How to Reduce Lines at a Brewery and Increase Guest Spend: Lessons from The Patch Brewery

When The Patch Brewery opened in August 2024, the response was immediate. Built on a sixth-generation family farm in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, The Patch combines a 400-seat brewery and beer garden, wood-fired kitchen, coffee bar, and expansive outdoor patio into one destination experience. On peak weekends, guests lined up 30 to 40 minutes just to order a beer.

For many brewery owners, that sounds like a good problem to have. But long lines can quietly erode revenue. Guests order fewer rounds. Some skip food. Others leave before they ever reach the counter.

The Patch turned that challenge into a competitive advantage by redesigning its service model with GoTab. The result: beers delivered in as little as 30 seconds, longer guest stays, stronger food attachment, and continued sales growth heading into year two.

If you are wondering how to reduce lines at your brewery and how to increase brewery guest spend, The Patch offers a proven blueprint.

Why Long Lines Hurt Brewery Profitability

Busy does not always mean profitable. When guests spend a significant portion of their visit waiting to order:

• They delay or skip additional rounds.
• They are less likely to order food.
• Staff spend more time taking orders than providing hospitality.
• Frustrated guests leave early.
• Throughput becomes capped by the ordering queue.

At The Patch, guests were spending up to 40 minutes in line during peak periods. As founder Jeff Laity put it: “People used to spend 40 minutes of their visit waiting in line. Now they’re just sitting with their family and their beer arrives.” That operational change unlocked a significant increase in guest spend.

How to Reduce Lines at a Brewery

1. Let Guests Order from Their Table

The fastest way to eliminate counter congestion is to enable QR code ordering. At The Patch, every table includes a QR code that lets guests browse the menu, order, and pay directly from their phone. Orders are routed instantly to the bar or kitchen. This removed the need for guests to stand in line every time they wanted another beer.

2. Keep Counter Service for Guests Who Prefer It

Not every guest wants to order by phone. The Patch uses a hybrid model that supports both QR ordering and traditional counter service. Guests who prefer to order in person can still do so, while most weekend visitors use QR ordering. This approach increases sales without forcing behavior changes.

3. Connect Front and Back of House with KDS

A Kitchen Display System keeps orders moving efficiently. The Patch uses GoTab’s brewery KDS to synchronize orders between the bar, kitchen, and food trailer in real time. Guest-facing screens communicate delays when they occur. This improves transparency and reduces “Where’s my order?” interruptions.

4. Free Staff to Focus on Hospitality

When staff no longer spend their shift entering orders at a terminal, they can deliver drinks, check on tables, and create a more personal experience. As Taproom General Manager Madison Melanson explained: “The system handles the transaction and our team handles the experience.”

How to Increase Brewery Guest Spend

Once The Patch eliminated lines, guest behavior changed. Instead of ordering everything at once to avoid another wait, guests ordered naturally throughout their visit.

That led to:

• More rounds per guest
• Higher food attachment
• Longer dwell times
• Better overall revenue per visit

Why This Works

Guests spend more when ordering feels effortless. If another beer takes two taps on a phone instead of another 20-minute line, they are much more likely to order again. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase average check size in a brewery.

Results from The Patch Brewery

After implementing GoTab, The Patch achieved measurable operational improvements:

• Eliminated 30 to 40 minute lines
• Delivered beers in as little as 30 seconds
• Increased guest dwell time
• Improved food attachment
• Gained instant access to detailed reporting
• Connected sales data with food costing through their brewery POS integration with MarginEdge
• Sustained year-over-year sales growth

For a high-volume brewery, these outcomes have a direct impact on profitability.

Technology Used at The Patch Brewery

The Patch relies on several GoTab capabilities to support its operation:

• QR ordering and mobile checkout
• Hybrid QR and counter service
• Kitchen Display System
• Real-time reporting and analytics
• Menu-level sales analysis
• MarginEdge integration

Together, these tools provide the operational backbone needed to run a 400-seat brewery efficiently.

The Real Secret to Brewery Growth

The Patch isn’t growing by adding more advertising. It is growing by removing friction. When guests can order quickly, receive their drinks fast, and spend more time enjoying the experience, revenue increases naturally. That is the operational advantage every high-volume brewery should be pursuing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do breweries reduce lines?

The most effective strategies include QR ordering, hybrid service models, and kitchen display systems that streamline fulfillment.

How do breweries increase guest spend?

Reduce friction. Make it easy for guests to order additional rounds and food without leaving their table.

What is the best POS system for breweries?

The best brewery POS systems support QR ordering, open tabs, KDS, reporting, and integrations with accounting and inventory tools.

Read the Full Case Study

Want to see exactly how The Patch Brewery transformed its operation? Read the full case study:
The Patch Brewery: What a Family Farm in Maple Ridge, British Columbia Looks Like When 145 Years of Legacy Meets the Right Technology

Or learn more about GoTab Brewery POS Solutions.

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