CraftCellr Expands Services and Waives Fees

CraftCellr, an online craft beverage marketplace based in Atlanta, Georgia, has expanded its services and waived fees in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Full details from the company are below.

Atlanta, GA — Online craft beverage marketplace CraftCellr has expanded its platform functionality and diversified its portfolio of partners in response to surging demand for streamlined to-go services prompted by the closure of taprooms in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. To further support the craft community, CraftCellr is waiving fees for craft beverage producers and retailers new to its platform for the duration of government-mandated closures.

“We got into the craft beverage segment because we care about our community and the people in it,” explains CraftCellr co-founder Eric Thelen. “In that spirit of community, it was important to us that we band together and do everything possible to keep the businesses we love open, and their employees working, through this unprecedented crisis.”

Initially conceived as a custom-tailored technology for craft brewery membership clubs and limited release pre-sales, CraftCellr has broadened the scope of its services to include simplified retail functionality for craft beverage partners focused on to-go sales. Thanks to the addition of new features, including a tipping option which has already generated over $22,000 for brewery staff, CraftCellr is an increasingly attractive option for managing online sales traffic as craft beverage businesses pivot to new revenue streams.

“Partnering with CraftCellr made our lives easier by making online transactions easier,” says Mike Pelechaty, founder and head brewer of Masthead Brewing Co. in Cleveland, OH. “That, in turn, is making it possible for us to keep our heads above water financially during a time when our former business model is out the window, and to keep employees on the payroll and to ensure that they stay safe and healthy by taking some contact risks out of the sales process.”

With more than 60 brewery partners across 16 states, CraftCellr has already established a robust presence in the craft beer community, but the demands imposed on small businesses by COVID-19 shutdowns necessitated casting a wider net to help distilleries, meaderies, bars and bottle shops develop new paths forward. By expanding upon its existing infrastructure, CraftCellr has been able to generate sales gains for diverse new partners, including The Porter Beer Bar.

According to Porter co-owner Molly Gunn: “CraftCellr has been a great way for businesses like ours to turn inventory into cash during these difficult times, and the platform was super easy to work with. Setup took maybe ten minutes and we’ve already seen significant sales online, plus it’s driven food sales when customers pick up their beer. It’s great.”

In addition to offering its services free of charge to new partners and incorporating tools to enable the support of businesses and employees adapting to the unique demands of current market environs, CraftCellr continues to give back to the craft beverage community by developing unique channels for charitable giving. CraftCellr will be donating all transaction fees generated via sales of “All Together,” a global series of collaboration beers with proceeds benefiting hospitality industry professionals, and will soon announce the release of its own fundraising beer developed in collaboration with Good Word Brewing, Bottleshare, Yakima Hops, and Riverbend Malt House. CraftCellr’s plans for future charitable collaborations are currently in development, and will be announced as they come to fruition.

About CraftCellr

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, CraftCellr is a leader in direct to consumer technology for the craft beverage industry. CraftCellr partners with craft beverage producers and retailers across 16 states to manage their day-to-day operations for to-go sales, memberships, can/bottle release pre-sales, and event ticketing.