Canadas Jack Astors Introduces Coin-Operated Beer Taps To Personalize Pours

TORONTO -- The average Canadian bar-goer carries almost $5 in change, according to informal research by Jack Astor's, a pub chain with 41 locations across Canada. So Jack Astor's imagined and brought to market a coin-operated, tabletop beer tap. Its coin-op tap, the restaurant claims, is a "first-of-its-kind innovation designed to make beer more accessible to guests, and meet rising consumer demand for immediacy and unique experiences."

Jack Astor's research also found that the average mouthful of beer costs 10¢ and that patrons begin to get impatient for beer service after about three minutes. Its coin-op tap provides instant access to beer and the experience of a self-poured pint. Self-serve taps save bartenders an average 96 minutes per shift, the pub operator reported.

"Our millennial guests are accustomed to on-demand service," said Jack Astor's national beverage director Todd Baril. "When it comes to their restaurant experiences, we're listening to our guests and proactively meeting those needs."

To operate the table tap, guests insert coins of any denomination (there are six values of Canadian coins in circulation: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2). The tap releases a corresponding amount of beer to the change entered.

The taps have been designed with responsible drinking measures in mind and do not turn on until a server checks the photo identification of guests. Beer offerings will come from local craft brewers.

"We're excited to be first to market with this coin-operated, personalized solution," Baril said. "The pint glass has been the standard pour for hundreds of years, but what if a guest just wants a dime worth of beer?"

Anticipating high demand for smaller servings, Bari said that Jack Astor's has sourced a line of smaller glassware to accommodate dime and quarter pours.

Click here to see a video showing Jack Astor's coin-op beer tap in action.