US Beverage Net Awarded U.S. Patent for Beer Tracking Technology
The restaurant industry has faced losses due to theft and wastage of draft beer for a long time. It is estimated that close to 25 percent of all beer volume poured at restaurants and bars is lost due to bartenders giving away free pints or wastage caused by bad equipment or poor pouring techniques. Established in 2005, US Beverage Net's revolutionary technology has been helping restaurants and bars reduce these losses by monitoring every drop of draft beer poured and comparing that with what is sold at the cash register.
The patented technology includes flow meters inserted in each draft beer line and connected to a "bevBOX." The bevBOX receives data from flow meters and transmits it to US Beverage Net's secure servers via the internet using an "Autonomous Intelligent Network Interface Module" (AINIM). US Beverage Net's web-based software allows customers to login to the company's website and monitor this data in real-time.
The data collected by the US Beverage Net also provides real-time insights to beer manufacturers and distributors to help them make informed marketing decisions. While consumption data has been available in the form of scanner data from off-premise retailers such as convenience stores, grocery stores, and mass merchants, such information has been thus far unavailable for restaurants and bars. Young says his company's patented technology is aimed at bridging this information gap within the hospitality industry.
Although the patent process was completed only recently, US Beverage Net has already established a wide customer network including major national chains such as Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, and BJ's Restaurants. The company has customers in over 20 states, with strong presence in the Boston, Chicago, and New York markets. US Beverage Net charges its customers a one-time setup fee and monthly subscription fees for the contract period. The fees include installation and maintenance of equipment, customer support, and access to the company's web-based software. Although the initial application of US Beverage Net's patented technology is within the draft beer and soft drinks business, the patent has a much wider coverage. US Beverage Net's patent, along with a second patent application currently under review, covers the system of gathering and distributing data for any product using metering devices and an AINIM.