New Solutions for a Long Standing

THE ISSUE: Safe fryer oil disposal.

THE SOLUTION: The Shortening Shuttles® allow you to safely and easily pump out the hot oil into the dumpster.

THE ISSUE: Limited space for necessary equipment.

THE SOLUTION: Small footprint of Shortening Shuttles®

Generous capacity ranging from 5.5 to 12.5 gallons.

THE ISSUE : Quality. There is so much junk out there folks are reluctant to buy ‘more junk.’ mini golf designed by local artists, and a stage that hosts live music, karaoke and comedy nights, plus drag and burlesque shows. Concession stand-style stalls serve artisan pizza—like The Venetian Boot with marinara, Italian sausage, salami cremini mushroom, onion, mozzarella, and rosemary—as well as sandwiches, Bahn Mi nachos, salads, ice cream treats, and classic snacks well, we have wristbands and check that,” McDonough says. Customers are capped at 32 ounces, but can come back to the attendant to reissue more ounces to pour if they don’t appear intoxicated. Plus, all IDs are checked at the door when people pay, and wristbands make it clear who is over 21 and who isn’t.

THE SOLUTION: 30+ experienced industry provider of PROVEN quality equipment.

The shift to off-premises for ‘ready to eat’ food isn’t going away—comfort food is here to stay.

Rob Clapp, co-founder and CFO of Can Can Wonderland, was originally pour wall and cooler into a shipping container, then commissioned two local artists to paint graffiti murals on three sides to give it a cool aesthetic that fit the vibe of the eatertainment place. and sides like pretzels and fries.

“The opportunities are literally endless to showcase art in the space. The weirder, the more exotic, it doesn’t matter because we’re not held within a box, and that’s the coolest spot to be in,” adds McDonough.

Just eight miles east of Can Can Wonderland in Minneapolis is First Draft + Burnt Chicken, another self-pour, payby-the-ounce establishment featuring 54 taps of beer, wine, cider, cocktails, and kombucha. Established in 2018, First Draft is owned by Andrew Valen, who, similar to Can Can Wonderland, also likes to source drinks locally from Minnesotan brewers and distilleries, and recently set up a full-serve bar. “I think people like self-pour and I think there’s a niche for it, but I also believe that there’s a desire for that more traditional bar offering,” Valen says.

With the whimsical atmosphere at Can Can Wonderland, seltzers and ciders are popular choices at the self-serve wall, says Sarah McDonough, general manager, whose personal favorite is a locally-brewed sour called Super Squishy by Oliphant Brewing, which comes in blackberry, raspberry, or coconut. “It’s just like the State Fair—people want to try the mini donut one, or we have a cotton candy seltzer we make at Saint Paul Brewing that flies out the door,” she adds.

On the flip side, being a familyfriendly establishment versus a typical bar setting that only allows people over 21 means special safeguards must be put in place for a self-pour wall.

“The biggest thing is to make sure you have that attendant at all times and systems in place so no one is overserved. Because we’re kid-friendly as inspired to look into implementing a self-serve beer wall when lines were causing a 10- to 15-minute wait for people to get a beer, which started having a negative impact on reviews. “We currently use the PourMyBeer system, and so far they’ve been great for us. It’s all about being able to have those 36 taps to take a lot of pressure off that main bar,” he says.

Educating consumers on how to correctly and efficiently pour drinks is a key area attendants should be trained in. “In the beginning, we definitely had a situation where a lot of people were unfamiliar, and they were pouring foam-heavy beers,” Clapp recalls. “Have good people running it to make sure you get a quality output for your guest. Otherwise, you will get a lot of bad pours and people will think they’re getting ripped off.”

Can Can Wonderland built the self-

“When it comes to service at a selfpour taproom, of course our labor is a little less, but not to the degree people thought, especially when we first opened,” he continues. “We got some serious criticism right away that we were trying to eliminate the service industry, which is far from the truth. Part of the reason we’re adding a bar is to have people that are engaging people at the taps to talk about what they may like, and what might pair well with food.”

Valen seeks to differentiate First Draft by emphasizing it’s not just a beer wall. One of the most popular taps is a Moscow Mule, he notes, and other top sellers include seltzers, ciders, and even non-alcoholic choices. “Let’s give people the ability to visit a hub for local craft beer, but let’s be more than that and not limit ourselves to the beer place, since not everyone likes just that,” Valen says.

“Margins are very difficult and slim in the restaurant industry, so if we can just cut a little bit and save some money in a few different areas, it makes the viability of the restaurant much stronger,” Valen adds.