Every brewery talks about loyalty. Most invest in rewards programs, email campaigns, discounts, or promotions. But the strongest loyalty is created long before a guest scans a QR code.
In this session, we’ll explore how intentional hospitality turns casual visitors into loyal guests who return more often, spend more, bring people with them, and actively recommend the brewery to others.
Drawing from my experience leading hospitality teams at Avery Brewing Company, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and other craft hospitality operations, I’ll share the framework behind what I call Contagious Loyalty: the idea that genuine human connection can become one of a brewery’s most effective growth strategies.
We’ll look at the highest-impact moments in the guest journey, how to coach teams toward authentic interaction rather than scripted service, and how to build a culture where hospitality influences revenue, reputation, retention, and team engagement.
This is not a session about expensive technology or complicated loyalty programs. These are practical tools operators can begin using on their next shift, regardless of the size of their brewery, team, or marketing budget.
Attendees will leave with a clear framework for evaluating their current guest experience, identifying opportunities for greater connection, and turning hospitality into something guests feel, talk about, and come back for.
Ray Decker is the founder of Carvalicious Hospitality, a craft hospitality consulting practice built around one outcome: Contagious Loyalty. He grew up in his family’s restaurant, spent four years as a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper, and has spent his career opening and leading craft hospitality operations across Colorado and Vermont.
At Avery Brewing Co., the team he built created a hospitality culture that made Avery synonymous with exceptional guest experience in Boulder. Most recently, as Head of Hospitality at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, his work rebuilt the hospitality leadership structure and helped produce an 84% increase in loyalty-member sales in a single quarter.
Ray consults and speaks on one conviction: when guests feel a genuine connection to a place, loyalty does not have to be earned through programs. It spreads on its own.
Join us in person for CBP Connects Tampa
December 7-9, 2026
Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/
This session explores how brewery and taproom operators can build lasting customer loyalty by embedding hospitality deeply into their business model—not as an afterthought or just good service, but as a cultural mindset that shapes every guest interaction. It stresses that in today’s competitive leisure market, great beer alone won’t bring customers back repeatedly; creating a welcoming, memorable, and emotionally engaging experience around the beer is essential to driving repeat visits and advocacy.
Key Talking Points
- [01:16] Hospitality vs. Friendly Staff: Having friendly bartenders or good service doesn’t guarantee hospitality. Hospitality must be intentionally embedded into daily operations and culture so that guests feel cared for beyond transactions.
- [04:29] Emotional Connection Over Product Alone: Customers repeatedly return to places where they feel recognized, comfortable, and like they belong—not just for the quality of the beer.
- [08:08] Experience Creates Value, Value Builds Loyalty: The session introduces a clear framework: delivering a thoughtful experience creates perceived value, which in turn fosters loyalty and drives sustainable growth.
- [13:48] Hospitality Is Distinct from Service: Service is the flawless execution of tasks (pouring the beer, seating guests), while hospitality is about how guests feel during those interactions. Hospitality requires judgment, presence, and authentic care that cannot be fully scripted.
- [17:21] Contagious Loyalty Defined: This is emotional loyalty where guests are so connected to the place and people that they actively recruit others. Guests stop feeling like customers and become part of a community.
- [22:08] Empowering Staff to Create Connection: Example from Avery Brewing shows that small behaviors like saying “See you tomorrow” can invite guests to return, making them feel expected and valued as part of a community.
- [24:12] Technology Enhances but Does Not Replace Human Connection: Loyalty programs and data help track visits and spending, but only genuine human interaction creates deeper relationships and emotional belonging.
- [27:10] Curiosity as the Foundation of Hospitality: Teach staff to notice and be curious about guests’ circumstances and preferences, not just to deliver scripted greetings. This awareness fosters genuine interaction and belonging.
- [34:26] Recognize, Ask, Invite: These three behaviors create meaningful guest experiences. Recognize guests, ask questions to learn about them, and invite them back intentionally.
- [36:30] Team Responsibility for Hospitality: Hospitality is a team effort. Staff must be aware and take ownership of guest experience collectively, stepping in to support each other and solve problems proactively.
- [37:47] Experience Your Own Taproom as a Guest: Operators should visit their own taproom incognito to observe the experience without fixing anything in real time, assessing where guests hesitate or feel valued to identify gaps and opportunities.
Action Items
- [28:23] Hold a Pre-Shift Team Meeting Focused on Hospitality Goals: Spend 5 minutes before shifts discussing how to create meaningful experiences today—set intentions to notice first-timers, celebrations, or other special moments.
- [30:23] Coach Staff to Be Curious and Present: Train your team to ask open-ended questions and observe guest cues rather than relying on scripts. Encourage adapting to each guest’s needs and mood.
- [34:26] Implement a Consistent Goodbye Ritual: Develop a simple but sincere way to thank guests and invite them back (e.g., “See you tomorrow”) to make leaving feel like an ongoing connection.
- [37:47] Perform Blind Guest Walkthroughs: Regularly experience your taproom as an unannounced guest, noting points of confusion, comfort, or neglect, then use insights for practical improvements.
- [36:30] Foster Team Accountability for Guest Experience: Encourage staff to watch out for each other and guests, taking shared responsibility for seamless hospitality rather than passing off problems.
This session emphasizes that hospitality is a deliberate, holistic practice affecting all touchpoints—from arrival to goodbye—and must be ingrained culturally. Operators who focus on creating emotional connections will build loyalty that spreads organically and sustainably beyond simple transactions.