Many food and beverage companies often tap into relevant consumer data to help them make core decisions. Oak & Stone has taken an advanced approach to applying passive UHF RFID technology from iPourIt to the company’s first two beer self-service walls. In the past two years, the company has used RFID technology to provide self-service to its customers. At the same time, the company can collect data, including demographic data for beer and apple juice drinkers, including their age, gender and place of residence. These data are related to the drinks they choose and how much each product actually drank.
This information allows Oak & Stone to better understand its customers and what they want. Joe Seidensticker, CEO and co-owner of Oak & Stone, said the company opened a second restaurant this month with nearly 60 self-service taps and used RFID technology to provide these beers to customers.
When customers arrive at the restaurant, they can order food and drinks directly from the food server on the table. Those who want to taste craft beer or cider can do it themselves, just give the driver’s license and credit card to the bartender or other staff at the restaurant. The staff will scan the barcode on the license and the user’s credit card and then provide the customer with a wristband with a built-in RFID tag. The data is stored in the cloud-based iPourIt software.
Customers can then come to the beer wall, which has a row of nearly 60 taps. Each faucet has its own dedicated reader, and in front of it, there is a flat-panel display (called the iPourIt Taplet). The name and other information about the particular beer or cider that is connected to the tap is displayed on it.
This solution leverages the iPourIt application to enhance the customer experience. With this app, they can use the system to find the beer they bought before, so that when they come next time, they can clearly know what they want. And the restaurant can also analyze the collected data so that they can sell to customers according to their preferences.
Seidensticker explained: “It allows us to collect the demographics and knows exactly who is there, who is drinking beer and which kind he’s drinking.” “This is very important for us.”