Account asking to expand their tower to add a new line

[corymathews]

I had a large corporate restaurant call us up and order beer from us. We delivered it like normal thinking they would replace the next empty line with it. Then two days later they said that I needed to add a new line in order for them to serve the beer.

They currently serve out of a fridge in the style of http://www.micromatic.com/keg-refrig...-pid-DD68.html. It has two, two tap add ons (http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-...id-DT-2HK.html) so they can serve 6 beers.

They expect us to replace one of the two tap addons with a three tap, and supply the line and coupler for it. The other two beers (not mine) would still be served from this addon.

I laughed at the request, and asked again to make sure they were serious, they were.. They stated that their current distributor supplied everything they currently have to serve the beer.

Anyone else experienced this? I have yet to check, but I would think that this is not even legal? (Texas)

Thoughts?

[Matt Dog]

Welcome to the wonderful world of beer distribution. Whether its legal or not it happens all the time. I know of distributors who pay for whole draft systems in order to lock up handles and not just draft boxes, entire walk in coolers with all the draft equipment. Some markets are worse than others but it happens in every market to some extent. If they aren't outright paying for handles Distributors/Breweries will pay it back other ways with free kegs and the like. With all the beer flooding the market it will only get worse.

[andymonto]

Yeah that doesn't sound legal at all haha. I've added another tap to the tower on that exact draft box, the account bought the shank and coupler we just supplied the air and beer line. One week later the account started complaining about foamy beer...I've always had problems adding lines to towers.

[TheMadHopper]

Sounds like there is some pay-to-play going on. How legal it is depends entirely on what state you are in so you should look into the rules and regulations. The manager of the restaurant may or may not know the legality of beer distribution so they are either ignorant or trying to take advantage of the situation, either way on principle I'd personally avoid setting up the system for them (not for legality reasons but because it seems like they are trying to take advantage of the situation) but you just have to decide if in the long run having this new account is worth it not (because you will easily make back the cost of the set up in a couple of kegs).

[Bainbridge]

Also assuming they'll keep your beer on for more than a couple kegs...