Giant Step Forward for Bartech
“Necessity is the mother of invention” is an ancient proverb that traces its roots back to Aesop’s Fables in the 6th century BCE. Virtually every innovation we know today has resulted from the need to solve a problem.
In the point-of-sale arena however, changes have come incrementally over the decades since James Ritty patented his “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier Machine” in 1879. Ritty owned a bar in Dayton, Ohio, and had a problem with his bartenders skimming cash. He developed his “cashier machine” to register each transaction and provide a sales total which proved a significant disruption to his staff’s income. Later under different ownership, a cash drawer and bell were added, and the Cashier Machine became the Cash Register. Thomas Patterson bought the enterprise and rebranded the company as NCR-National Cash Register. Since then, new hardware improvements, security mandates, and credit card acceptance primarily drove the industry momentum albeit glacially throughout the decades.
Most recently though, there have been significant POS advances brought about by retail and restaurant labor shortages and higher labor costs caused by the life-altering covid pandemic. One company, Tended Bar, has leveraged new automated technologies to create an entirely new business model for automated alcoholic drink dispensing. Their patented self-serve beverage dispensing system combines age verification, facial recognition, electronic payment, and a configurable touchscreen drink menu offering a variety of beers, wines, and mixed drinks.
There is a simple one-time startup process for customers that requires a 2 minute, four-step registration process that provides a lifetime of access at that venue.
- Agree to terms and conditions
- Take a selfie
- Upload a government ID
- Present credit card
Each time customers return for refills or alternate selections; Tended Bar will recognize their face and provide service promptly. Operators can also set a limit on the number of refills allowed assuring responsible customer behavior.
Tended Bar offers several form factors predicated on the venue’s volume requirements. They offer a self-contained, mobile unit for concert/sporting/conference events indoors or out, built-in units for arenas/stadium concessions, cruise ships, casinos, restaurants and hotels, and backroom versions for service bars.
The Tended Bar beverage dispensing system is the result of 10 years of development and benefits from the effective confluence of new ID verification technologies. The system is currently deployed at stadiums and arenas throughout North America. It is also used at golf tournaments, conferences, and concert venues. Look for them soon in business hotels to provide relief to thirsty travelers and a welcome new revenue stream for owners. James Ritty must be smiling from above!
For more information visit tendedbar.com
Thomas McCole
Payment Technology Veteran
Tom@mmtmagonline.com
