How Pals Brewing Co. Grew Their Customer Base By Prioritizing Convenience
Thanks to Harvest Hosts, Pals Brewing has hosted over 750 RVers since June 2021. Read the story and see how you can become a host with Harvest Hosts.
Pals Brewing Co. graced North Platte, Nebraska as the first brewery in the area back in 2015. Now serving unique beers and mouth watering food on a 2 acre space filled with outdoor entertainment options, Pals has garnered a nationwide audience of beloved fans—or “pals”, if you will. Their successful business growth is in part thanks to tools that help staff make it as easy as possible for guests to enjoy themselves on site.
Pals’ outdoor oasis is a playground for kids and adults alike. Not only do they have plenty of picnic tables and patios where guests can enjoy goods from the taproom, but there’s a volleyball court, cornhole boards, and oftentimes live music. If only there was a place to sleep…
Thanks to a partnership with Harvest Hosts, there are! Harvest Hosts is a platform that connects over 225,000 self-contained RVers to a network of small businesses and nonprofits (the “Hosts”). Hosts offer RVers a place to park for a one-night stay on their property, and, in return, RVers patronize the business, spending an average of $50 with the location. The program is free for Hosts to join and 100% of the money spent on site goes straight to the Host. Pals is one of 400 breweries on the platform, but there are thousands of other small businesses including wineries, distilleries, and alpaca farms, too!
Since June 2021, Pals has hosted over 750 RVers. In addition to giving Pals visibility to a nationwide audience, Harvest Hosts helps Pals attract like-minded individuals to the great plains. Owner and head Brewer Paul Oettinger notes their staff “love getting to talk with the travelers and hear their travel stories.” With many guests passing through North Platte on their way to cross-country attractions, Pals finds it “heartening to hear how thankful people are for opening our property up for them to stay.”
In a business focused on community-building, Harvest Hosts has been just the ticket for Pals. But the profit-building perks don’t hurt, either. Established locations see an average additional revenue stream between $10,000-$16,000 per year from Harvest Host members.
And while their jalapeno cream ale and cheese curds are providing taste bud satisfaction for guests, Pals needed a point of sale that met service standards in their large space. With Arryved POS, servers use mobile devices that travel with them to assist guests tableside. Servers save time and steps not having to retreat to a stationary POS terminal inside, and food and drinks come quicker so guests can simply kick up their feet and enjoy. Plus, using a POS device tableside reduces the chances of any staff-made errors, and they instead get the chance to chat with guests and learn what brought them to the great plains!
This level of convenience is cost-saving and revenue-building for Pals, too. Pals encourages guests to explore their area, and luckily, Arryved tabs follow guests anywhere they go. Tabs stay open and can be added-to or closed anywhere at the brewery, meaning that any staff can assist any guest. Guests can have dinner on the patio, watch the sunset at a picnic table, and end their night on the volleyball court, all while adding to the same tab. And in a place with a smaller staff like Pals, this saves labor costs and wait time while the convenience inspires guests to build up their tab size.
Lastly, sometimes after a long day in the sun with kids, guests have to skedaddle suddenly. That’s why Pals appreciates the ability to easily merge or split tabs tableside with Arryved, too. Handling fluctuations in party size is typical for a large welcoming space like Pals, and it’s great that doing so doesn’t inconvenience guests nor staff!
“Arryved has truly been a strategic and important business partner for us,” says Oettinger. “We were the first mobile ordering restaurant in our town and everyone has tried to duplicate it because of how much the customers love it.”
If you would like to learn more about becoming a Host with Harvest Hosts, visit harvesthosts.com/hosts and fill out the contact form. Likewise, check out arryved.com for a mobile POS that fits all of your food and beverage needs.