Self-service beer taps are the latest technology to appear at the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium, just another way the Niners use technology to improve the fan experience.
Known for its cutting-edge use of all kinds of stadium technology since its opening in 2014, Levi’s Stadium also now has walk-through security scanners, which vastly improve the entry times for fans coming into the venue. And as the stadium prepares for its 10th anniversary season, it has plans to deploy checkout-free concession stands next year to further decrease the wait times.
Getting a beer in under a minute
While the historic delays in getting concessions are an unfortunate part of many fans’ sporting memories, thanks to a rash of innovation those long lines are becoming shorter and shorter as stadiums deploy some of the new methods of faster access to food and drink. According to Mike Matczak, the Niners’ senior manager for business strategy and analytics, the auto-pouring, self-service beer taps will help eliminate over pours and waste while reducing wait times for fans.
According to Matczak the 49ers began piloting Sestra Systems’ beer taps at Levi’s Stadium earlier this year. Located on the main concourse, east of Gate C, fans can select from Bud Light, Golden Road Tart Mango Cart, Golden Road Ride On Hop Hazy IPA and Golden Road Faithful Blonde using a touch screen. At the same console fans then pay for their drinks and get their beer in under a minute — timing based on a pregame demo given exclusively to Stadium Tech Report. Fans do still need to provide proof of age to a stadium staffer at the taps.
Like some other new concessions technologies, the new taps may be faster at the buying and pouring — but their popularity also means that fans may still have to wait in a line before they can use the system. During the Niners’ home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 11, Johnny Chen, 34, visiting from Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada said, “it’s easy to use but not much faster than getting a beer from a concession stand because there’s still a line.” Chen said he wished there were more self-service beer taps around the stadium, and would use the system again if he just wants beer.
Walk right in
The Niners are also making it more convenient for fans to enter the stadium with the recent deployment of CEIA Opengate weapons detectors that allow fans to enter without emptying their pockets of keys and phones. James Smith, 37, from Sacramento, Calif., who has been a season ticket holder for two years, was really impressed by the process to get into Levi’s Stadium and says since the new scanners were deployed, “I’m able to get into the stadium up to six times faster and love the convenience.”
Jin Woo is a freelance contributor for Stadium Tech Report. Previously, his work appeared in The Orange County Register, ANG Newspapers (now Bay Area Newspaper Group) and FOXSports.com. This is his first story for STR.
