Taybarns tries out alcohol vending
Whitbread is trialling an alcohol vending machine at its Gateshead branch of Taybarns, the all-you-can-eat brand.
The machine is Tay-barns branded and supplied by Bunzil. It offers bottles of Budweiser, Becks, WKD Blue, Strongbow, mini Jacobs Creek Semillon Chardonnay and Shiraz Rosé and cans of Smirnoff and cranberry and Gordon's gin and tonic.
Beers, cider and WKD cost £2.50 and wines and spirits are £3.50. Glasses are positioned next to the vending machine for customers to help themselves.
Maximising drinks sales has been a challenge at "ultimate eatery" concept Tay-barns, with floor managers tasked with clearing plates and taking drinks orders. The average spend per head on drinks is £2 and the vending machine is one of several ideas Whitbread is looking at to make drinks ordering slicker for customers.
The machine is the brainchild of Whitbread's operations business development director Simon Ewins, who was inspired by the idea at JFK airport when he saw people buying ipods from a vending machine.
A second bar has also been put into the Barnsley site to help increase drinks sales.
Soft drink sales are big business at Taybarns, accounting for 68% of drinks sales. Of total drink sales, 94% are bottomless soft drinks such as Pepsi, R Whites Lemonade and Tango. Customers can refill their glasses as many times are they like for £1.99.
In keeping with the valuepriced food, drinks prices are also keen, with Fruit Shoots at 99p; J2O at £1.60 a bottle; WKD Blue at £2.75; bottles of Carling Extra Cold at £2.45; and Bulmers Original and Bulmers Pear at £3.25 a pint.
