Atlanta Falcons home stadium opens frictionless Michelob bar and grill
Fans at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta have a new option for pouring fresh draft beer – without the bartender.
Mercedes Benz Stadium, which is home field for both the Atlanta Falcons pro football franchise and pro soccer team Atlanta United FC, is now operating a frictionless store called the Michelob Ultra Grill in partnership with GS Draft System Solutions.
The store integrates the GS Draft QuickTap fast-dispensing draft system with AiFi's computer-vision cameras to enable customers to select and purchase fresh beers and walk out without waiting in line or scanning to pay.
Customers can tap their credit card to gain store entry and provide age verification once crossing over from the market side of the store to the draft beer TapWalls self-serve draft area. QuickTap can pour a 20-ounce draft beer in less than six seconds, according to GS Draft.
Customers can also purchase hot food items, candy, and packaged snacks without having to wait in line.
"Stadiums and large live event venues are the perfect setting for autonomous retail, and AiFi is proud to play a part in shaping the fan's enjoyment while in attendance," said Steve Carlin, CEO at AiFi. "As live events continue to garner larger and larger crowds, we're helping stadiums and retailers embrace tech-forward solutions that help fans minimize the time in concessions and merchandise lines to get them back to the action faster. This new autonomous drink lane and market is just the latest example of how AiFi's flexible technology solution is leading that charge and our commitment to improving the fan experience."
"As technology continues to shape the entertainment industry, we're proud to work with solutions and stadiums aligned with creating a positive fan experience and maximizing time watching the game," said John O'Connell, executive VP of Sports and Entertainment Division of GS Draft. "Our checkout-free TapWalls accomplish exactly that. By eliminating the hassle of waiting in lines to get and pay for drinks, fans can enjoy what they came for without friction and interruption and are more likely to come back for more."
Retailers remove friction with AiFi
As exclusively reported by Chain Store Age for first coverage, the University of San Diego retrofitted the Smart Market mini-convenience store located within the Knauss Center for Business Education with AiFi camera vision-based technology, allowing shoppers to select which food and drink items they’d like to purchase and walk out without waiting in line or scanning to pay.
Other retailers leveraging AiFi’s computer vision-based platform to support frictionless shopping programs include California-based gas/convenience retailer Loop Neighborhood. Colorado-based grocery retailer Choice Market is also utilizing AiFi NanoStore technology to offer frictionless shopping.
The AiFi solution has also been used in a pop-up store at the 2021 Indianapolis 500 auto race, and in a two-month pilot at an Albert Heijn (Ahold Delhaize banner) store at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.