Automated bars will be an ‘enhancement’ of concerts and sporting events: Tended Bar COO – Yahoo Finance

If you ever spent what seems like a lifetime to get a beverage at a sports or concert venue, check out whats in Denver. At Empower Field at Mile High, thirsty football fans will spend more time watching their new quarterback Russell Wilson do his thingand less time waiting in long lines for a drink.

Thats because TendedBar, an automated cocktail bar company based in Jacksonville, Fla., is adding Empower to its roster of venues.

Im here to watch a game, to see a concert, an event, thats what Im here for I dont want to stand in line and miss my favorite song, co-founder and chief executive officer Justin Honeysuckle told Yahoo Finance during a recent demonstration of the automated bar at the Broncos stadium.

While you might spend 15-minutes waiting for a single bartender at most games or concerts, TendedBar has four points of sale at one ten-foot bar.

"The speed of service is unparalleled at this point, we can serve 35 people in five minutes," Honeysuckle said.

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 27: JaQuan Hardy #41 of the Denver Broncos runs the ball in the first half of a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field At Mile High on August 27, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)

The company was launched in 2014 with an initial investment from Dallas Mavericks Owner and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban. But the companys start was rocky. It stumbled badly that year at a popular Nashville watering hole, Honkey Tonk Central.

That did not deter Honeysuckle and his co-founder and stepbrother, Jay Perkins. They crowdfunded just over $200,000 and changed their strategy. Instead of bars and restaurants, they focused on high-volume venues. They bought out Cuban and, in April of 2021, raised another $ 5 million.

A few months later, the true game changer: A deal at TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Honeysuckle said he may have COVID to thank for the recent breakthrough. Prior to the pandemic, the bar system relied on a cumbersome ID process and patrons were required to wear RFID bracelets.

COVID hit and it shut down everything, everywhere, recalled Honeysuckle. We couldnt make money, but we could innovate. We evolved tofull facial recognition where you sign up one time and you can go to any TendedBar in the country and you've verified that youre twenty-one with a credit card on file.

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Once verified the process is simple.

Dec 12, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view as F-16 fighter jets fly over before the start of the game between the Detroit Lions against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Customers grab a cup of ice, scan a selfie and choose from 10 liquors and 18 mixers. The brands, and prices, are set by the venues. In Denver, a single (1.5 oz.) cost $10.79, and a double (3 oz.), $17.69. Tips are optional; 100% go to local charities such as Boosters for Families Colorado or Nemours Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville.

TendedBar also solves another problem for venues: the labor shortage, which still plagues everything from schools to trucking firms.

Right now the industry is about 80% understaffed, Honeysuckle says. And if you think (those former workers) are coming back, I think theyve found something else to do.

Who are some of TendedBars other customers?

According to Honeysuckle, the automated bars have appeared at events at Californias Del Mar Horse Racing Track, Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 in Austin, Texas, PGA tour events including the Farmers Insurance Open and AT&T Byron Nelson, and concerts from Backstreet Boys and REO Speedwagon. More partnerships, Honeysuckle adds, will be announced soon.

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Automated bars will be an 'enhancement' of concerts and sporting events: Tended Bar COO - Yahoo Finance