support to grow this profit stream.
The brewery is now powered by one system—a website and web store integrated with their POS—which means there’s one source of truth when it comes to inventory. It also means the team saves time, prevents overselling, and gets help with reordering.
Since launching the new online store, Ex Novo has seen a 25 percent increase in total merchandise sales. That’s a significant revenue boost and promises a future of profitable merch sales.
Merch stores are proven profit drivers for modern breweries. There’s no need to go crazy with your T-shirt or hat designs: Print your slogan in a nice color and have your staff model the merch around your taproom.
Membership Programs Drive Loyalty and Recurring Revenue
Membership programs reward your regulars—the heart of any taproom—while driving recurring revenue and long-term loyalty. By offering exclusive perks or first dibs on new releases, you create an engaging experience for both guests and staff. It's a win-win that keeps your biggest fans coming back for more.
Breweries often use their POS systems to power their membership programs. That makes it easy to track rewards, redemptions, and revenue specific to your program. Customizable branded apps, like those offered by Arryved + Tapwyse, power mug clubs, perks programs, beer societies, and more to connect you with your fans.
Here are a couple of examples of brewery membership programs getting well-earned buzz.
Tröegs Independent Brewing’s Club Tröegs offers the Tröegs app: a gateway to the club membership and other brewery information. Members also get:
- Discounts on crowlers and growlers
- Weekly $1 beer
- Special events, promotions, and more!
Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s Brewmaster’s Collective encourages the kind of cult following they’ve earned. One annual fee comes with a variety of exclusive rewards:
- Member-only events
- 15 percent off preferred member pricing
- Vintage library cellar and priority access
- Five barrel-aged beers x four quarterly collections
If you’re beginning a membership program from scratch, start small and grow as you go. You know your guests the best, so customize rewards based on what excites them the most.
Hospitality: Still Your Strongest Revenue Driver
Whether you’re re-examining your POS reports, inventory, or membership programs, one thing is clear: Your profitability still comes down to people.
When guests feel connected to your brand through great beer, fun souvenirs, and personal touches, they’re more likely to stay longer, spend more, and come back. Engaged guests don’t just buy beer; they build your community and grow your bottom line.
Modern breweries need tools that prioritize both operations and hospitality. If you’re looking for an integrated system that powers higher brewery margins, check out Arryved POS.