Designing Wait-Time Visibility Experience For Busy Brewpubs

This personal project began with a curiosity about how people navigate uncertainty in high-pressure, real-world environments—and how better information can change that experience. Walking into a popular brewpub on a friday night usually comes with a familiar question:

"How long is the wait?"

At Doolally Taproom, one of India’s most loved brewpubs, this question is asked repeatedly—by walk-in guests trying to decide whether to stay, and by staff trying to manage expectations during peak hours.

This case study explores how I approached designing a walk-in wait-time visibility system that helps guests make informed decisions while reducing manual coordination for staff.

Direct walk-in customers face frustrations due to unclear information on seating availability or wait times. As a result they often experience uncertainty and extended delays, sometimes leading to abandoned visits.

To address this challenge, I designed a walk-in wait-time visibility system that provides guests with real-time information before and after arriving at the venue.

The solution focuses on expectation management, not operational optimization. It complements existing reservation systems rather than replacing them.

Check my Medium article for Full Case Study