The Brewcade
A complete custom-coded website and admin system for a craft beer taphouse and arcade in Stanwood, WA, built to replace manually edited images with a self-service CMS that updates in seconds.
Project Overview
The Brewcade is a craft beer, cider, and seltzer taphouse in Stanwood, WA, built around a rotating collection of pinball machines and classic arcade cabinets. The Brewcade came to Pro Media Management with an existing site that wasn't keeping up with the business, and a behind-the-scenes process that was even further behind. Every tap list change, new event, and Pay It Forward update meant manually editing an image file from scratch: time-consuming, labor-intensive, and clunky, especially in the middle of a busy shift.
The project called for more than a redesign. Alongside a full custom-coded marketing site, including a homepage, tap list, party booking, visit info, and about page, Pro Media Management built a complete custom admin CMS: a self-service dashboard for managing the tap list, an events calendar, and a community Pay It Forward drink board through simple forms instead of image editing software, plus a TV signage system that generates the display graphics automatically from that same data.
Client Goals
Primary Objectives
- Replace an outdated site with a custom-coded PHP build focused on conversion and clarity
- Eliminate manual image editing as the process for updating the tap list, events, and promotions
- Build a low-friction path for party and event inquiries
- Make hours, location, and 21+ ID requirements impossible to miss
- Reduce the daily friction of running the venue, from signage updates to fielding broken-machine reports in person
Project Focus
A marketing site alone wasn't going to solve the real problem: the tap list, events, and Pay It Forward board were each updated by manually editing an image every time something changed, a process with no shortcuts and no room for a quick update between customers.
The project was scoped around replacing that entirely with a purpose-built CMS, designed for a single-location taphouse, so day-to-day updates happen through simple admin screens that generate the finished graphics automatically, instead of image editing software.
Foundation & Global Elements
Site-Wide Architecture & Structure
What Was Built
- Custom PHP architecture with centralized includes for header, footer, and navigation
- Core site: Home, What's On Tap, Book a Party, Visit, About, and Contact
- Global 21+ identity badge built into the header on every page
- Mobile-first layout, built and tested for guests checking hours and the tap list from their phones inside the venue
- SEO title tags and meta descriptions applied across all pages
Technical Architecture
The site is a lightweight custom PHP application with a purpose-built admin layer sitting behind it. No WordPress, no third-party CMS plugin, and no page builder overhead. Every admin module reads and writes to simple JSON data files, keeping the site fast while still giving the team full self-service control.
Homepage & Core Pages
Marketing Site Built Around What Customers Actually Ask
Homepage
- Hero section introducing the taphouse-and-arcade concept
- Pinball Collection section with an outbound "Find Us on Pinball Map" card linking to the venue's live Pinball Map listing
- Upcoming-events teaser pulling the next three events directly from the admin-managed events calendar
- "View Full Tap List" pathway into the live, admin-updated tap list
Visit & Book a Party
- Visit page with large-format hours display, embedded map with directions, one-tap address copy, and a "What to Know" section covering 21+ ID and quarter-operated games with an on-site change machine
- Hours clearly stated as closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday through Sunday
- Book a Party page with a full event-inquiry form (name, email, phone, event type, group size, preferred date, and message) routed straight to the client's inbox
Custom Admin CMS
Replacing Manual Image Editing With a Self-Service System
Tap List, Events & Pay It Forward
- Before this build, the tap list, events, and Pay It Forward board were each updated by manually editing an image file: slow, repetitive, and easy to fall behind on
- Tap List Admin Panel: updates what's pouring through a simple form, no image editing required
- Events Calendar admin module: add, edit, and delete events with automatic sorting into Upcoming and a collapsed Past section, no manual archiving required
- Pay It Forward Board: a community drink-forward system with its own admin panel tracking Pending and Claimed entries, plus a permanent history log with running all-time and monthly stats
- All three modules live together in a single admin dashboard hub
TV Signage & Issue Reporting
- A custom TV signage pipeline generates ready-to-display screens for the tap list, Pay It Forward board, and events calendar automatically from the same admin data. The manual image editing step is gone entirely
- QR-code "Report a Game Issue" system: customers scan a code near the machines to log a problem directly into an admin queue staff can review and clear, replacing in-person reports that were easy to lose track of during a busy shift
Results
Business Impact
The Brewcade now runs on a website that works the way the business actually operates. What used to mean opening image editing software for every tap list change, new event, or Pay It Forward update now takes seconds through a simple admin panel, and the same data automatically produces the signage displayed on the venue's TVs.
Long-Term Value
Because every admin module was purpose-built around The Brewcade's day-to-day operations, updates that used to be time-consuming and clunky are now clean and fast, and the QR-code issue reporting system gives staff a running record of what needs attention instead of relying on memory during a busy night behind the bar.