How To Choose the Right Self-Pour System for Your Venue Type
Why More Venues Are Turning to Self-Pour
Self-pour infrastructure is gaining popularity because it addresses these common operator challenges. Letting guests pour their own drinks speeds up service and dramatically cuts wait times, increasing throughput. With PourMyBev, customers pour an average of 40 ounces per visit.
It also reduces dependence on labor, making venues more resilient in the face of labor shortages. Redeploy your team to higher-value work, such as enhancing customer satisfaction through craft cocktail mixing and customer engagement, while the drinks pour themselves.
With zero wait time for service, freedom to sample your entire range of drinks on tap at the touch of a button, and the autonomy to control drink size and price, self-service reduces friction for guests and helps your venue keep up with demand.
Self-pour infrastructure frees up your team to focus on providing impeccable hospitality while your business thrives with increased beverage sales per hour and happy customers.
The result? A more efficient system that cuts waste, increases profits, and delivers a “wow” customer experience.
How Today’s Self-Pour Tech Works
The self-pour process is straightforward for guests and staff.
Guests check in at the register by linking their credit card to an RFID reader, QR card, or wristband. They’ll then be directed to the intelligent tap wall system that displays all drink options and details for each.
When they’ve chosen a drink, they’ll swipe their card or wristband on the tap wall’s touchscreen interface and pour as much as they want. The draft system’s flow meters track pours by ounce and integrate with the venue’s POS systems to charge the guest automatically.
Venues will have comprehensive data at their fingertips through on-premises and web-based back-end reporting, allowing businesses to track inventory, monitor performance, and optimize operations for customer behavior.
With 540 customers and 12,000 taps in service worldwide, PourMyBev is the largest self-pour provider on the market and offers the most POS and hospitality system integrations in the self-pour industry.
Choosing Between Tap Walls, Stations, and Mobile Tap Trailers
PourMyBev offers several self-pour systems, each with multiple taps to offer your guests a variety of drink options.
Choose the format that fits your venue best:
| System Type | Ideal For | Key Benefits | Operational Considerations |
| Tap walls | Bars, breweries, golf simulators, food halls | Highest throughput, creates a signature experience where guests gather | Adaptable to fit any venue with one–four taps per screen |
| Self-pour stations | Hotels, coworking, pool decks, amenity spaces | Flexible, small footprint, fits into existing spaces | Available in two, four, six, and eight taps, adaptable for events and venues |
| Mobile tap trailers | Outdoor activations and events | Professional-grade, expands revenue streams, bring self-pour technology anywhere you need it | Five screens and 10 taps for outdoor and mobile use |
Key Factors To Evaluate Before Selecting a System
To select the ideal system for your business’s needs, consider your beverage program and tap count needs. How central is your beverage menu to your business’s offerings? A brewery will likely need a full tap wall to display its many house beers, while a coworking facility will thrive with a small self-pour station offering just a few selections.
Once you have a contender, assess how that system fits into the space you have and how guests will move through the experience, from check-in to pour. Tap walls require wall space and construction to install keg storage.
You’ll also need to ensure that self-pour systems comply with your region’s alcohol regulations and ADA requirements. PourMyBev’s self-pour stations use ID verification software, tracking systems, under-21 non-alcoholic beverage cards, and pour limits to ensure responsible service.
Consider how long-term cost savings will cover upfront costs through lower labor costs, minimized waste, and higher beverage sales. On average, 80% of operators reach break-even within 1 year of installation.
Finally, plan for how the system will fit into your current staffing and operations workflow. PourMyBev’s self-pour technology frees up your staff to delight customers with a higher level of hospitality and more time to perfect premium craft drink menu items.
Best Self-Pour Setups by Venue Type
Bars, Taprooms, and Food Halls
High-turnover environments that offer a wide range of beverages, such as bars, taprooms, and food halls, benefit from tap walls due to their extensive selection. Stations are another great option for reducing bar bottlenecks during peak hours.
Breweries, Wineries, and Roasteries
Where curated beverages are the main attraction, such as in breweries, wineries, and roasteries, self-pour tap rooms and stations are perfect for providing guests with an exploratory sampling experience of anything from craft beers to local wines. Staff are free to provide education and tours of the grounds.
Pickleball and Eatertainment Venues
Durable self-pour stations are the perfect option for activity-oriented venues that receive high-volume surges, such as pickleball clubs and eatertainment venues. Stations located in visible areas, such as near courts or game areas, provide quick, convenient beverage stops for guests between games.
Hotels and Resorts
At hotels and resorts, stations are ideal in lobbies and pool areas. Full tap walls, meanwhile, can gracefully display your bar or lounge menu offerings. Install a mobile tap trailer for outdoor events and seasonal activations to keep guests hydrated and happy.
Golf and Country Clubs
Strategic placement is key for country club self-pour technology. Consider spots near the turn, at the pro shop, at the clubhouse bar, or in golf simulator bays.
The considerations here are similar to those of other sports-related venues — guests don’t want to leave their game to wait at the bar, so self-pour stations are ideal.
Residential Buildings and Communities
Self-pour stations and small tap walls are a welcome addition to amenity lounges, rooftop decks, and pool areas in residential buildings and communities. Their ease of use and minimal supervision give residents the autonomy and premium experience they crave, serving as a great property differentiator.
Installation, Maintenance, and Staff Readiness
One of our guiding internal benchmarks is to design a system simple enough that a 6-year-old could install it. As long as your venue has enough power, water access, drainage, ventilation, and a reliable internet connection, installation will be straightforward. Expect a job site assessment of two to three hours, while each tap takes an average of 40 minutes to install.
Full system training is provided on-site at installation, and ongoing assistance is available post-install. PourMyBev offers hands-on support seven days a week, maintenance plans, and real-time troubleshooting, ensuring minimal disruption to your venue’s operations.
PourMyBev continually improves the system with regularly scheduled updates and new features. The system’s superior beverage flow control features AC-powered valves that allow them to be mounted in the cooler where they’re accessible for maintenance, even for long draw systems.
Educate your team on proper maintenance, including daily cleaning, keg changes, waste prevention, and system checks. Staff will also need to be trained in ID verification protocols and guest onboarding.
Choose the Right Self-Pour System for Your Business
With more than 100 five-star Google reviews and over 500 happy customers, PourMyBev is an industry leader. We’ve never been replaced by a competitor, while 30 operators have switched to us from other systems.
Whether you run a poolside bar, craft coffee roastery, or a self-pour brewery with beer walls, PourMyBev has the perfect self-pour system for you.
Ready to maximize revenue and enchant customers while doing it? Find the right tap wall for your venue today.