BrewLogix — a technology solutions company focused on financial and operational software for breweries — just released its year-end insights for 2022 and market predictions for 2023 in the hospitality technology and bar and restaurant industries.
“Every day, members of the BrewLogix team talk with owners and operators of bars and restaurants across the country. We love hearing their stories, experiencing their hospitality, and diving into the challenges that get in the way of their goals,” said Lori Bolin, president of BrewLogix. “As we move into 2023, BrewLogix and our customers are seeing trends that are worth exploring. From the increasing demand for low-to-no ABV draft options to the motivation behind rising consumer expectations, these trends have the power to impact the financial performance of the beverage program.”
Non-Alcoholic Beer in the On-Premise: With the rapid growth of the non-alcoholic and “beyond” beer categories (cider and kombucha, for example), BrewLogix expects even more local and regional players to enter the field of non-alcoholic beverage options early in 2023. Now thoroughly destigmatized, more bars and restaurants will include a dedicated non-alcoholic section on their beverage menus. These emerging products are expected not only to be offered as packaged goods in the on-premise, but they will take their place in the coveted draft program, especially where “local craft” is featured. Non- and low-alcohol options are a great way to increase ticket averages and responsibly upsell. This is a favorable trend customer-centric bars and restaurants will embrace.
Rising Keg Costs: When rising keg costs threaten to outpace retail pricing elasticity, beverage managers will focus more on managing keg yield through training staff on proper pouring techniques to minimize waste, using correct glassware to manage portion control, and embracing newer and more efficient data driven methods to improve ordering accuracy and beverage menu curation that maximize sales velocity. While rising keg costs are a concerning trend, better bars and restaurants will respond by dialing-in their draft beverage program to more accurately reflect the variety of styles and profiles their customers demand.
Rising Consumer Expectations: Recession fears will cause many consumers to be more discerning with their food and beverage budget, and bar and restaurant owners will continue to battle over wallet share. More inflation-resistant consumers will withstand increasing costs but will expect an ideal experience in exchange for their loyalty. As a result, an increased emphasis will be placed on journey mapping the entire guest experience and ensuring that value is added at every touchpoint. Winning strategies within this trend will include using technology to efficiently train customer-facing staff in product knowledge and food/beverage pairings and effectively manage kegged inventory (including using new tools for on-deck planning) to cost-effectively offer an attractive draft program customized to a location’s specific consumer preferences.
Emphasis on Group Sales: While household wallets may be tightening, corporate travel budgets are relaxing as employers push for a return to offices and face-to-face interactions. Bar and restaurant managers will aggressively target this revenue stream with dedicated group sales and catering managers, online ordering, and seasonal offerings such as holiday dinners, beer and wine tastings, and team building programming.
BrewLogix offers an integrated software ecosystem to help bars, restaurants, tap rooms, and breweries elevate customer and staff experiences that drive profitability and brand loyalty. Recently, BrewLogix launched the Performance Platform, a real-time draft inventory, tracking and management solution designed to deliver vital insights and product knowledge for draft beverage programs.
“We see a real opportunity for the beverage program, particularly the draft program, to maximize its role as a profit center for savvy bars and restaurants in 2023. Leaders in the industry are recognizing technology can create visibility [inside kegs, for example] where historically we’ve experienced the proverbial black hole. We’re also seeing a real opportunity to elevate the staff and guest experience through real-time ‘brewknowledge’. 2023 isn’t a time for the status quo; there’s genuine potential for growth that is technology-inspired and we are eager to help our customers grab hold of their share,” added David Bower, director of growth at BrewLogix.
BrewLogix is a technology solutions company influencing the next trajectory of growth in the beverage hospitality and craft brew industries. The company uses the unique insights of cloud-powered and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to help bars, restaurants, taprooms, and breweries elevate customer and staff experiences that drive profitability and brand loyalty. BrewLogix offers an ecosystem of integrated products and services under three primary branded platforms: MarketMyBrewery offers craft brewers a powerful cloud-based environment to manage sought-after product and taproom information, optimized to attract and retain loyal consumer and trade customers; BreweryDB is the world’s largest curated database of independent craft breweries; and The Performance Platform converges accurate product knowledge with “ounce-by-ounce” customer data to raise the human and financial performance of draft beverage programs. Learn more at BrewLogix.com.
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