Need a Drink? Tap that App!
June 17, 2010
- by
Shane Hansen
There's an app for everything these days. How about one for ordering a drink at a bar?
Touch Taste Technologies, the company behind the touch-screen ordering technology at Lakeview bar Touch, has created a free app called Touchlife that is launching in a number of Chicago bars at the end of the month. And yes, it's true: Their marketing tagline is "Tap That App."
A June 27 launch party at Bull & Bear will give you the chance to try the app for yourself -- in fact, if you're caught ordering a drink the old-fashioned way by an "officer" (a promotional model dressed as a cop), you'll be issued a "citation" (a free download of the app, plus a drink on the house).
If you can't make it to the party, you should be able to download the app on touchtastetech.com starting June 27; its creators expect it to hit the iPhone and Android app stores by July 4. As far as the participating bars besides Bull & Bear, technology is expected to roll out at Crimson Lounge, Victor Hotel, Excalibur, Vision, Cuvee, Republic, VLive, Enclave, Rockit and the Underground.
We took a peek at a beta version to get a feel for some of the features, which include viewing drinks by type (shots, cocktails, beer) or other categories such as 25 Most Popular and Recently Ordered. As for how the system works in practice -- including payment, tipping and documenting your location in the bar -- we'll just have to wait and see.
I think I'd find a drink-ordering app totally useful in some cases (like in a crowded club where the last thing I want to do is wait three-deep at the bar) and totally useless in others (like when I want to chat directly with a bartender about how they're crafting a drink). What do you think?
Lisa Arnett
Chicagonow.com