Why One Brewery Switched to a Mobile POS for Better Inventory Management and Smarter Operations

Running a successful brewery today means juggling more than just great beer. It’s about managing multiple service areas, tracking kegs, maintaining margins, and delivering a top-tier guest experience—all while staying nimble. For one multi-location brewery group, legacy systems weren’t cutting it. The solution? A flexible, mobile POS built specifically for breweries.

Outgrowing the "All-in-One" POS

Like many operators, this team started with a popular, all-in-one POS system designed for restaurants. It seemed like a safe bet at the time. But as the brewery expanded—adding more locations, larger beer gardens, and multi-vendor events—they quickly hit roadblocks.

“We needed more flexibility,” one operator shared. “Our old system was fine for food, but it wasn’t built with breweries in mind. It didn’t scale with how we actually operate.”

What stood out most was the need for real-time, brewery-specific inventory controls and the ability to move beyond the confines of traditional POS stations. Staff were stuck walking back and forth, orders got delayed, and inventory tracking was often manual and error-prone.

Going Mobile for Faster, Smarter Service

That’s when they began looking for a mobile POS for breweries—something built to handle service across large spaces, inside and out. With GoTab, they found exactly what they needed: a fully mobile platform that lets team members take orders, open tabs, and process payments from anywhere in the venue.

Whether it’s in the taproom, out on the patio, or at a pop-up event, the mobile POS gives staff the tools they need in their pocket.

“We don’t need to be tethered to a terminal anymore,” one team member said. “Our bartenders can start a tab at the bar and our runners can close it out in the beer garden. It’s seamless.”

By allowing guests to open tabs through QR codes—or with Easy Tab from a server—the brewery saw a big boost in guest satisfaction. Reorders were faster. Wait times dropped. And even with fewer staff on the floor, service quality improved.

Explore the benefits of GoTab’s mobile POS for breweries.

Inventory Management That Makes Sense for Breweries

Inventory tracking was another major pain point. The team previously used spreadsheets and hoped for the best. But reconciling inventory between the taproom, events, and distribution was nearly impossible.

With GoTab, they tapped into a system that integrates seamlessly with tools like Beer30, allowing for tight control over keg counts, ingredient tracking, and depletion insights.

“Before, we didn’t really have visibility,” they admitted. “Now we know how much beer we’re actually pouring in real time—and that’s changed everything.”

Whether it’s syncing batch data or understanding pour costs, modern brewery inventory management requires deeper integration between the POS and the brewing system itself. GoTab’s open API and brewery-focused integrations let operators stay on top of costs, reduce waste, and make smarter production decisions.

Read more about GoTab’s brewery inventory management features.

Designed for How Breweries Actually Operate

Beyond just technology, what this team appreciated was that GoTab “thinks like a brewery.” The platform supports everything from food trucks and multiple vendors to large taproom menus with rotating seasonal items.

“We serve a lot of food, host big events, and have different types of ordering happening at the same time,” they explained. “We needed something that could handle all of it—without adding complexity.”

With GoTab, they’re able to run traditional bar service, self-pour stations, and even offer QR-based ordering—all under one system. And because the POS is mobile and cloud-based, updates and menu changes happen in real-time across every location.

Real Results: Faster Service, Higher Sales

Since making the switch, the brewery reports faster table turns, increased average ticket sizes, and improved staff satisfaction. They no longer need to hire as many front-of-house team members, because guests can take control of their own experience when they choose.

Even better? The data they now have access to helps them plan more efficiently and serve smarter.

“Before, we were guessing,” they said. “Now we actually know what’s moving, where we’re making money, and how to adjust in real time.”

Breweries Need More Than a Restaurant POS

If your brewery is still running on a system designed for restaurants—or worse, patching together spreadsheets and workarounds—it might be time to explore a solution built specifically for breweries.

With GoTab’s mobile POS for breweries, you can streamline operations, simplify service, and get real-time inventory visibility without being tied down to a counter.

Because great beer deserves great tech.

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