Top 15 Tech Tools for a Successful Bar

Technology is essential to improving not only your customer’s bar experience, but your business’s functionality and relevance on the bar scene. But not just any technology will do. The following tools speak to the challenges bar owners face, providing helpful resources to keep you at the top of the drink-pouring game.

  1. Partender. According to Partender, 60%-80% of bars fail within the first three years due to shrinkage caused by over pouring, theft, breakage, and more. Partender’s inventory control system lets multiple bartenders keep track of inventory—in minutes—using their iPhones.
  2. DigitalPour. Still cranking out your bar menu on a chalkboard? Then you’re missing out on DigitalPour’s advanced menu display system, which includes everything from the beer name, style, and color to the type of glassware it’s served in. DigitalPour also integrates with the Revel iPad POS system.
  3. barZapp. Finally, a low-cost solution to checking IDs! The barZapp app reads barcodes to validate the authenticity of an ID, exposing the fakes while curbing underage drinking.
  4. Tastevin. This free app does everything from cloud-backed inventory management to tableside recommendations on food and alcohol pairings. With Tastevin at the ready, your servers will never have to guess which wine to recommend with the evening’s appetizers!
  5. RealWineLists, by BinWise, enables restaurateurs and bar owners to offer real-time, accurate wine and beverage lists in print, web, or on the iPad.
  6. DrinkSkool.com. Got a young mixologist-in-training, or perhaps, an experienced bartender who could use a refresher course in liqueurs or brown spirits? This website offers multiple lessons that create a map of essential skills and understanding.
  7. SceneTap, HeatTracker, LocalMind, and Assisted Serendipity. These apps help partiers more conveniently plan their nightlife, scanning their favorite hotspots in real time for deets like crowd size, gender ratio, and special events.
  8. Taplister.com. Used by craft beer lovers to find their favorites on tap, this website and accompanying app are handy for listing beer boards and automatically tweeting or posting newsworthy beer updates to Facebook and Twitter.
  9. Are you listed in the likes of barhappy.com or barzz.net? Used by locals and travelers in your area to find the perfect bar for the evening, such services may be just the thing to widen your reach.
  10. Shiftgig.com. So much of your bar’s success relies on good staffing. Shiftgig is where you’ll find thousands of experienced bartenders searching for the right gig.
  11. Coatchex. Digital solutions are quickly replacing antiquated, less-organized systems, such as manual coat checks with easy-to-lose claim tickets. Coatchex works with bars, clubs, and large events sponsored by the likes of ESPN to check coats using photographs and reference codes, reducing lines, coat theft, and headache in the process.
  12. Tequila Matchmaker. Match your patrons with their perfect tequila using this mobile app that also reveals where specific tequilas come from.
  13. Barkeep. This online or mobile app is your bar auditor and friend, comparing the amount of liquor your bar uses on a given night to the amount you should have used. Track down your problems, and save money—that’s the goal.
  14. Rockbot. No bar is complete with music. Rockbot engages your customers by letting them pick the tunes.
  15. BarMaxx. The ultimate tool in bar inventory management, BarMaxx transforms your business, streamlines operations, and boosts revenue.
  16. Last but not least, Revel Systems’ complete iPad point-of-sale system offers table service, order tracking, tip management, and inventory control necessary to keep business running quickly and efficiently. No wonder we were featured on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue to transform a struggling Vegas bar into a classy, successful establishment.

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