Craft Beer Cellar Belmont and Trinktisch European Food Hall are looking for new ownership.
Co-founders Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker announced their intent to sell the Belmont, Massachusetts-based businesses in a letter to industry members and fans earlier this month (copied in full, below).
“We have had the time of our lives being your local beer and wine store, and now your beer hall and gathering place,” Schalow and Baker, who are also married, wrote. “But, we feel that the time has come for us to get back to ourselves, each other, and to look towards building on our experiences to further explore excellence in hospitality, in the retail and restaurant segment (Craft Beer Cellar Co.), and beer industry education, in a new light.”
The duo are “actively seeking a local individual, family, or group, to pick up where we will leave off” and take over the businesses: “someone who has the same fire and drive for providing an exceptional experience, by selling and supporting the very best in beer, wine, cider, food, and more.”
Schalow and Baker acknowledged that the business will “likely be sold separately” as they “understand what it would take to purchase and run both businesses.” Additionally, they noted they will not use an outside broker for the sales, as they “are not looking to inflate the selling price to pay for these services.”
“Our price(s) will be non-negotiable, as we are looking generally at the value of what the business is worth, based on assets and growth,” they wrote.
While the sale marks a new chapter for the individual businesses, Schalow and Baker are not done with the Craft Beer Cellar franchise, which includes 11 other locations.
“We have given our heart and soul to our businesses and now it’s time to take a step back, stay grateful for our experiences, and forge a new trail ahead,” they wrote. “We are simply tired and ready to change gears, and feel certain that now is the time to make this change in our lives.
“After 13 years of selling and supporting amazing beer, making treasured friends, and proudly watching some of our employees go on to become change-makers in this industry, it feels like the right time,” they continued.
Additionally, Schalow and Baker plan “to remain present to a buyer as long as they feel that they need us, or through the end of the year.”
“There’s a lot to do and a lot to pass on to a new owner,” they wrote. “We look forward to assisting the right person or group in obtaining all the information they need to run a successful and flagship Craft Beer Cellar location.”
Schalow and Baker founded Craft Beer Cellar in 2010, and franchised the business in 2012. The franchise once boasted more than 30 locations across the country, but now includes 12: Belmont and Plymouth, Massachusetts; Cypress and Dallas, Texas; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Lynchburg, Virginia; Nashua, New Hampshire; Pewaukee, Wisconsin; Sedalia, Missouri; Warwick, New York; Waterbury, Vermont; and Washington, D.C.
Trinktisch, a European-inspired beer and food hall, opened in Belmont in 2021.
While Schalow and Baker plan to continue their heavy involvement in the beer industry, their decision to sell their two businesses and step back for a moment marks yet another big moment of leadership change in bev-alc.
The two join a growing list of industry members reevaluating their roles this year. Others include:
- Dharma Tamm, who is stepping down as president of Rogue Ales & Spirits;
- New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer, who departed the company this month;
- Sierra Nevada CEO Jeff White, who announced his retirement in June;
- Jeremy Ragonese, who exited his role as president of Uinta and has taken a role outside of bev-alc;
- Lawson’s Finest Liquids founder Sean Lawson, who has turned over the role of CEO to Adeline Druart;
- John Mallett, who left Bell’s in February after 20 years with the company.
Look out for more news on the sale later this week.
The full letter from Schalow and Baker is copied below:
WE HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE.
Craft Beer Cellar Belmont and Trinktisch are for sale.
We have had the time of our lives being your local beer & wine store, and now your beer hall & gathering place. But, we feel that the time has come for us to get back to ourselves, each other, and to look towards building on our experiences to further explore excellence in hospitality, in the retail and restaurant segment (Craft Beer Cellar Co), and beer industry education, in a new light.
It has been an absolute humbling honor to have been fortunate enough to become a part of this amazing Belmont community, and specifically Belmont Center. We could not have come this far, were it not for all of you. Your loyalty, support, and yes, friendship, made the hard days manageable, and the good days even better. From watching your kids grow up, to feeding your furry friends, we couldn’t have imagined a more wonderful community to open and run a business in.
We are not leaving Belmont. And no, we are not leaving the beer industry. We have a brand to build (Craft Beer Cellar Franchise), places to visit, beers to judge, books to write, and so many more contributions to make in beer. We have given our heart and soul to our businesses and now it’s time to take a step back, stay grateful for our experiences, and forge a new trail ahead. We are simply tired and ready to change gears, and feel certain that now is the time to make this change in our lives. After 13 years of selling and supporting amazing beer, making treasured friends, and proudly watching some of our employees go on to become change-makers in this industry, it feels like the right time.
What we are doing is actively seeking a local individual, family, or group, to pick up where we will leave off. Someone who has the same fire and drive for providing an exceptional experience, by selling and supporting the very best in beer, wine, cider, food, and more! Someone who feels as strongly as we do, that all are welcome at our table, and in our shop. In short, we are mapping out our succession plan. We are in search of like-minded people, interested in purchasing Craft Beer Cellar Belmont and Trinktisch, likely to be sold separately. We understand what it would take to purchase and run both businesses, as we have been doing. Please note: we will not be using the services of an outside broker; we are not looking to inflate the selling price to pay for these services. Our price(s) will be non-negotiable, as we are looking generally at the value of what the business is worth, based on assets and growth.
We plan to remain present to a buyer as long as they feel that they need us, or through the end of the year. There’s a lot to do and a lot to pass on to a new owner. We look forward to assisting the right person or group in obtaining all the information they need to run a successful and flagship Craft Beer Cellar location. Please note: we will be selling to someone with a fresh supply of passion and dedication, someone who values excellence in hospitality and amazing beer & food as much as we do. If this is not you, no need to inquire further.
We cannot say it loud or often enough: we are so truly grateful. And saying “thank you” couldn’t possibly suffice. But we do thank you, resoundingly, and always!
Kate & Suzanne ❤️