Suburban bar owner takes his self-pour Tapville Social concept national

Four years ago, management consultant Joe Tota drew on his expertise in technology and launched the Red Arrow Tap Room in Elmhurst.

It was a place where craft beer lovers could fill their own glasses - or sample an ounce at a time - from 48 different offerings and track their tabs via an on-screen running total.

With ordering done from tables using touch-screen monitors and other innovations, technology became as much a part of the experience as the food and beverages.

The success of the self-pour, self-service restaurant prompted Tota to open a second location in downtown Naperville in 2018.

Since the debut of Red Arrow (named after the Red Arrow Highway in Michigan), Tota has refined the idea and wants to take his brew of craft beer and technology national.

The evolution continued on Oct. 2 when the rebranded Red Arrow at 216 S. Washington St. in Naperville opened as Tapville Social - the first brick-and-mortar prototype.

Twelve franchises have been sold this year, including 11 self-service kiosks that dispense beer, wine and cider by the ounce - like the one in Rosemont's Fashion Outlets of Chicago that opened in November 2019 - to open over the next five years in Florida. Company officials say interest is growing. And Tapville has raised more than $357,000 from 690 investors as part of an online campaign.

With the ban on indoor dining in the suburbs brought on by rising COVID-19 cases, Tapville in Naperville is focusing on curbside and delivery orders for now. But at other times, Tapville highlights the self-pour concept, with the opportunity to sample dozens of craft beers, wines, ciders, kombucha and cocktails at the heart of the experience. Mobile and tablet ordering also play a big part.

Customers can use a smartphone app to order, pour beer and pay for the visit without touching a tablet, credit card or paper check, the company says. And they don't have to wait to talk to a server or bartender to order food or drinks.

While similar to Red Arrow, Tapville has enhanced offerings including a revamped menu, a full cocktail menu, a local spirits and wine list and an increased number of events, such as themed trivia, Tota said.

Jacob Smith, who most recently trained chefs and managers for the Bottleneck Group, known for the Old Town Pour House and City Works Eatery brands, was hired at Tapville to prepare a new menu to be paired with craft beverages.

The classic American dishes include braised short ribs with roasted potatoes, root vegetables, portobello mushrooms, natural jus and crispy onions, as well as a cheddar meatloaf with mashed potatoes, bacon green beans and housemade gravy.

However, the pitch to investors focuses on using technology to improve the customer experience and cut costs.

“All of our data is shared among all of our locations, and the larger we grow, the more powerful our data becomes,” according to the capital campaign on StartEngine.com.

Operators, would-be franchisees are told, can use that to tailor loyalty programs to specific profiles and tweak the customer experience.

A customer who uses a loyalty card to try a different dark lager at every visit, for example, may receive an email when a new one debuts.

Red Arrow and Tapville developer Tota, a Plainfield native, in the past helped large retail food and beverage clients become more efficient through technology.

“Starting a restaurant concept was based on solving the problems of the restaurant industry using technology,” he said of opening Red Arrow.

Tota said Tapville is about spending time with family and friends without the distractions of a contemporary restaurant.

According to Tapville Franchising Inc., restaurants that are tech-forward and operate differently will have an edge as the pandemic continues.

“With the rise of craft beer, very few bars are equipped to offer cost-effective sampling experiences for beer-loving guests,” reads the pitch to potential investors.

“We believe restaurants are also one of the few industries that have severely lagged in the adoption of smart data strategies to help scale and run their businesses.”