The restaurant industry stands at the forefront of business innovation, continually adapting to shifting consumer preferences. As diners increasingly seek unique experiences, restaurant venues are compelled to evolve at breakneck speeds. This dynamic landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for restaurateurs, who have to not only keep pace with changing tastes but also anticipate future trends.

Cranker’s Brewery in Big Rapids, Michigan found their business plateauing, and their customers yearning for more than live music and happy hours. With crowds dwindling and kegs collecting dust, owner Jim Crank started reimagining his brewery’s use of space and saw a world of opportunity in Uneekor’s commercial golf simulators.

Reinventing the Space

“The brewery industry isn’t what it used to be,” said Jim. “People used to come to breweries just to check them out. But now, there’s always something new popping up, whether it be new wineries or distilleries. You really have to think about how to draw people in.

2023 was a historically bad year for independent craft brewers in the U.S. Overall beer production declined rather than grew for the first time (other than 2020), and business closures are listed as “385+.” This exceeds the number of breweries that closed in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With these ominous stats in mind, brewery owners are constantly on the lookout for ways to stand out in the fiercely competitive landscape. They need not only a way to engage with their customers on a memorable level to keep them coming back but also to entice newbies into checking out their offerings.

Jim had a keen eye on industry trends and took bold measures to create an interactive experience for current and potential patrons.

Identifying the Need to Adapt

“We looked at what’s going on in the industry and gaming is one of the biggest things that's going on right now,” said Jim. “This is why we felt confident taking out the stage to put the golf simulators in. We like our golf around here; I’d say you can play golf out here 6-7 months out of the year. That means you can’t play golf five months out of the year, which is where the simulators come in.”

“With the help of Uneekor, we could make our space just right. The simulators are an effective way to drive new business, create the atmosphere we’re looking for in a pub setting, and provide entertainment for our guests.”

Uneekor’s team of experts went to great lengths to get every detail perfect, right down to the textures and the turf.

“Trying to decide his pivot in business and what he was looking to do to enhance the image of the brewery to take the restaurant to the next level was important to us,” said Aaron Waltz, Uneekor Sales. “We started examining the space and doing an analysis of what we could do with it. We removed the stage, noted the amount of seating, and came up with a ‘sweet spot’ to add a new level of engagement without taking away from the overall restaurant itself.”

The Perfect Fit

When investing in a commercial golf simulator, the little details make a world of difference.

“From a design standpoint, I asked Jim to talk to me about his dream and what he wanted the space to look like,” said Aaron. “He has this awesome, eclectic space with lots of natural wood. We thought, ‘How could we create a custom simulator that looks like it was part of this business?’”

“The easy thing to do would be to put in a golf simulator with black walls and black ceiling and call it a day,” continued Aaron. “But we went much further than that. We had the opportunity to use over 125 different materials to color match to complement the ambiance. We used black putting turf to tie in the darker aspects of the room, and the green hitting area easily defines itself so the golfer can always hit in a safe spot.”

Jim also wanted golfers of every skill level and style to feel comfortable using the simulators.

“I'm not a tech guy and was worried about having a hard time working the sims. But they’re very user-friendly, people can play on them with no trouble at all,” said Jim. “We put the EYE XO2 to the right so that the left-handed hitter could be to the farthest right they can be. That way, the golfers don't collide with each other.”

“When looking at restaurant spaces and new ways to engage customers, golf simulators are a great opportunity,” finished Aaron. “People want that level of interaction, so giving them something new they can be a part of is incredible.”

Driving Growth Through Community

Creating a warm, welcoming place for golfers and families to share their passion for golf (or just hit some balls!) helped transform Crankers into more than just a brewery; it’s an entire community.

“I saw a dad with his two young boys come in recently,” said Becky Raines, Front Manager of Crankers. “They were obviously golfers; even the little boys had their golf bags with them. I think it’s great that we have the golf simulators at the bar now so people can come in with their families and have fun.”

The simulators have sparked a newfound demand and attention for the neighborhood brewery, as well.

“[The simulators] are bringing a lot of people in,” said Tiffany Woodard, Bar Manager. “Every day, our emails are slammed with reservation requests.”

“We’ll always keep looking for new ideas, but what we're doing is a great thing,” wraps up Jim. “And on top of everything else, it can help me with my golf game!"