OVERVIEW
Meeting a Surge in Online Demand
When quarantines required the suspension of indoor dining, Stone’s “Fans” went from shopping on their website, to buying. And because Stone has such high brand loyalty, Stone was among those trusted brands that experienced a surge in demand. To meet the surge in demand, Stone moved 100 percent of their take-out and delivery orders through GoTab almost overnight.Once states and municipalities gradually reopened first outdoor and later limited indoor dining, Stone moved all on-venue dining through GoTab as well.
THE SITUATION
Before the pandemic, Stone had some common challenges shared by large-scale brewery operators. Their venues are generally a very large format. For example one of their Escondido venues has over 70,000 square feet and 700 seats. That’s why they engaged GoTab in late 2019. The core problem was how to cost-effectively staff such large spaces.
THE SOLUTION
A New Model with New Steps to Service
Stone Brewing has come a long way since opening in 1996. The brewery has grown from a small microbrewery into one of the largest craft breweries in the United States, employing more than 1,100 amazing people. Their goal has always been to brew outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, and the art of brewing. Stone first engaged with GoTab in 2019 to help utilize their space better. But when the pandemic hit and indoor dining was suspended they saw a huge surge in online ordering and moved 100% of their take-out and delivery
“When you’re going to 100% digital ordering on premise, you not only made it better for the customer, that now does not have to get up and wait and wonder if they can get a server, they can. So you get more incremental revenue, they get a better experience, and in the process you’re changing your labor model. You’re getting better throughput.”— Gregg Frazer, VP of Hospitality
orders through GoTab almost overnight. Once states and municipalities gradually reopened first outdoor and later limited indoor dining, Stone moved all on-venue dining through GoTab as well.While it was a fast rollout, Stone made important changes to their front-of-house operations to ensure success but still keep hospitality top of mind. This included staff training on GoTab technology so they can assist the guests, touching tables more frequently, using the “concierge” text feature to communicate with guests, and never forgetting to thank guests with a great farewell. The move to complete contactless ordering and payment has been overwhelmingly positive for Stone and their fans.