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Hey GoTabbers,
Eatertainment isn’t a trend anymore. It’s an operating category and it’s growing fast. From pickleball clubs to bowling alleys to axe-throwing bars (!), venues blending activity and hospitality are rewriting how guests think about going out.
We’re seeing a trend across the country: the most successful eatertainment operators aren’t just great at activities. They’re great at running a business. Courts, bays, and lanes generate the traffic. A smart food and beverage operation and the right technology stack keep guests engaged and spending.
This issue is built for operators running venues where guests do more than just eat and drink. We’re diving into how Hot Shots Pickleball Club in Canton, Ohio, built a food and beverage operation that scales with their courts. We also want to spotlight two things helping our eatertainment operators win right now: a best practices rundown for designing multi-zone service models, and a closer look at DAVO, the sales tax automation integration that takes one more thing off your plate.
Whether you’re running courts, bays, lanes, or a hybrid of all three, we want to hear what’s working for you and what’s not. That’s how we build what’s next, together.
Cheers!
Patricia Mejia, CMO
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Hot Shots Pickleball Club in Canton, Ohio, didn’t set out to build just another pickleball facility. They built a destination. One where courts, food and beverage, and community all work together.
From the start, the ownership team at Hot Shots treated F&B not as an afterthought but as part of the infrastructure, right alongside their courts and programming. They chose GoTab as their point-of-sale platform specifically because it was built for venues where guests move. From court, to bar, to the next match with no stopping to settle a check.
With GoTab, Hot Shots guests can reserve a court, grab a drink from the self-pour wall, order food from the kitchen, and pay all through one seamless system. Orders flow directly to the kitchen display, service is fast and accurate, and operators get real-time visibility into what’s selling and what’s not. The result: higher per-capita spend, faster turns at the bar, and a guest experience that keeps people coming back.
For eatertainment venues, the lesson is clear. Food and beverage is not a side act. It’s a revenue engine. The right POS makes it run.
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Running a multi-activity venue means managing multiple service models under one roof and sometimes all at once.
Here’s what operators doing it well have in common.
Define your zones first. Courts, the bar, private event rooms, and concession areas should each have a clear service model before you staff them. Don’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
Use order batching to manage kitchen load. When a group books a court or lane, prompt ordering at check-in. This spreads kitchen demand and gets food out faster when guests actually want it.
Collect event deposits at booking. Private events drive real revenue, but they’re also operationally complex. Capturing a deposit upfront funds prep costs and makes end-of-night reconciliation cleaner.
Layer RFID and QR to match your guest types. RFID wristbands work well for venues where guests move constantly. QR codes at tables or bays are ideal for guests who’ve settled in. The best venues deploy both.
Think about tab structure by activity, not just by party. Splitting tabs by lane, court, or player is increasingly expected in group settings. A POS that handles this without manual intervention saves your staff time and your guests frustration.
The venues doing this well don’t just improvise these decisions as they grow. They design their service model intentionally — aligning technology, staffing, and guest flow from the start.
If you’re evaluating how to structure service across courts, bays, bars, and event spaces, we’ve put together a practical resource to help.
Download the GoTab Hybrid Service Model Implementation Guide to see how leading venues are designing hybrid service environments that keep guests engaged, kitchens balanced, and staff focused on hospitality.
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The team continuously works to improve the integrations you rely on today and adding new partners based on what we hear from customers.
Here are a few of our newest integrations customers are using right now:
Live Tap Lists - elevates your taproom's menu experience with digital, print and QR menus.
GoZone WiFi - creates a powerful, integrated solution that enhances guest engagement, drives revenue, and builds loyalty.
DAVO - automates every step of the sales tax process, from collecting to filing to paying.
Napa Technology - delivers innovative beverage dispensing solutions with the WineStation® and TapStation™, empowering hospitality-driven businesses to elevate guest experiences, reduce waste, and maximize profitability.
If you’re curious about any of these or if there’s an integration you wish existed, let us know. Your feedback is what shapes what we build next.
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Sales tax compliance isn’t the most exciting part of running a venue, but getting it wrong is expensive and fixing it is a time sink. DAVO connects directly to your GoTab account and uses your GoTab sales data to set aside the exact amount of sales tax you collect each day, moving those funds into a secure, dedicated tax holding account so they’re always ready when it’s time to pay.
When your sales tax is due, DAVO automatically files your return with the state and pays the amount owed from that account, with on‑time and in‑full filing and payment guaranteed, subject to conditions and limitations.
For eatertainment venues juggling courts, events, bars, and food, DAVO reduces risk across multiple revenue streams while giving operators valuable time back.
The DAVO + GoTab integration is available directly through your GoTab account or via the app marketplace. New users get their first monthly filing free.
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Getting set up with the right hardware shouldn’t slow you down or strain your cash flow.
Our new Hardware Leasing Program makes it easier than ever to launch or upgrade your operation with:
✔ No upfront costs
✔ Always-on, latest-generation hardware
✔ Predictable monthly pricing
✔ Full support and replacements
It’s the fastest way to get a modern, reliable POS setup without the capital expense.
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"GoTab has been an awesome POS choice for us. This is by far the most customer intuitive, easy platform we found. They also listen to their operators. Very forward thinking company, always coming out with the latest and greatest POS related items to make my life as an operator and the customer’s life as easy and intuitive as possible. We are an entertainment facility with bowling, self-serve beer wall, full menu etc. They have been AWESOME." — Jon Dow, Owner, Twisted Pin
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