Tap into Success: Franchising Automated Beverage Systems for Growth

As a franchisor, you always want to find ways to grow the brand. Now and then, a new technology comes along that promises higher returns, better cost controls, or just general excitement.

Automated beverage systems provide all three, and they might be the best thing you can find to help broaden your franchise’s reach.

How Automated Beverage Systems Work

This discussion begins with an overview of automated beverage systems. Most people have experienced self-pour beverages on some level. Self-pour systems for alcoholic beverages bring the same benefits and operate on similar principles.

Since alcohol is involved, regulations and cost concerns lead to a few distinctions.

At a self-pour tap, a customer can pour their drink. The system tracks how much they pour and charges them by volume. This system improves drink cost accuracy since you can charge a fraction of an ounce instead of by the glass.

Tap systems can automatically institute drink limits and adjust drinks according to volume and alcohol concentration.

The systems also streamline ID checks. Typically, customers will scan an ID or present it to a staff member. Once approved, they can access the tap using an app or an RFID chip. They scan their identifier, the tap turns on, pour drinks as they see fit, and are automatically charged.

It’s fast and straightforward, making it easy for customers to explore the available drinks on their terms.

Remember that these systems work great with beer kegs, wine casks, seltzers, spirits, and more.

Using Automation and Standardization to Expand the Franchise

With automated drink pouring in mind, how does a self-pour system translate into franchise expansion? The taps improve the bottom line at any location, but three specific aspects of these improvements excite franchisees and make it easier for you to add to your list of locations.

Brand Consistency

Beverage automation stands out as a means of building brand excitement and consistency. Self-pour taps create an interesting and often novel customer experience. They appreciate faster service and more control over their drinks. The ability to try as many drinks as they want on their terms creates a positive and fun atmosphere.

This translates directly into buzz for the brand — helping you to generate support and interest in franchise expansions and new locations. This element allows you with costs and the bottom line for franchisees and also creates demand for growth.

Overhead and Cost Controls

From an operations perspective, cost controls and reduced overhead dominate the conversation. Self-pour business solutions allow establishments to field fewer servers and bartenders while providing more overall service to customers. It lowers labor costs instantly.

The savings compound as smart tap systems can price drinks to a fraction of an ounce and charge accordingly. This eliminates over-pouring and inconsistency in drink pricing.

Combine that with automation in inventory management and keg replacement, and you get better service that costs less and improves profit margins.

You’re making it easier for franchisees to turn a higher and more reliable profit, which helps grow the franchise as a whole.

Design and Layout

Even when you have a great business model, opening new locations comes with an obvious barrier to entry: startup costs. Each franchisee has to consider the costs to get a new location off the ground.

Interestingly, self-pour taps help in this area too.

You can standardize drink lists (or at least aspects of drink lists) so that every new location uses the same self-pour tap. Each new location knows how many drinks they will serve, relative price points, and expected revenue from the system.

At the same time, since you’re standardizing the tap at each location, you know the entry cost to get the station installed. More than that, you know how much space it needs and how it fits in the floor plan and layout.

Predetermining such aspects of a significant startup investment helps control costs for new franchises. Estimates and analyses get easier and more reliable. You lower the entry barrier, which allows the franchise to seize opportunities to expand faster.

These are just a few of the most prominent points. Any time you can standardize operations, costs, and revenues for franchise locations, you improve your ability to grow.