Whistle Taproom, located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, is the city’s premier self-pour taproom and a game-day hotspot. Perfectly positioned between Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Progressive Field, it attracts waves of fans before and after Cavs and Guardians games, offering an interactive, high-energy drinking and dining experience.
Overview
Whistle Taproom, located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, is the city’s premier self-pour taproom and a game-day hotspot. Perfectly positioned between Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Progressive Field, it attracts waves of fans before and after Cavs and Guardians games, offering an interactive, high-energy drinking and dining experience.
Purchased from a concept that was a 50-tap, beer-only concept, Whistle Taproom has expanded into a 4,000 sq. ft. venue with a full-service bar, elevated American fare, and a welcoming atmosphere for families, sports fans, and beer lovers alike. With 160 indoor seats and a patio for 30, the taproom thrives on heavy foot traffic and gameday crowds.
Situation- From Self-Pour Startup to Gameday Powerhouse
When the owners purchased what was then Whistle & Keg in 2022, the venue operated as a straightforward self-pour taproom—no food, just a rotating selection of beers on tap. Looking to expand the concept, they spent the first year and a half focused solely on drinks, rebranding as Whistle Taproom while planning a more comprehensive offering. In 2024, they introduced a small kitchen with a sandwich menu, which quickly evolved into a full-service food program as they expanded into additional space next door, doubling their footprint and capacity.
With this evolution came new operational challenges. Managing large, fast-moving game-day crowds while balancing a self-pour model, a full-service bar, and a growing food program requires a scalable, guest-friendly solution. The team needed a POS system that integrated seamlessly with their iPourIt self-pour tap wall, allowing guests to check in, pour, and pay effortlessly.
Solution-Self-Pour + Full Service = One Seamless System
To streamline operations, Whistle Taproom implemented GoTab’s POS with iPourIt integration, leveraging RFID wristbands for a frictionless self-pour experience. Guests check in, receive a wristband linked to their tab, and enjoy the freedom to order food with their wristband and pour their own drinks—eliminating long waits at the bar and ensuring a smooth, interactive experience. Every ounce is tracked in real time, making checkout effortless and eliminating manual reconciliations.
"Our self-pour wall is what sets us apart, and with GoTab, the process is completely seamless. Guests love the wristband system—it makes everything easy, fun, and efficient." — Anya Hubert, Co-Owner, Whistle Taproom
The staff loves the efficiency and speed of the GoTab system, which keeps service running smoothly even during peak game-day rushes. With one seamless process for check-in and check-out, GoTab and iPourIt work together to create a hassle-free experience for both guests and staff. From self-pour drinks to food and cocktail service, everything operates as a single, streamlined system, ensuring quick transactions, minimal delays, and an effortless guest experience.
Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.
The Situation
Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.
The Solution
Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience
Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.
“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.
The Benefits
Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.
Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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