PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WLVT) - You may think there’s already an app for everything, but one Philly-based developer is betting you haven’t seen anything like this millennial-inspired app.
Barley Sober is a new way to order drinks at Philadelphia-area bars.
“Think about the Starbucks app, but for bars,” said CEO and founder Rohan Brown.
Launched in early April, Barley Sober is a website to pre-order drinks at more than 100 bars, including popular hangouts like Graffiti Bar, The Palm Philadelphia and World Café Live Philadelphia. Brown said the idea grew from his personal experience finding good bars in and around the city.
“This actually started out as a blog,” he said. “I used to go out a lot in college and people would ask me what’s the best place to go, but that all depends on your preference.”
The app is holding a series of opening events, including one April 17 at Three12 Sports Lounge on Market St. Early adopters came to sample the evening’s featured drinks, like the Cointreau Ricky. Nearly 150 new users had signed up by the app’s second event, Brown said.
“Not really all that complicated, just log in, order your drink, bam!” said Deja Bullock, a resident of Magnolia, New Jersey.
“I was just on my phone and I did it and it happened and they were like, ‘Margherita?’ And it’s really good,” said Philadelphia resident Dominique Shapcott. “I would do it.”
Brown, who is 25, said young adults are more comfortable with online ordering than any other group.
“This is very millennial,” Brown said. “Millennials don’t like any friction at all, so just to have a phone that can do everything including ordering a drink is beautiful.”
“I use the Starbucks app, and it’s similar to me,” Shapcott said. “If anything, the Starbucks app is a little more complicated.”
“I know I’m annoyed when you go to a bar and all you’re trying to do is go get a drink but there are people actually sitting at the bar and then you’re that person trying to be [ordering]. It just won’t work,” Bullock said.
In addition to convenience, users who order through the app can earn rewards, called Barley Points, to use on drinks discounts and invitations to private events. Bullock said that was a great value for drink orders she was going to make anyway.
Bartenders and bar owners can benefit from the simpler ordering system, Brown said, as well as gain insight on their frequent customers and most popular drinks.
“Once I started interviewing all these bar owners, I started to realize they don’t really know who their most valuable customers are,” Brown said.
Barley Sober is holding more opening events through a summer-long “drink tour” held at four bars in Philly: Blue Martini, Three12 Sports Lounge, Maison 208 and His & Hers. They’re also looking to partner with Philadelphia Center City Sips, a happy hour program held Wednesday evenings all summer.
