NPR

99 Bottles Of Beer On The Touch Screen: The Spread Of Self-Serve Taps

Order a drink, but hold the bartender? As it becomes relatively more expensive to run restaurants and bars, some are saving money by replacing human servers with pour-your-own electronic taps.
The Red Arrow Tap Room in Naperville, Ill., currently lists 44 craft beers or ciders on tap.

Walters Sports Bar is a gleaming new pub just blocks from the largest stadium in Washington, D.C. The decor is industrial chic — exposed ducts and poured concrete floors — and it's spacious enough to accommodate the enormous throngs of elated fans who crowded in after the Washington Nationals' recent World Series win.

On a recent night, the bar was quieter. Still, customer after customer strode up to a stainless steel wall lined with beer taps to insert a card, touch a screen and pour

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