Hop & Vine is a revolutionary self-pour taproom, featuring 69 automated taps on our state-of-the-art draft walls based in Stamford, CT. They offer an evolving selection of Connecticut-based craft beers, global wines, ciders, and seltzers as well as nitro coffee, kombucha and in-house, crafted mocktails. With a seasonal menu of eclectic, funky fare in a fast-casual atmosphere, Hop & Vine brings hospitality to the forefront with tech-enabled efficiency.
Meet Connecticut's First Self-Pour Taproom
Overview
Hop & Vine is a revolutionary self-pour taproom, featuring 69 automated taps on our state-of-the-art draft walls based in Stamford, CT. They offer an evolving selection of Connecticut-based craft beers, global wines, ciders, and seltzers as well as nitro coffee, kombucha and in-house, crafted mocktails. With a seasonal menu of eclectic, funky fare in a fast-casual atmosphere, Hop & Vine brings hospitality to the forefront with tech-enabled efficiency.
The Situation
As CT natives, Hop & Vine's founders were looking to showcase and highlight all of the amazing work that CT breweries are doing and give guests the ability to trial new beers at their own pace. They were so motivated to bring this new concept to life that they wrote the bill to legalize self-pour establishments in Connecticut, which passed into law in 2021. The bill mimicked the experience of going to a professional stadium for an event, essentially putting a cap on consumption. At Hop & Vine, guests are allowed to enjoy 32 ounces of beer equivalent to 10 ounces of wine before checking in with a staff member to reload their card. Just like any bar has the obligation to refuse service based on intoxication level, so does Hop & Vine.
The Solution
GoTab and PourMyBeer (PMB) technology helps Hop & Vine to automatically monitor consumption while tailoring to everyone. Craft beer connoisseurs can pick and choose from their offerings, while other consumers in the earlier, exploratory stage have a few options. They can either hit the touch screen above the tap and read a brief description of the beer, including its flavor profile and alcohol by volume percentage. Or if they prefer to hear suggestions based on what they typically enjoy, Hop & Vine’s staff members are always there to educate and provide guidance. Because guests can sample small pours of everything, there is no commitment. They call it the Tinder of expedited beer exploration.
“As technology continues to touch every aspect of our lives, people have come to expect a new level of convenience everywhere they go. Our incredible food and beverage offerings paired with the convenience of our self-service model powered by GoTab and PMB creates such a unique, sensible concept that people keep coming back to for more.” - Sakarin Seedasome, CEO
When guests walk in, they’re greeted by a staff member who hands them an official Hop & Vine RFID card connected to their credit card via GoTab. Then, guests simply grab a glass and tap the card to the designated area above the tap system of their chosen beer to pour the amount they’d like. They repeat to their liking and then cash out either with a staff member traditionally, or they can drop the card in a tip box on the way out. The whole system is designed to be quick and convenient, creating the vibe their customers look for – an easy, laid back atmosphere where guests can try any one of their 69 beers, fine wines, kombucha or other beverage offerings without having to wait around to order, re-order and pay.
Tap Room Playbook Episode 2:
When you really think about it, with everything managers need to do in a tap room, the hospitality aspect is often overlooked.
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.
.webp)
