DRINK CULTURE
Tubes for Beer and other Drinks
Tabletop beverage dispensers
aren't just for beer: nightclubs and bars are still using these self- service tools for beer, but also for mixed drinks, soft drinks and other liquid refreshments. Beer Tubes, one type of
dispenser, holds 100 ounces of liquid, which comes out to about 20 tubes per keg. According to the company (and personal experience), once one customer orders a tabletop dispenser, others see it and want one for themselves. In the case of Beer Tubes, the tube, tap and base are modular. That means each piece can be changed out to customize the tube with more than 25 base designs. The tube is about 3.5 feet high and weighs between four and six pounds.
Beer tubes in action on premise.
Fan Fanatics Cheer on Teams with Applebee's Applebee's invited its Facebook fans to talk smack and cheer for their favorite teams
to allow its followers to connect with friends easier. With the "Fans Watch Here" invite, Facebook fans can send an electronic invitation with the time, date, Applebee's location and a personalized message asking a friend to come watch their favorite team.
survey that found 48 percent of respondents fi lled out a tournament bracket at work, more than 25 percent took a vacation or personal day to cheer on their team and 43 percent follow the Facebook fan pages of their favorite team. Th e restaurant chain also created customized invitations
tournament with $20, $50, $100 and $250 gift cards. Th e overall winner received a $500 card following the championship game. Th e contest came about following a Harris Interactive
8 | APRIL 2012 www.cheersonline.com
online with a Fan Fanatics contest, which rewarded the biggest fans with the best chances to win Applebee's gift cards. Timed to coincide with the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the contest allowed fans to accumulate points for visiting the Applebee's Facebook page (or one of 1,500 local Applebee's pages) and shouting out (one point for a post), uploading a photo (10 points) or tweeting (one point per share). Th e top fans were rewarded following each round of the
