Bear Cave Brewing’s Big Pivot: Why a Minnesota Brewpub Left Toast Behind for GoTab

Born from passion and resilience, Bear Cave gives guests a choose-your-own-adventure experience

OVERVIEW: Walk down Main Street in Hopkins, Minnesota, and you will find a town that feels like a small village inside a sprawling metro. Historic buildings line the street, families stroll past shop windows, and locals gather at neighborhood spots where everyone knows someone. It is the kind of place where community ties run deep, and when Bear Cave Brewing opened in May 2022, it instantly became a centerpiece of that daily rhythm.

Set inside a four-story, 17,000-square-foot building, Bear Cave offers 52 self-pour taps, stone-fired pizzas, live music, trivia nights, and a rooftop patio overlooking downtown. It was built to be more than a brewery. The venue was designed as a hub where neighbors can come together, where families can linger, and where its flagship beers reflect the passion and creativity that fuel the brand.

Bear Cave’s concept was bold from the start. No one else in the country was combining a full-scale brewery with self-pour technology and app-based ordering. “I’ve been working in restaurants for 25 years and seen pretty much everything,” said General Manager Daniel Murray. “So it was exciting and daunting to build something that hadn’t been done before.”

The first months were not without challenges. Toast, their initial POS provider, caused confusion with double tabs, failed pre-authorizations, and revenue losses reaching as much as $1,000 a month. “Toast’s response was basically, you’re just out the money,” Murray said. When GoTab entered the picture, he was skeptical, but the pivot paid off. 

GoTab eliminated the financial headaches, streamlined ordering across food and taps, and gave the team tools to run a massive space without losing sight of hospitality.

“Now I don’t have anybody complaining about things working properly,” Murray said. “That makes all the difference.”

The Bear Cave Story: From Santa Barbara to Hopkins

The vision for Bear Cave Brewing began far from Minnesota, on a trip to Santa Barbara, California. Jillian and Nate Bergeland, both preparing to step away from long careers in financial advising, visited their first self-pour restaurant and were captivated. Already owners of a small winery in Alexandria, Minnesota, Nate had long dreamed of opening a brewery. The self-pour model offered the perfect mix of innovation and community.

When the couple returned home, they connected with iPourIt, the self-pour technology provider, and began searching for a location. They landed in Hopkins, a historic district just west of Minneapolis, where the timing aligned with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build something new. The pandemic slowed progress, but it also gave them space to refine their vision.

By fall 2021, Daniel Murray had joined the project as general manager. A chef by training, Murray had spent much of his career in kitchens and had recently moved from Los Angeles to be closer to his son. He expected to return to cooking, but instead, he was offered the chance to help launch an entirely new concept.

“I fell in love with what they were doing,” Murray said. “Nobody had done what we’ve done. To be a brewery with self-pour and QR code ordering at the table, I looked everywhere for examples and I couldn’t find any.”

Bear Cave opened in May 2022 with a bold lineup of beers, stone-fired pizzas, and a unique service model that set it apart from any other brewpub in the region.

The Concept: Self-Pour Meets Scratch Cooking

Bear Cave is a choose-your-own-adventure brewpub. Guests can explore three floors of tap walls, sample as much or as little as they like from 52 taps, and move between seven unique spaces, from the rooftop deck to the cozy tasting room. Families bring their kids, dog owners bring their pets to the patio, and friends gather for everything from bingo nights to high school reunions.

The food program reflects Murray’s culinary background. “A full food program wasn’t in the original plans, but I came with a strong belief that the food would need to be top notch,” he said. Today, the kitchen is known for its stone-fired pizzas, fresh dough made in-house, and a menu that goes far beyond the frozen pizza concept originally imagined.

Bear Cave also leans into community. Local charities host fundraisers, the mayor has held campaign events there, and even the fire chief’s retirement party is on the calendar. It is the kind of place where neighbors meet again and again, discovering something new every time.

Why GoTab: The Pivot from Toast

At launch, Bear Cave used Toast as its POS system, but it did not take long for problems to surface. Pre-authorization issues were the biggest. Guests would see a pending $40 hold plus their final bill, and many assumed they had been double charged. 

When the check balance exceeded Toast’s pre-authorization amount, Bear Cave lost the revenue entirely.

“This was happening to the tune of between $500 and $1,000 a month,” Murray explained. 

The complications went beyond lost revenue. Because Toast did not fully integrate with the iPourIt system, customers ended up with two tabs, one for the tap wall and another for food. “People would put in their phone number and use the same card, but it still split into two tabs,” Murray explained. “They were frustrated, and some thought they were being double charged even though they weren’t.”

When GoTab approached, Murray resisted. “I know how horrifying it is to switch out POS systems,” he said. “I didn’t want to go through it.” 

Eventually he agreed to listen, and the decision proved right.

GoTab eliminated the pre-authorization headaches by allowing Bear Cave to reduce pre-authorization amounts, streamlined tabs into a single seamless experience, and cut down on guest complaints. “Now I don’t have anybody complaining about duplicate charges,” Murray said. “That makes all the difference.”

Just as importantly, GoTab gave Bear Cave the ability to operate such a massive venue with a lean staff. “There is absolutely no way we could maintain this place without these systems,” Murray said. “GoTab lets us keep labor tight while still delivering a high-quality product.”

A Living Legacy: What Guests Say

Today, Bear Cave Brewing is more than a brewery. It is a living legacy to founder Nate Bergeland and a space that feels like home for the Hopkins community. Guests return not only for the beer, but for the atmosphere, the staff, and the sense of discovery around every corner.

Reviews highlight that feeling. A customer named Charles praises the rotating selection of beers and the cozy fire pits on the patio. Wayne called it “a surprisingly huge place in a small town,” pointing to the three floors and the underground Bear Cave that gives the brewery its name. 

Guests often highlight the details that make their Bear Cave Brewing experience unlike anywhere else. Jeff said his first experience with self-serve taps was “incredible,” especially when the team demonstrated old-world beer poking with hot irons, a nod to European brewing traditions. Families rave about the free s’mores nights, where kids and adults gather around the fire pits to roast marshmallows on the patio. 

For families, the space has become a destination. James shared how he visited with his child during a downtown Hopkins event and was struck by how kid-friendly the brewery felt. “The fact there were food options for kids and dietary restrictions is always a bonus,” he wrote. “It works as a meet-up, a date place, a family reunion or an activity with your kiddos.”

The staff earns just as much praise as the beer. “Even during busy events, their staff have a great attitude and are willing to answer questions,” Charles added. Guests note the mix of cozy indoor nooks, an expansive rooftop deck, and a patio perfect for summer nights.

For Murray, that is the whole point. “Every time you come here, it’s different,” he said. “There’s always new beers, new food specials, live music or trivia.”

With GoTab running seamlessly in the background, Bear Cave Brewing keeps its energy alive while never losing sight of true hospitality. The brewery has become a gathering place for Hopkins, where neighbors, families, and visitors come together around food, drink, and community. For GoTab, it stands as a clear case study of how innovation and human connection can work hand in hand to create something lasting and remarkable.

Murray summed it up simply: “There’s absolutely no way we’d be able to maintain this place without these systems. GoTab lets us keep labor tight while still delivering a high-quality product.”

Key Takeaways

Venue: Bear Cave Brewing Co., Hopkins, Minnesota
Opened: May 2022
Capacity: 580 across four stories, including rooftop patio, basement “bear cave,” and multiple flexible event spaces
Concept: Community-focused brewpub combining self-pour technology, scratch cooking, and rotating craft beers brewed in-house
Signature: Nate’s Passion, a passionfruit hazy IPA named in honor of late founder Nate Bergeland
Technology: GoTab POS and mobile ordering platform integrated with iPourIt self-pour taps

Results:

• Resolved costly pre-authorization issues that were leading to losses of $500 to $1,000 a month under Toast.
• Eliminated guest confusion by combining food and self-pour tabs into one seamless experience.
• Streamlined operations in a 17,000-square-foot space, allowing leaner staffing without compromising service.
• Reduced guest complaints, creating a smoother and more enjoyable experience for locals and visitors alike.

Learn More

Bear Cave proves that ambitious hospitality models can thrive when the right technology is behind them. GoTab works side by side with operators, listening to feedback and tailoring solutions so venues can focus on what matters most – the guest experience.

If you’re ready to start building for growth, let’s talk. With GoTab, you won’t get a bot. You’ll connect with real people who understand your challenges and stay with you from day one. Request a demo today.