Isabelle's Portfolio

Next-Level Nightlife: Bars Implementing Digital Technology into their Service

Bar owner uses RFID technology in his innovative self-serve concept.

SITUATION: The bar industry is fiercely competitive. There are approximately 69,485 registered bars nationwide, and for an entrepreneur to differentiate their bar from competitors, they must think up new and creative ideas.

According to Peak Business Valuation, consumers aged 34 and younger are the biggest spenders on alcohol. This demographic is tech-savvy and trend-aware, with the ability to bring media attention to businesses and products through online content. Targeting this audience is crucial to establishing a new bar’s presence.

SOLUTION: In recent years, bars and nightclubs have begun using digital technology for a competitive advantage, which appeals to the younger crowd. Current technological trends in the bar industry include contactless payment, QR codes on menus, and robotics, and interest in AI is predicted to rise. 

Gary Wallach, partner at Renwick Hospitality Group, wrote in an article for Bar and Restaurant News: “Ultimately, our goal is to provide unique and unparalleled experiences. Technology is only going to help us achieve these goals faster.”

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is also becoming more prevalent in the bar industry. Radio frequency identification tags use radio waves to transmit data to a reader, which converts the radio waves into information stored in a computer or database.

EXPERT SOURCE: Benjamin Morgan is an Ohio State alum and the co-owner of Eupouria. He also owns Old North Arcade, which has been open since 2015 and has 2 locations.

Eupouria, a bar located near Ohio State University, has embraced Radio frequency identification technology with its self-serve concept. Customers can access the self-serve taps by providing their ID and credit card to a bartender, who issues each customer a radio frequency card. 

It’s a straightforward system. “Whenever you want anything to drink, you simply bump your card on the reader for the tap you want then you pour yourself as little or as much as you would like as we charge by the ounce,” Morgan wrote on the Eupouria FAQs.

CONTACT: For more information, please contact Isabelle Prebe, Media Relations Manager, Ohio State University. By phone: (740) 541-4397 or email: prebe.2@osu.edu.