It seems more and more restaurants, bars, taprooms and brewery tasting rooms are jumping on the digital bandwagon with large format HDTV displays featuring their daily offerings. Is this the future for the industry? Will this be the death knell for the old fashioned, hand written chalkboard?

I’ve been in many taprooms and bars with poorly or sloppily written chalkboards and I’ve been to many that have gorgeous, artistic and creative boards. Many craft beer centric pubs and restaurants have a very DIY vibe with exposed beams, old relics and vintage signage and the chalkboard seems to be part of that “charm.”

A lot of places have a hip, tech type vibe with an almost industrial feel and the digital board seems to fit right in.

While the chalkboard will never really go away, there are numerous reasons why a digital display makes sense:

• Sleek
• Fits in with the existing TVs behind the bar and around the restaurant/bar/tasting room
• Crisp, easy to read fonts (when done properly)
• No more climbing up a ladder or standing on the bar to change beers
• No more chalk covered hands (and clothing)

Digital displays also open up a host of questions:

• Do I have to buy new equipment?
• Do I have to contract with an A/V company?
• Will the TVs I already have work?
• How do I update my content?
• How much is it going to cost me?
• In a world of rapidly changing technology, which solution is best for my location?

We know that every location is different and both sides have their benefits and drawbacks. Unlike an analog chalkboard, a digital solution from Evergreen combines digital menu, online menu and print menu maintenance, social media and advanced data tools all into one easy to use interface.

I’d be happy to share what we’ve learned about making the digital transition and show you some examples. For more information, drop me a line: [email protected] or check out some examples here!

Andy Coppock

Business Development // Evergreen