TVs in Taproom

A very nice restaurant I used to go to has a bar with a couple of TV's, the sound is off and closed captions are on. It's very much the best of both worlds.

 

I have walked into a bar with Sportscenter on and the TV sound off. Every single person was staring at the TV with mouths agape, and the deadest blank look in their eye, beer in one hand without ever reaching to take a sip. I sat down and ordered a beer, not one person said one word to anyone, or even moved, they literally looked like zombies. I don't think I finished my beer before I stood up and left, trying not to laugh out loud.

 

I believe this anecdote. I actually have experienced something similar a few times when I would used to end my workday early and occasionally hit up a place solo that had something on tap I really wanted. Thing was, I was fine with it as my goal was to drink beer, not necessarily chat with strangers. I guess we had different things in mind when going to bars those times? I've never been averse to chatting with strangers if that's what someone nearby wants unless they're really annoying and I usually will talk with bartenders if it's slow, especially if I've talked to them before, but it's just NBD either way to me.

Forgetting all that: how many times have you been to a bar or brewery with a TV or two playing whatever and most people there were talking with each other? Surely, this is much more often the case. Plenty of places where I live have TVs (Russian River, Lagunitas, Toronado, Cellarmaker...) but are not sports bars or somehow TV-focused that are always filled with people socializing.

 

For me as I have stated, I just don't like TV. That is not to say everyone has to agree, which is fine, and I have seen the above scenario I stated above many times, I have also seen places so out of control because of the game. Also your scenario, and anything from one guy being the asshole at the bar yelling and screaming at the TV being obnoxious to everyone else, to bars showing Sportscenter or one of the stupid round the table argument shows with the sound on and dominating. Though I don't really care about any of that, if you don't mind any of the above, that is fine. I certainly go to bars with TVs, and there are certainly some great bars that happen to have them. When it comes down to it though, I really find TV, especially at a bar tacky. I don't understand the constant need to have this thing glowing and shinning all the time, or why it has to be the center of everything, or even as the background of everything? The vast majority of bars have TV's, so this is really not an issue except for the people that want to seek out places that don't have them.

 

My local taproom has a couple tv's that mostly have sports playing. The volume is always turned way down, but it's nice to watch if you happen to be Georging it (drinking alone). Just my $.02.

 

lol I've not heard that one before. We call it being the WAG - Weird Alone Guy. A quiet bar is the best place to be a WAG or George for sure and sometimes a TV is nice for sparking conversation but I agree it's not really conducive to convos when it's SportsCenter (not an actual game) or CNN or something like that. I've been to places where they have soap operas (my stories!) on and that was definitely weird.

 

I like TVs because I have no friends to talk to at beer places.

At Original Gravity in SJ they typically have Port's Shark Attack on tap during a Shark's Hockey game, and every time the sharks score they take a $1 off the price. Seems pretty effective.

 

Any taproom with a TV becomes an instant sport bar. I avoid sports bars. And don't we have enough of them already?

 

Also, this thread reminds me of a conversation I heard a guy have with his dad at The Source in Denver.

He kept going on about how the new generations are so fixed to their phones and gadgets, and how he grew up having real conversation and being a "real" human being. He sounded really pompous, by the way,

He then took out his phone and started showing his dad all the cool things on it for the rest of the time there.

...



...

 

Why not put one up and just choose when to put it on? I'd think football Sunday's and other major sporting events, interesting day in news, etc, it'd come in handy. I'm not a huge fan of television in taprooms but there's been times I wish there was one. Best of luck!

 

what is the difference between a "taproom" and a bar? breweries have taprooms that serve their beer - but if you are serving all different beers - that's a bar to me. or is it a more "crafty" way to say bar?

 

I think they're being used interchangeably here. OP isn't making beer in-house so it isn't a brewery/brewpub/tasting room. That leaves bar/taproom/pub/tavern/watering hole/drinkery/gin joint/izakaya/public house...

 

That's probably a good compromise. I don't care about sports, but I can also choose not to watch them. Just don't turn them on a cable news channel.

 

Strictly my opinion, but if I were to hit the lottery and open my own taproom with "profits be damned, I'll do what the f&*# I want!" as my mission statement, I'd have 24/7 hockey muted on TV while playing metal.

now that I've gotten that out of my system, to answer the OP's original question - I'd have TV's if for no other reason than you are going to have folks roll in, wanting to watch the Pitt game or Steelers or whatever. No TV, no stay. I've yet to hear someone walk into a bar and say "Muted TV's? Nope, we're leaving". And if indeed there is no other craft option for like 30 miles, than you would be better served being everything to everyone at least from the start. If the area is that devoid of drinking establishments than you would want to take advantage of a little BMC coinage as well.

Unless they are not bolted to the wall securely enough, a television won't hurt anyone.

 

We stopped at Port City Brewery this weekend and they had TVs in the tap room. There was a lot of conversation going on, mostly with people who were not interested in the Washington football team. The brewery area did not have TVs and it was more laid back. We also went to DC Brau and they had on TV with a soccer game (Spain Euro qualifier) but nobody was paying attention to it. Doesn't bother me either way.