Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Taps Union to Support Bar and Restaurant Customers to Improve Sales and Guest Satisfaction in the Wake of the Pandemic

Bars and restaurants using Union's guest-led, point-of-sale platform, see on average a 28 percent increase in sales and improved operational efficiencies.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Union, a data-driven hospitality engagement platform, has been selected as a preferred technology provider by Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits (Southern Glazer's)—the world's preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol. This alignment aims to support Southern Glazer's bar and restaurant customers as they rebound from the financial burdens of the pandemic and face massive staffing shortages among increasing guest demand. Union also offers brands unique programming and marketing opportunities.

According to research from the National Restaurant Association, the hospitality industry is still down 750,000 jobs — roughly 6.1% of its workforce — from pre-pandemic levels, as of May 2022. The lack of staff has adversely impacted venue review ratings. According to Yelp, in the first quarter of 2022, their users mentioned short staffing in their reviews three times more often than in previous time periods.

"Staffing issues have impacted sales for many bars and restaurants nationwide and as such our alcohol suppliers are also impacted; we believe that Union's engagement platform is the perfect solution to help our customers to combat the staffing crisis while increasing sales and improving the customer experience," stated David Chaplin, Chief Growth Officer at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. "Union's sophisticated tool kit not only gives bars and restaurants the ability to deliver great service and improve operations, but also the platform's unique data capabilities arm our alcohol supplier partners with unprecedented insights and breakthrough opportunities for their products." 

With the Union engagement platform, bars and restaurants receive an intuitive guest-led mobile ordering app experience that integrates seamlessly with the Union's POS system, which was built specifically for high volume hospitality venues. Union customers see on average a 28 percent increase in sales as soon as the platform is up and running. To order through Union, guests simply scan a QR code to start the process and their drinks are delivered up to 6 minutes faster than traditional face-to-face ordering. The platform leverages its data to offer guests personalized drink recommendations and rewards.

"We're honored to have been selected by Southern Glazer's as a preferred technology provider,"  said Alex Broeker, Union's CEO and Co-founder. "This relationship will help accelerate Union's position as a best-in-class solution for high-volume hospitality locations across the country."

"Since moving to Union, our venue has been able to nearly double what we thought was our busiest volume night," said Matt Carter, Owner at Bouldin Acres in Austin, Texas. "Our bartenders love it. Union not only makes our operation run smoother but the guest led process allows our staff to support more tables and provide a superior experience. Our guests leave reviews about how fast and easy the experience is and come back because of it."

Union is a hospitality engagement platform that leverages industrial-grade data intelligence to deliver transformative experiences for guests, operators, and brands at the most popular venues across the country.

Designed by over 50 hospitality venue owners from some of the highest volume locations in the country, the Union guest-led POS engagement platform was built specifically to meet the needs of high-volume bars & restaurants, while taking a revolutionary approach to connecting consumers and brands on-premise. Follow Union on Facebook and Instagram or visit, getUnion.com.

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits is the world's preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, and proud to be a multi-generational, family-owned company. The Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. In 2022, Southern Glazer's was listed as one of Forbes Best Employers for Diversity. In 2021, Southern Glazer's was selected as a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, as well as named by Newsweek as a Top 100 Most Loved Workplace. Southern Glazer's urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits.

Contact: Abby Hagstrom, 303-877-0738, [email protected]

SOURCE Union