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Find out how a brewery used next-gen tech to increase revenue in the taproom and beyond
From building its first location in 2011 to the launch of the iconic Arctic Warrior Ale in 2024, Matanuska Brewing Company has been searching for ways to work smarter every day.
Industry
Restaurant, brewery and live entertainment
Footprint
Restaurants, brewery and music venue with four locations across Alaska
Product
Heartland Restaurant point of sale
Results
Increased revenue, sped up transaction times, turned tables faster
Results at a glance1
50%
shorter transaction times
30%
faster table turning
100%
set up in two weeks
A growing business lost in the shuffle of paper tickets
Meet Matanuska Brewing Co. Their challenge was a common one: outdated paper-based processes were leading to slow service and a compromised customer experience.
With four locations including indoor and outdoor spaces and a large live music venue, they needed to improve transaction times across the board.
Paper tickets not only made it almost impossible to effectively serve large crowds at the music venue, they also slowed the kitchen down. This reliance on a slow paper-based system led to mistakes — meaning a less-than-stellar experience for customers and servers alike.
“We needed a system that helped us get out there and sell at any location,” Owner Matt Tomter said. “The challenge was being able to rapidly take people's orders, get them turned in and get their orders out.”
“We needed a system that helped us get out there and sell at any location,” Owner Matt Tomter said. “The challenge was being able to rapidly take people's orders, get them turned in and get their orders out.”
“Heartland’s come in and made every day work just a little bit better than we did the day before.”
Their new future: Exceeding expectations tableside, tap-side or anywhere in between
If their challenge was relatable, the solution was equally clear: bringing in Heartland Restaurant, a cloud-based, mobile POS solution built for their multi-location restaurant, brewery and entertainment company.
After adopting the technology, Tomter saw the difference immediately — and so did his guests. “We've reduced our time from the order taken at the table to the product being delivered to the table by a tremendous amount, and our guests notice it right away.”
Servers now take orders tableside and confirm details before sending anything to the kitchen. That same device can then be taken into the concert venue or brewery and handle multiple transactions at the same time. They’ve cut transaction times in half and reduced mistakes, too. Kitchens in every location use screens that are synced with mobile devices, so orders populate from FOH to BOH automatically.
Faster service isn’t the only thing leading to better customer experiences. Heartland Restaurant helps servers upsell by suggesting pairings, or even customers’ past favorites, stored within the system. Prompts to promote a Mexican lager with a serrano pepper burger, or the ability to see customers’ previous orders make it easy for every server to confidently build better relationships, bigger tickets and better tips.
“It's as guest friendly as it is user friendly. Even for our older guests. We're getting at least 15- to 20-minute faster turnover,” Lead Server Reina Graziano said. “I have seen an increase in tips because of this system.”
The results speak for themselves1
50% shorter transaction times
30% faster at turning tables
Substantial savings from not using paper
Increase in overall earnings and tips
Hands-on support every step of the way
General Manager and Events Coordinator Monica Gomez was familiar with Heartland from working for another company. When she arrived at Matanuska Brewing Co. and saw how paper-based processes slowed things down, deciding what to do next was easy.
“I knew I wanted to bring Heartland into this restaurant to be more efficient and faster with our staff, and our customers.”
In addition to the technology, the ability to receive local support was a big factor. With other providers, getting service after the sale was often a struggle. But working with Heartland offered Matanuska Brewing Company a different experience: real people behind the technology and a helping hand every step of the way.
“It's difficult in Alaska to have on-site customer support and that was really what sold us. Greg [Matanuska’s software relationship manager] was on-site through the whole implementation, from Palmer to Anchorage and everywhere in between. We've had multiple different systems over the years and never had that.” Tomter said.
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¹Matanuska Brewing Company