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Self-service bars?


Beau Vine

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Went to this place in Golden, CO the other night and feel like I've seen the future:

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25 beers on tap with self-service taps.  You scan a card that's linked to your credit card, and then they charge you by the 0.1/ounce:

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Any places like this in Austin/SA?

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Went to this place in Golden, CO the other night and feel like I've seen the future:
hgg.thumb.jpg.e29b5d30c1db7e619890ce6b663ab7ee.jpg
25 beers on tap with self-service taps.  You scan a card that's linked to your credit card, and then they charge you by the 0.1/ounce:
hg_LI.thumb.jpg.805e1ca8ddcd7e0ed93209de97e7af55.jpg
 
Any places like this in Austin/SA?

There was a place in austin that opened pre pandemic. Can’t remember the name or if it survived.
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theres a network of bars across europe where there is a tap at the center of each table, which is tied to the table's bill.  the volume of beers poured each night is shown on the tv which turns it into a sort of game... if youre in bratislava table #9 you really want to beat table #3 in prague

  • Hook 'Em 1
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Wanderlust in downtown Austin does this with wine I think. 

It has the added benefit of fronting IH35 between 6th and 7th street if you enjoy hanging out with homeless people and drug dealers after a few glasses of shiraz.

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Worked with a guy in the early aughts who had moved from CO and he had been in a venture up there with a bar like this. So they’ve been around a good while but don’t seem to widely have taken hold. I would guess maybe the outlay for the tech (especially almost 20 years ago) was a significant barrier to entry but would seem simpler now.  Food and drink biz is so cut throat and thin margin though might not be a lot getting in the game willing to take that risk. 

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How do these setups deal with underage drinking? IDs at the door?
You have to get a card and show ID if you look underage. At that point it's no different than any other bar. There is staff dealing with dirty dishes etc so I assume they are keeping an eye open. The one near me is pretty small and definitely draws an older crowd. Underage drinkers would stick out like a sore thumb
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Some wine bars have been doing this for at least 10 years. I think it starts out fun and then turns into an overpriced gimmick pretty quickly.

It makes slightly more sense for beer, but if you just want to try a lot of different beers, many traditional beer-focused bars will pour you samples, half pours, or flights.

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I went to Dreamland in Dripping. Pretty gimmicky in my opinion. A few taps didn’t work, one that just spit foam, etc. 
 

Also seemed a lot more expensive than a regular draft beer. Cleanliness in times of COVID seems like it could also be an issue.

 

Just pour me a fucking beer, I don’t want to be my own damn bartender.

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I like my spot because they only serve mostly local craft beers so I get to try stuff I normally wouldn't.  The food is excellent.  Family friendly and I can walk or ride my bike as a bonus.  I can get a beer any damn time I'm ready and pour as little or as much as I want. 

Edited by midtown
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9 hours ago, fluff said:

I went to Dreamland in Dripping. Pretty gimmicky in my opinion. A few taps didn’t work, one that just spit foam, etc. 
 

Also seemed a lot more expensive than a regular draft beer. Cleanliness in times of COVID seems like it could also be an issue.

 

Just pour me a fucking beer, I don’t want to be my own damn bartender.

I didn't have the tap issues when I was there a couple of months ago.  I agree that they have some significant issues to work out with logistics, staff, atmosphere, overall attitude and pride.  But, the self-service could work in their favor if they get a good manager that can staff appropriately and keep the place humming.

I don't always like waiting on the bartender and enjoy variety.  It was a nice change of pace and I hope they can get out of their own way.

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54 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

^^ I had a fun ass afternoon doing that in New Orleans the afternoon before the sugar bowl with some random dudes shooting dice. Underrated

I learned how to shoot craps when I was a teen while working at a convenience store in Selma Alabama on Jeff Davis Avenue next to the food stamp office.

The dice we used were hand-carved by my friend who had himself just learned how to play at some old-school factory out on the edge of the swamp.

We're shooting dice behind the counter, customer walks in, says "Y'all shootin TRAPS?"

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On 7/25/2021 at 10:32 PM, Enchubben said:

Shoot the Moon in Spring Branch I believe has this in Houston.

Ha. Beat me to it. I pinged my Houston bar owning buddy as soon as I started reading this thread. He mentioned Shoot the Moon before I even finished scrolling down. 🙂

https://shootthemoontexas.com/ 

Seems like a very shitty location. 

Bernard

Edited by Bernard
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13 hours ago, midtown said:

I like my spot because they only serve mostly local craft beers so I get to try stuff I normally wouldn't.  The food is excellent.  Family friendly and I can walk or ride my bike as a bonus.  I can get a beer any damn time I'm ready and pour as little or as much as I want. 

I thought I saw you two on the way to the bar last week.  

0B226AB8-FB5F-4D51-B601-8F08F1E90342.jpeg

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I *think* there's one going in at the new development off ella/34th area in Houston soon. I vaguely recall seeing that posted on the construction spot.  (This is by the newest fat cat creamery spot)
 
 

They needed a second location that close to the other one?
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12 hours ago, midtown said:
13 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:
So there are hardly any human staff there, right? What's to stop somebody from lugging in a six-pack of froo-froo beer, and just drinking it at a table?

Because they'd notice a giant dick in the bar

No doubt.

But I still like to wargame all the possible scams. The honest people won't think of them, until the drunk people do them.

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On 7/29/2021 at 3:58 PM, royiv said:

NRG shouldn’t be an issue this season. With no one in line, it will be just like self service.

They got close during COVID. Touch-free beer man. Fans grab their own beers from the fridge; place them on a marked square on the table; scanner counts the bottles and rings up the total. Swipe your card and you’re done.

Bernard

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