Who among us doesn’t enjoy a nice cold alcoholic beverage at the end of a long day (or around 11 in the morning)? If you’re reading this, chances are pretty good you like to get a little sauced, and who doesn’t like to get rewarded for getting sauced? Unfortunately, most places just don’t seem to think that their valuable clientele deserves to be compensated for the time we spend sucking our medicine from their taps. Every once in a while though, you find a gem that really shines and makes you feel like you belong. One such place, is Ashley’s in Westland, MI (sorry for you non-Michigan folk (all 2 of you)). Ashley’s specialty is the large number of beers they have on tap and the even greater number they have by the bottle. So while the beer selection is scrumptious, the rewards for drinking are quite impressive. They have a “Beer Tour” where by you cross off each beer you drink and at certain points (10 beers, 20 beers, 30 beers, etc) you get a “prize” in the form of free food (appetizers, pizza) or swag (pint glasses, shirts, playing cards, etc). Understanding that not everyone likes to slam hops down their throats, they also offer a “Friends of the Owner” program that allows you to earn points for each dollar spent and redeem those points for prizes (like above). So if you are a beer drinker (and you should be) you earn double rewards just for getting a little toasted. So not only are they getting me buzzed, but they’re building customer loyalty and repeat business at the same time. Why don’t more businesses do this? They hate you, that’s why. If you find other places out there that care as much about making you Sammiches as getting you sauced, let us know.
