Card Acceptance Helps The Treehouse Take Root

As the manager of the Treehouse Pub, I can proudly say that electronic payments acceptance has helped us grow from a tiny establishment into one of Cleveland’s most iconic taverns. We have been in business since 1996, and our decision to accept credit and debit card payments right from the beginning has been crucial to our success.

The Treehouse Pub serves a diverse group of customers. During the week, most of our guests tend to be locals who live only a short walk or drive away from the pub. During the weekend, we attract more suburbanites who come into the city for dinner and drinks. Later at night, we attract a mostly young crowd at the bar.

One thing that all of our customers have in common, though, is that they prefer to pay by credit or debit card. It’s just easier and more convenient than having to deal with cash, especially for customers who purchase several drinks at the bar throughout the night. Our customers like to pay with plastic—and as any business owner will tell you—success comes from putting your customers first.

Accepting electronic payments has been great for our bottom line. In recent years, around 70% of our sales have been made with credit or debit cards. If we didn’t accept card payments, many of these customers would surely take their business to another pub that did. And accepting credit card payments also means that we don’t have to keep large amounts of cash in the register, decreasing the risk of theft. Our servers also prefer it when customers pay with credit cards—it saves them the time it would take to count out change, allowing them to get back to their tables faster and earn better tips!

All in all, credit and debit cards have been a huge help for the Treehouse Pub. I would encourage any other businesses in the food service industry that do not already accept electronic payments to consider doing so too.