Growler station: a consumption trend for bars

Not yet very common in Brazil, but already widely seen in other countries that love craft beer, growler stations allow breweries and bars to keep selling beer during this time of social isolation.
The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus is changing consumer habits worldwide, and the beer market is no exception: bars and restaurants are being hit hard and need to adapt to keep earning revenue. On the other hand, even at home, people still enjoy and look for craft beer (thank goodness!).
In this context, selling growlers so people can enjoy fresh beer at home is a great alternative for positioning yourself and continuing to sell beer in this growing consumption trend.
To help you on this journey, here is what a growler station is, how it can operate, and how you can start this movement at your venue right now.

What is a growler?

Growlers are jugs, usually made of glass or ceramic, with a capacity of 1 to 5 liters, for carrying fresh beer. They can be taken to be filled at bars, directly at breweries and at other places that serve draft beer, making them a great way to drink draft beer at home.
In addition to the convenience of having fresh draft beer at home, glass and ceramic growlers offer a sustainable at-home option, because the customer owns the growler and can refill it countless times, as long as it is properly sanitized between uses.
Another option along the same lines is the aluminum crowler. You can learn more about the difference between growlers and crowlers and how to sanitize them in this other post on our blog.
Another advantage of growlers, for breweries, is lower costs for packaging, bottles, labels and logistics of bottled craft beer.

And what are growler stations?

Growler stations are small spaces, with no on-site consumption area, for selling fresh beer. A place where consumers can stop by quickly, fill their growler with draft beer to take away and enjoy wherever they like.

Will a growler station be worthwhile for my bar?

That is a very relevant question, since a growler usually means cheaper beer than by the glass, and fresh beer. That is why the choice of suppliers can make a big difference to the business.
Another point of attention is that some breweries that previously did not sell to the end consumer are now doing so, and this can take some market away from bars that want to work with growlers, or force them to work with tighter margins.
To get around these situations, you can explore some type of exclusivity with your supplier for a specific region, or work as a distributor for that brewery. By joining forces, the pie gets bigger and everyone can win a bigger slice.
Another option is to work with beers that are not easily distributed in your region and bring new options to your customers.
Last but not least, this model will not compete with your bar. On the contrary: a growler station usually operates during the day, during business hours.

How do I adapt my bar to be a growler station?

A growler station can be set up within your current business, using all the existing structure for both draft beer service and food.
Another option is to use a smaller space that was sitting vacant and, in parallel, set up a station with a super lean structure that works different hours from your venue. Imagine a bar with a decent parking lot. A growler station in a container or Kombi van format can be set up in that parking lot to operate during the day, making it easy for consumers to stop by in the middle of their routine.

Growler station operating models during quarantine

One of the models adopted is delivery. With it, you will need to start with non-returnable growlers, since you will have no contact with the customer: they order and pay through apps and you deliver to their home. So have a PET growler option: it will help you make a first sale and show how great it is to drink craft beer at home.
Once the customer buys and likes it, offer inexpensive reusable glass or ceramic growlers. Think about a reverse logistics model for growlers and give a discount to those who adopt it.
Little by little you can create a growler subscription model along the lines of the old milkman who swapped the empty bottle for a full one. To take part, the customer will need at least 2 returnable growlers. Then, every week, your delivery rider can run a route delivering a full growler and picking up an empty one for the following week's delivery. And that would be only level 1 of your subscription club.
The most important tip here is to take care of growler sanitization as soon as they arrive, before storing them at your bar.
Another model, take away is like a draft beer drive-thru: the customer comes to the growler station to have their growler filled. This is a great option for bars that carry a variety of beers and thereby create a differentiator for the customer, who can try new options with each visit.
Once again, pay attention to hygiene and prevention against the new coronavirus: have hand sanitizer available at the entrance for customers and don't skip masks. After each customer goes through your take away, reinforce the cleaning of the taps and counter with hand sanitizer.

Checklist for starting a growler station

Our guess is that the growler is on the rise and this consumption model is here to stay. Ready to start this new business model at your bar? Then check the list below and don't skip any step!

1. Think about your space and plan the best model to start with;
2. Create a strategy to negotiate with your beer suppliers;
3. Bring something new to your region and work with fresh beer;
4. Have disposable growler options to win new customers, but encourage the reusable growler. That way you reduce the cost of PET stock and the environmental impact of disposable bottles;
5. Promote your new way of serving to your customers: use social media, WhatsApp and PUBtv, so your customers have the tap list for the day's draft beers at hand at any time, 100% up to date and effortless;
6. Consider offering a discount to the first customers who sign up;
7. Create a subscription model that works for you and build customer loyalty;
8. In the take away model, adopt prevention measures against the new coronavirus;
9. Take care with the sanitization of returnable growlers.