Brewpub mug club tips

Some things to remember before starting a mug club:

-- Plan for expansion. "Try to think 10 years in advance, and visualize where you are going to hang all those mugs," said Susi Lyon of McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery.

-- Let members know the mug "retirement" policy -- that if a mug isn't used for a certain amount of time it may be moved to a storage area.

-- Decide how you will keep track of the mugs. Numbering the mugs is obviously the place to start. At Heavenly Daze, the hooks the mugs hang on are also numbered.

-- The more modernized you are at the beginning, the easier the club will be to run. At Cedar Brewing, swipe cards make it easy for bartenders to ring up special prices for club members. By using the cards, the pub also tracks members' spending habits.

-- When you choose a kind of mug, pick one that will continue to be readily available. Go with a supplier who has been in business awhile and is likely to remain in business.

-- Make sure the mug is durable. "They'll go through a lot," Lyon said.

Return to Brewpub Mug Clubs story.