Most people go to bars to be served, not to serve themselves.
But one bar in Philly is trying out the self-serve style, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Tir na Nog – an Irish pub in the Phoenix building – has the first self-service, two-tap beer bar in the city. It’s kind of like self-service soda machines without the free refills. You don’t just get to pay for the glass and get as much beer as you want. Each time you fill your pint glass, you’re charged $6.50, just like buying it from the bar.
A perk for the customers is that there’s no one to tip if they’re serving themselves, but that’s a downside for the bar. However, waitresses say they haven’t seen a dip in tips because customers tend to order food with their beer and tip on the whole bill.
The Draft Master -- as its Irish manufacturer Ellickson International calls it -- seats six to eight people and cost Tir na Nog $10,000. One tap serves Guinness, the other Carlsberg.
$10,000 may seem a little pricy, but a sales representative for the Draft Master says it will pay for itself in six months if the self-service bar sells only two kegs a week, reports the Inquirer.
The Master also has a digital readout so both staff and customers know exactly how much is going into the glass.
“I’d prefer a professional pourer, but it might not be as much fun,” Local beer expert Don Russell (a.k.a Joe Sixpack) told the Inky.
Check it out for yourself. Tir na Nog is located at 16th and Arch in the Phoenix building.
Before you go -- practice pouring your pint here.
