Creating great beer nowadays is no longer enough. For breweries seeking to stand out, the path to guest loyalty isn’t just paved with hops and malt — it’s built on the full arc of hospitality, from the first click on the web to the final thank-you and payment.
The entire guest experience must be created with the same level of care that goes into brewing, be it a taproom or a full-service brewpub.
According to John Barker — CEO of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance, who spoke at the 2025 Ohio Craft Brewers Conference — breweries that rise to the top are those that understand hospitality as a comprehensive strategy, not just a front-of-house function.
“They’re taking a look at that whole experience,” Barker said to those at his seminar, ‘Mastering the Art of Brewery Hospitality’. “That total experience is what matters. Of course, the center of the plate is your product. But what’s the physical environment? What are those staff interactions? Are you better than what they can see in other places? Does your community connection matter?”
To Barker, hospitality begins long before a guest ever steps into a taproom. The customer journey starts online, with what he calls “extended touchpoints.” That includes your website, social media presence, and online reviews.
“Young people do this,” he said. “I’ve got three Millennials, and they do this before they go anywhere. They make decisions based on what they see online — unless they have a friend they trust with a recommendation.”
From the first digital impression to the moment a guest walks in the door, Barker said expectations are being set and measured. Is the menu accessible online? Can someone reserve a table? Are the beer offerings clearly described? Is there a virtual tour of the facility? Even small design details matter.
“What kind of tables do you have?” he asked. “Is it set up with booths? Is it clear what kind of experience someone should expect?”
Once a customer does arrive, the physical environment needs to immediately convey welcome and clarity.
“Is the signage clear?” Barker asked. “You’d be amazed how many places I walk into and think, ‘What are you thinking?’ No one knows where to go. Make it easy for the customer. Make it welcoming.”
He recalled dining with a business owner who became visibly agitated as guests waited to be seated without acknowledgment. “He started thumping his foot—10 seconds, 15 seconds—and after 20, he popped up and took care of it himself,” Barker said. “That’s how dialed in he was. That’s what it takes. Immediate interaction. Immediate connection.”
Staff interactions, Barker stressed, are just as critical as the beer poured into each glass. “What’s that initial welcome like? Is someone taking the guest to the table and making the ordering process easy? Is there friction?” he said. The ability to offer seamless service, especially during peak times, requires what Barker calls “nearly flawless operations.”
“I was with a group of restaurateurs just yesterday, and they talked about being flawless in their operations — flawless handoffs between the customer and people manufacturing or serving,” he said. “Nearly flawless. That sounds hard, but if you can get close to that, you’re going to be in the top 20%, even the top 10%.”
While much of the customer experience is front-facing, Barker emphasized that it can’t exist without a strong internal culture. He urged brewery owners to consider what “total reward” they offer employees and whether they’re delivering that consistently.
READ MORE: Creating a Welcoming Brewpub Atmosphere
“You know you have a great culture within those four walls if your team can deliver hospitality and a higher level of service every single day,” he said.
This culture-driven focus includes brand alignment.
“Sometimes I look at what people are doing with branding, and I scratch my head,” he said. “It’s not that hard to do great branding. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, find people who can help you. Are you kitschy? Anti-establishment? Are you trying to attract a specific type of customer? Your brand and your selling proposition should match, and match completely.”
That holistic match — between product, space, staff, and culture — makes a brewery memorable. Barker compared it to Starbucks in the 1990s when the company coined the idea of the “third place,” a welcoming space outside of home and work where people felt they belonged.
“They achieved that by creating an environment we’d never seen in the industry before,” he said. “Leather chairs, soft music, cool art on the walls. People would walk in and say, ‘This is my place.’ That’s what you want.”
In the end, Barker believes post-visit engagement is just as important as the initial welcome.
“How critical is that follow-up? Making sure people feel loved,” he said. “That’s where you build loyalty.”
Be the first to comment