On Tap at Pour 54

By Main Street Square

Brian Dadah has been in the Food and Beverage Industry in Rapid City since 1992, but his family has been serving the community since 1987.

Trends in the industry have changed several times in the 28 years Dadah has been in the industry and most recentlythe COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants and bars to change how they handle customer interaction. But Dadah and his family had an idea of changing the game in Rapid City years before the pandemic.

In 2014, Dadah realized Pauly's Pizzeria & Sub Co. was growing fast and the customer experience was being lost. “We were so busy one day that we pulled the bartender on duty off the bar to help in the kitchen because we were struggling to keep up. That created another problem as now we had patrons sitting at tables and couldn’t get a beer, so I started doing research on how to fix our issue,” stated Brian. His research took him to First Draft in Denver, Colorado. “I literally drove six hours, poured half a beer, watched the vibe in the room and drove back to Rapid City, I knew we had to bringthis idea to Rapid City.”

The Dadahs brought the new idea and technology to Pauly’s which helped the business, but there was so much more opportunity than Pauly’s could handle. “We ran into hurdles with change. We already had staff and processes and our customers were conditioned to how we had always done things. This idea needed a whole new identity,” stated Brian. From that moment the idea of Pour 54 and a downtown taphouse began to gain momentum.

Opening a new taphouse/restaurant during a pandemic seemed risky; however, the idea that Brian and his daughter Hope had been working on for years fit the demand of what was the new normal. “We had spent the past two years using the IPourIt system at Pauly’s, but the idea of indirect serving was what people wanted. And we were prepared to give it to Rapid City and the visitors at the right time,” said Hope. “Our guests now have the freedom to order food when they want and try as many beers as they want — without waiting,” added Hope.

Pour 54 is unique because it brings all South Dakota beers that are distributed within the region under one roof. “The entire idea of the taphouse was to feature South Dakota breweries but with the growth of craft beer in the region, we were able to expand our selection. We understand that Rapid City has a large tourism base, and we can give them 54 options most of which are from this area,” mentioned Hope. What makes the IPourIt system so unique is that each tap line is connected to a computer and it can gauge exactly how much of any beer is poured and at what time. This idea allows the owners to make business decisions based on analytics.

“We can now make decisions based on what the customer wants. They have the freedom to choose what they want to drink which helps us ensure we have it available. It also helps the regional brewers. It's what we wanted Pour 54 to be from the beginning,” added Brian.

The TV wall displays various programs in the upstairs of Pour 54.

POUR SOME MORE:

Pauly’s got its name from the original owner Paul who is Brian’s Dad. Brian’s brother is also named Paul.

The renovation of the 100-year-old building unearthed an original mural for Owl Cigars from the early 1900’s which is located upstairs in the remodeled space. There are only a handful of these signs remaining in the U.S.

Any of the 54 taps are poured using an RFID wristband. Simply hold the wristband to the pad above the tap and pour as much as you would like.

Each table in the restaurant has a unique QR code on it and a customer can scan the code to read the menu and order from their phone.

“The biggest misconception of indirect serving is that we don’t have to hire staff — that is incorrect. Staff is available to answer any questions about the beer wall or any beers on tap,” stated Hope Dadah.