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It’s the bar without a bar.
Tapster, a self-pour tasting room featuring over 50 taps of beer, wine, ciders and hard seltzers, is set to open at 48 W. Main St. this May — inside the former home of Long Island Pinball.
The location, situated in the heart of downtown between Amsterdam (formerly That Meetball Place) and Dirty Taco + Tequila, will be transformed into what founder Roman Maliszewski calls “Froyo for adults.”
A revolutionary concept
Unlike traditional bars, Tapster hands over control of the taps to the customers.
Upon arrival, guests check in with a host and receive a Tapster card linked to their credit card. They can then mosey over to the tap wall and use the card to sample from more than 50 different beverages.
“The average pour at all of my locations is four ounces, because everybody’s just going up, trying a bunch of stuff,” explained Maliszewski, noting that drinkers are charged by the ounce. This allows customers to taste a variety of offerings without committing to full pints.
The system uses RFID technology, with card readers above each tap that open individual valves and track consumption through flow meters. Pricing depends on which beverage you choose — from budget-friendly options at around 30 cents per ounce to premium craft selections at 80 cents per ounce.
“It’s like Froyo for adults,” said Maliszewski, a Chicago native who opened the first Tapster back in 2017, in his hometown. “If you’re going up there, you’re pouring.”
From Chicago to Patchogue
Maliszewski launched the first Tapster in Chicago after exiting a career in advertising. The concept quickly gained traction, with customers regularly asking if it was available as a franchise.
“I never, ever thought that Tapster would become as big as it has,” Maliszewski said.
The brand has since expanded to locations in Seattle, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Lexington, Kentucky. The Patchogue location will be the largest Tapster to date and the first truly suburban location.
Local ownership
The Patchogue Tapster will be owned and operated by Allison Dee, 53, a Ronkonkoma resident with over 20 years of corporate accounting experience. After working with a career coach to explore new directions, Dee discovered Tapster while researching franchise opportunities.
“I love wineries, I love tasting rooms in general,” said Dee, who will leave her current accounting position to focus solely on the new venture. “I saw the Tapster logo and I was intrigued … I never looked back. I just found their website, got sucked in, called them and yeah, rest is history.”
Dee’s daughter Megan, 22, will serve as assistant manager, making Tapster a family-run, woman-owned business.
More than the drinks
At 171-person capacity, the spacious venue will feature Tapster’s signature swing seating — tables surrounded by suspended swing seats — along with stadium-style seating, communal tables and private booth areas.
The back room will host a rotating schedule of events including yoga classes, paint-and-sip sessions, creative workshops and private parties. Games will be available throughout, with plans for darts, pool tables and just maybe some pinball machines as a nod to the space’s previous tenant.
The tap selection will emphasize local offerings, with 60-70% of the beverages on tap being sourced from New York breweries and producers. Maliszewski and Dee said Tapster will prioritize options as close to Patchogue as possible.
The menu will also include cocktails, mocktails, cold brew coffee, and kombucha. Light snacks like popcorn, chips, local beef jerky and handheld pizzas will be available.
Safety built in
Tapster incorporates responsible drinking measures into its technology. After two full servings, cards automatically stop working, prompting a visual check from staff before reactivation.
“We have taken the bartender from behind the bar and put him in front,” Maliszewski explained. Staff members are always stationed at the tap wall to assist customers and monitor consumption.
The result is a more social experience than traditional bar, he said.
“All you have to do is stand at the tap wall and you’ll meet everybody, because everybody’s got to come up to the tap wall,” Maliszewski said. “It’s actually much easier to meet somebody at Tapster than at a regular bar.”
Envisioning a community hub
Beyond beverages, Maliszewski and Dee envision Tapster as a community gathering space.
“The overall vibe of Tapster is really a community hub,” Maliszewski said, noting plans for live acoustic music, trivia nights, craft fairs, and opportunities for local artists and instructors to host events.
What sealed the deal for Dee was the sense that Tapster would be a place where she’d want to spend time herself.
“When I look at it, it looked just like a fun place where people would want to go and hang out, where I would want to hang out,” she said.
The venue will be open seven days a week, with hours until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and earlier closings on weekdays. Weekend hours will begin about noon, with weekday hours starting around 4 p.m.
Dee is actively seeking local artists and instructors interested in hosting events in the back room space, from sound healing classes to creative workshops.
Finding the right fit
The announcement that Tapster was coming to Long Island came earlier this year. After scoping out locations for six to seven months — including Huntington and Farmingdale — Dee and Maliszewski found their ideal location in downtown Patchogue.
“This location is bigger than any other Tapster,” Maliszewski said. “It’s gonna be the biggest location that we’ve ever done for a Tapster, which is fun because it gives us a lot of freedom to put all the other things that we haven’t been able to put in the other ones.”
Maliszewski praised Patchogue’s transformation and welcoming atmosphere.
“It’s a classic, kind of Norman Rockwell town,” he said. “Americana. I love it.”
He also noted the supportive reception from village leadership, calling Mayor Paul Pontieri “a super nice guy” who is “very open” to new businesses.
Timeline
The project has received verbal approval for change of use from the village planning board, with written approval expected following a meeting next month, Dee said.
Building permit applications will be submitted immediately after, with construction anticipated to start in January or February.
Top: (inset) photo taken by Nicholas Esposito, (main) Tapster in Chicago, via Facebook/Tapster.
