Brauhaus Craft Bier Room

[RollyCoaster]

What the German Meatballs lack in appearance they make up for in flavor. One of the best meatball dishes I’ve ever had. 9/10


The Roasted Sirloin Slider with house chips was a bit disappointing. The chips are the highlight of this dish in my personal opinion. While nothing is particularly wrong with the slider... it’s definitely missing something that would take them to the next level. Chips are fantastic though. 7/10 overall.

 

[Unagi]

My friend just sent this from the Brauhaus.

 

[Murphy]

So they've already replaced the other screen style menus, or are these additional new ones elsewhere in the room?

Edit: I see now that they are the same screen, with a rotating set of beers.

 

[Icer]

Has anyone tried the Rueben now offered here? Curious if it has any sort of quality.

 

[Murphy]

We've had it twice, both with completely different results. Considering that they're likely just popped into a toaster oven, it was decent one time. The second time reminded me of something you'd get at a gas station in desperation.

On another note, has anyone that is a Stein Club member received anything about renewing?

 

[Rothbury]

I'll see if I can answer both questions here. They don't have the Rueben sandwich anymore. As a matter of fact, they didn't have the slider yesterday and sorted of hinted it won't be back either. It doesn't show up on the menu board anymore. The menu board showed the German meatballs and pretzels. Then somebody had handwritten in and said they didn't have pretzels.

I assume you are talking about the Stein Club for 2022. I asked yesterday and was told "around the 1st of December". I also asked if there was even going to be a stein anymore since they had resorted to the card for the discount. Didn't get a straight answer. Also, did you know they introduced 2 levels of Stein Club membership? One is for 12oz and another one for 16oz refills. The next time you are there look directly behind the cash registers and you will see the 16oz steins. I believe the price for the 16oz is around $200 annually.

 

[Murphy]

Thank you!

We couldn't justify going for the larger steins, since we aren't local to the park, but I certainly wouldn't mind the larger pours!

 

[Rothbury]

Most places didn't have 16oz cups so it was a moot point for the friends we went with. I would get my usual 12oz and he would get his "16oz". If you put them side by side there was no difference.

 

[Murphy]

Brauhaus is closed completely today? Wow.

 

[sotomexx]

Brauhaus is closed completely today? Wow.

It was closed the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend as well

 

[Murphy]

It appears that you can still receive your Steinclub discount at locations that pour draft beer. We just were able to get the discounted price at the Corner bar in England.

 

[warfelg]

but the fact a 12oz draft beer cost about $10 without stein club membership is crazy.

Universal at Moe’s - $11
WDW at most restaurants - $5-15
WDW draft beer - $10.50
WDW frozen cocktail - $15
Most Six Flags parks - $10+
Cedar Park has a fill your own glass station that’s $10-20 for a card and starts at $0.50 an ounce. Most research puts Cedar Fair chain at $10-13 a beer.

So BGW isn’t crazy, they are in line with the market price. And honestly I got a feeling that’s what BGW is going through right now. They are trying to match what the market rate for many things is right now.

And I’m not defending them to the hilt with saying this. But it seems as though long time members are used to seeing the experience improve without prices changing. I don’t see why they can’t be a business and raise rates to match what the market dictates.

And not calling you out specifically, but parts of the greater amusement fandom and society in general here:
Lots of companies did some things never done before to help account for the effects of COVID to deliver services. Take this for example. Likely BGW felt they couldn’t guarantee there would always be beer or that singular location available, so they expanded where you could use the benefit to ensure it was always available. Most likely they decided to keep these spots fully staffed and prioritize in park beer flow. Not to mention they made that decision pre-vaccine and during-restrictions when they were unsure how many people could get into or willing to go into those locations.

 

[Rothbury]

I'll just point out 2 things. I'll ask a question. Have you ever bought a keg of beer? Even at $100 there are 250 12oz. beers in a keg. That excludes spillage and waste. That comes out to less than 50 cents a glass. Buy a case of beer. It works out to less than a dollar a bottle. My point is that it is already a BIG moneymaker for them. Even at $5 a fill instead of $10. You probably know this already but the reason they charge the prices they do is to discourage too much drinking. Doesn't seem to be working for a few people but that is the reason but that's another issue altogether.
I understand all of your examples do it. I'm just saying look at the profit margins. Alcohol sales of any kind are big profit for anyplace selling alcohol.
I was told the reason for the card was because of a cross contamination issue. Even if you wanted to use your stein, they poured the beer into a plastic cup to prevent any contact contamination with the tap. They could have easily programmed their computers to limit where the card worked. That was their decision. As for getting the card you had to go in person to the Brauhaus to get it so not sure I can agree with people not wanting to go to inside locations.
I was just responding to the fact they seem to want to change the program. Why? It's not like they are losing money.

 

[warfelg]

Ok. Then it’s not a BGW specific problem. It’s…gasp…capitalism.

Also at many many places serving alcohol really raises your premiums for insurance. That needs to be factored in. As does labor, storage, losses.

 

[BGWnut]

You know there used to be this thing called customer service where there was a certain amount of give and take. Apparently BGW seems to think that take, take, take has become the new normal. Think about how many benefits have been lost in Premier and Platinum memberships and now you can add the stein club membership to that list. It is really making me regret I renewed my membership for another year a few months back.
I won't even get started on the math of how much they charge for a beer as opposed to how much they pay for that beer but the fact a 12oz draft beer cost about $10 without stein club membership is crazy. Even at $5 BGW was still making a good return on their investment.
I see this as just another way BGW has decided to screw people out of more money. This program was in existence long before Covid so to use Covid as an excuse to make a new program and discontinue a program that worked for 5 or 6 years is disingenuous at the very least.
I don't care if the program is only good at Grogan's and the Brauhaus. Before Covid and the card the only way you could get a $5 refill at Grogan's was to take your stein with you. At least there was a program and it worked. Why change it? I know, a one-word answer will suffice. GREED!

I'll just point out 2 things. I'll ask a question. Have you ever bought a keg of beer? Even at $100 there are 250 12oz. beers in a keg. That excludes spillage and waste. That comes out to less than 50 cents a glass. Buy a case of beer. It works out to less than a dollar a bottle. My point is that it is already a BIG moneymaker for them. Even at $5 a fill instead of $10. You probably know this already but the reason they charge the prices they do is to discourage too much drinking. Doesn't seem to be working for a few people but that is the reason but that's another issue altogether.
I understand all of your examples do it. I'm just saying look at the profit margins. Alcohol sales of any kind are big profit for anyplace selling alcohol.
I was told the reason for the card was because of a cross contamination issue. Even if you wanted to use your stein, they poured the beer into a plastic cup to prevent any contact contamination with the tap. They could have easily programmed their computers to limit where the card worked. That was their decision. As for getting the card you had to go in person to the Brauhaus to get it so not sure I can agree with people not wanting to go to inside locations.
I was just responding to the fact they seem to want to change the program. Why? It's not like they are losing money.

No one is using COVID as an excuse to cancel anything. What is being removed is the extra policies that were put in place to help ensure that you could still use it during COVID.

As far as the cost of beer, you are mistaken about the costs to BGW. Most of the beers that are served at those locations are craft beers which get much more expensive and BGW has to provide a minimum order which might not all get used. There's also a lot more that goes into the cost of the refill than simply the beer. It's definitely nowhere near as cheap as you are suggesting. Plus they need to fund other projects like roller coasters that don't directly show up in revenue. There's a lot of other costs that get added to an item then just the wholesale cost of an item.

Also, BGW doesn't try to price beer to discourage sales. They price it so that they make money off it. That way they can actually pay for other stuff.

 

[WDWRLD]

I dont care what park it is, if beers are $10 or more each I may have one on occasion.....but almost never two or more....Wellexcept NYE at Epcot..lol. However if beers were like $5 I would probably have one every time I went to BGW,....maybe 2 or even more. I just feel like if prices made you feel like you werent getting screwed over people would buy way more and they would make more.

 

[BGWnut]

I dont care what park it is, if beers are $10 or more each I may have one on occasion.....but almost never two or more....Wellexcept NYE at Epcot..lol. However if beers were like $5 I would probably have one every time I went to BGW,....maybe 2 or even more. I just feel like if prices made you feel like you werent getting screwed over people would buy way more and they would make more.

Prices are calculated to a point that maximizes the money being earned. Just because you sell more at a lower price doesn't mean more money is made. In fact sometimes it can cost you more.

Everything has an equilibrium point where it makes the most money and that's where any business that has a basic understanding of economics is trying to get their prices to be. That's why alcohol is priced where it is. If it was higher they probably sell less and won't make as much. If it was priced lower then they might sell more but it's cheaper and they won't make as much.

 

[Celticdog]

I feel that BG prices are inline with local and regional restaurants and microbreweries. I don't feel as though they are excessive. $10-$12 is reasonable for the craft and specialty beers. It may be high for mass produced domestics, but those are not what I buy at BG. We routinely hear complaints of drunk and obnoxious guests. Cheaper beers will only amplify that problem.

 

[Jonesta6]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I remember even in the AB years that they had high prices for regular Bud products (I'm thinking it was $6 or $7 for a 12 oz pour, which given the time period would probably work out to close to what they're charging now), so this is not a new phenomenon within the park.

Are we so entitled as enthusiasts that we forgot we're essentially a captive audience for F&B purchases if we don't want to leave the park, and that pretty much any entertainment venue is at will to charge whatever they want?

 

[Rothbury]

Just to be clear. I'm not advocating for cheap beer. They started the stein club and THEY set the price for refills. It came with a beer stein and that was the way it was set up. If they are going to change the membership where you get a glass, and the price of the beer is $10 then what is the use? An engraved glass/mug is not worth a $100+ yearly membership IMHO. I get a discount with my membership and there should be a like discount for membership in the stein club. They want to raise it to $6. Fine. I just don't see any reason to continue the program at all if you don't receive some sort of benefit for it. You get a discount/benefit with your pass, and you don't seem to have a problem with that. Why do you have a problem with a discount for the stein club? My argument for the cost is based on the fact they are not losing money on the program. Not how much they charge for a beer.
My routine when I would go would be to get a beer and food in the Brauhaus. Of course, that was when they had good food in there. Now, we get a pretzel and beer. I always get something to eat while I drink my beer. I guess simply put; they do away with the stein club or change it drastically, and I'll have no reason to go into the Festhaus and subject myself to the loud music. At that point I will walk through the park with my refillable drink cup and fill it with water. Net result is they get nothing for my admission, and they get nothing for my parking, but I get the use of the park and I spend no money at all.
I guess if you don't agree then we'll just have to agree to disagree.