Pizza Boy Intangible new batch?

No offense, but I have a hard time believing when they built a brand new location in what, 2012, they couldn't put in a PoS system that would allow them to adjust for credit card tips...

What it really sounds like is "we don't want to report these tips for tax purposes." I will leave further speculation out of it for now, though. That's their policy so it is what it is.

 

For what it is worth, Al has stated, at least in the past he doesn't want to grow out of control and/or have lines out the door waiting for bottles/releases. If that has changed or if he will want to have the headache of dealing with such things is unknown to me. He seems very happy brewing amazing beer and running a successful business. Not everyone wants/needs to cater to every single person that wants their beer.

 

I've never been here before, but how in the hell do they not allow tipping on credit card payments? Especially in the year 2014?

I feel bad for their employees. There is no doubt their tip wages get halved by working in a place that doesn't allow credit card tipping. That's absolutely ridiculous, and the first time I've ever heard of this.

 

lol so much speculation and butthurt, you guys are something else. The servers aren't waitresses and waiters so they don't make the typical $2.83hr + Tips. I know for a fact they make quite a bit more than that, plus they still get plenty of tips in the jar. If you want to leave a tip you can, if not it's fine it's not going to hurt them one bit.

 

Thank you for chiming in, that was my next reply just got tired of the arguing since everyone seems to know that they like Pizza Boy's beers and they have shitty customer service. Then don't go if its shitty service, see you all when Al & Terry start releasing limited 750 c&c sours/wild ales under Pizza Boy & Intangible Ales labels.

 

Its actually becoming a lot more common for restaurants not to do tipping. They pay full salaries instead. Not that difficult a concept.

 

When I fill growlers for the Meadville guys, they are going in blindly just picking based off the tap list on the website (sometimes also whether I had a pint and enjoyed it) and we haven't gone wrong yet.

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do they sell 1L growlers on premise? They didn't seem to last time I went.

 

Yes 1 and 2 liter. The 1L's are great for me. I get to try a bunch of different beers

 

They sell 32 oz and 64 oz growlers. They run out of the 32 oz growlers from time to time though.

 

They do sell them on premise, yes. Also, if you a bring another style 32 oz growler (non-grenade style), they will swap it out for one of their 32 oz growlers for no cost.

On this topic, does anyone know what they do with the swapped growlers? Just curious.

 

I see this topic come up frequently. Just to clarify, they will seriously fill nearly any growler so long as the opening is large enough for their dip tube to fit in. So whether it is the grenade style or apothacary bottle or whatever you call it, it doesnt matter what logo or whatever. The ones they cant/wont fill are the smaller opening ones with a flip top grommet that dont have a opening large enough for the fill tube to fit in.

Coincidentally those same growlers he wont fill are the same style growlers that he introduced back at the old location. He was the first place in our area doing 1-liters (that im aware of.) He now swaps them out and eats the cost because many of them 1-liter swingtops originated with him. What does he do with them? Gives them away to homebrewers or anyone who asks for them (when he has some piling up.)

A lot of the comments im reading here make Al out to be a monster/asshole/my way or the highway jerk. But he enjoys beer as much as us. The difference being he is on the other side of the bar running a business (a very freaking successful one at that) and he needs to make decisions about stuff that we dont see every angle on. Despite things we might dislike, he is clearly doing at least something right... Go ahead, call me a homer/fanboy whatever.

 

My points exactly, just gets tiring arguing points from different angles. How dare you introduce logic into all this butthurt!

 

Thanks for clarifying @stakem. Yes, I was referring to the thin flip-top opening growlers I have gotten swapped there.

 

What is so insane? What policies other than no samples? Are you referring to the whole tip thing? What else am I missing?

The place has nearly 100 taps, 3 hand pumps, exclusive on-site bottle sales. A great selection of other breweries beer for onsite or to go including mix a six and 2 size growler options for nearly anything on tap. We sometimes focus so much on what we cant have that we lose sight of how spoiled we are by this place and what we do have.

Im not Al. Ive never talked to Al about this subject so im just speculating. But maybe he doesnt want or have the room behind the bar to hire another person or 2 to be dedicated dish washers and/or someone who pours samples. Are they slammed every minute they are open? No. But they do get busy as hell at seemingly completely random times in the afternoon/evening before/during/after mealtimes and there is a wait to get a pour. I can see samplers being an even worse backlog/bottleneck during those hours. Obviously in that time is when the most samplers would be ordered and it would just compound the problem exponentially. Is it fair to only offer samplers when its not busy???

Again, im just speculating here and shy of Al coming into this discussion and tellin us whats up, I cant speak for him and his reasoning. Would I like to have the sampler option? You bet your ass I would but it doesnt stop me from going there ordering a pint of something new/old favorite and buying a couple growlers. I say all this as someone who can stop by anytime. And I feel for you folks traveling from afar who want to make the most of your trip. Out of curiosity, if you didnt want to fill a growler blind, did you ask if you could try it before getting the fill or did you just ask for samples in which you then were going to make up your mind of what you wanted filled?

 

I dont want this discussion to turn into an argument but the exact opposite can be said about your opinion and the extreme of negativity you are taking it to. Like I said, you are focusing so much on what you are told you cant do that you seemingly dont care about any of the positives.

The whole permasmile incident is them now being over-protective and excessively cautious. Al himself came on this site when it happened and said that he would be held liable if it happened again where someone recapped and removed an unlabeled bottle from his premises. I understand little to nothing about PA alcohol laws. If he says a stolen unlabeled bottle puts his license in jeopardy, call me naive but I believe him over what we the consumers want or think is right/the law.

Are you just looking to pick an internet fight? Of course he has the money to hire someone to pour samples. You completely ignored my opinion and what I posted as why I think its not feasible. Everyone is entitiled to an opinion. Sorry you and I dont see eye to eye on this one. I dont understand your comment about a shit brewery producing shit beer and not offering samples. Im willing to bet if a brewery is that shitty, they probably are not busy enough to have the same issues that Pizza Boy has. When was the last time you heard of a brewery making beer so terrible that someone was willing to break the rules, stuff a bottle in their pants/jacket/bag and run to the bathroom to repackage it so they could take it home?

 

Passed on this beer the first time because I had already ordered a beer, and an additional 22oz (of a sour no less) was too much with 2hrs still to drive. After all the good reviews I'll have to suck it up and try this if I see it again.

*customer service could use an overhaul though.

 

My biggest issue with the place is that the entire left side of the "L" shaped bar is not staffed, even though there is a register down at the other end. Why is that even there if you aren't going to use it as a POS? It would help immensely to open up a 2nd POS for beer purchases when the place is busy. Instead you have a line that goes all the way down to that register anyway.

The staff is hit or miss. Some of them are quite nice and others come across as complete assholes that have even left rude names on receipts (similar to things you read about on the internet). I use to go there a lot more often, now I just go some place else most of the time unless they have something specific on tap that I want or want to check out. I don't just go there off hand any more. I also think it's odd that they won't do samples or flights.

At least they finally have prices on the to-go bottles. Too bad the big menu board doesn't have food prices on it.

 

Do you feel the same way about Russian River (PtY policy change), Alpine (growlers), Tires Hands (growlers) or Hill Farmstead (bottles, growlers) policies that have changed or adjusted due to popularity? Just curious not trying to argue just intrigued about the negativity. Those breweries changed policies due to high demand and popularity and they still survived because their locals understood and respected the fluid. I don't know Al's reasoning behind it, but I also know he has to run a business and makes decisions based on that. I have no argument against you or any problem bum732 just a curiosity. Wouldn't mind discussing it over a beer next time you're at Pizza Boy.

 

Yea there's ridiculous lines at pretty much all of their tap take over events. I would have to say that Russian River and Alpine close to the same size. They changed their policies based on people selling their beers on ebay.