The Community Tap
The Community Tap is a privately held craft beer and wine retailer operating three brick-and-mortar locations in the Greenville, South Carolina area, serving local consumers with curated beverages, a monthly wine subscription, private events, and food programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersGreenville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Community Tap does
The Community Tap is a privately held, multi-location craft beer and wine retailer founded in 2010 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. It operates three brick-and-mortar storefronts in the Greenville area — North Main (217 Wade Hampton Blvd), Trailside at the Commons (147 Welborn St.), and Travelers Rest (321-B S. Main St.) — selling curated craft beers, ciders, and wines for on-site consumption and to-go purchase. The business is built around human curation rather than technology: co-owner Ed Buffington is a Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers) who personally drives the wine selection.
Revenue is generated across four streams: in-store retail sales of craft beer and wine; the Roots Wine Club, a monthly subscription delivering six curated bottles with tasting notes and pairing recipes (O.G. Roots at $115/mo or $1,200/yr; Red Collection at $125/mo or $1,380/yr); private event hosting at the North Main tasting room and via the Brewtus mobile beer trailer for groups of 10 to 200+; and food service through an on-site kitchen (opened Spring 2024) plus food truck partnerships at North Main. The company also runs community programming including the Community Pride Fair (with The Radio Room and PFLAG Greenville) and the Young Entrepreneurs Market, with charitable tie-ins to Project Host.
The business is founder/owner-operated with a stated headcount of 10 employees, no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public listing. Technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and an email newsletter; there is no e-commerce platform, mobile app, or proprietary software. The GTM motion is community-led, with customer acquisition driven by local events, wine club subscriptions, and private event referrals.
The Community Tap firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Community Tap
- Legal name
- The Community Tap
- Website
- https://thecommunitytap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Community Tap is a privately held craft beer and wine retailer operating three brick-and-mortar locations in the Greenville, South Carolina area, serving local consumers with curated beverages, a monthly wine subscription, private events, and food programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Community Tap industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Beverage Retail
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where The Community Tap is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Community Tap business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Craft Beer & Wine Retail: In-store retail sales of craft beers and curated wines across three Greenville-area locations. On-site pouring by the glass and take-home bottles.
- Roots Wine Club Subscription: Monthly wine subscription delivering six bottles per month with tasting notes, producer information, and pairing recipes. Options include O.G. Roots (mostly reds) and Red Collection plans billed monthly, quarterly, or annually.
- Private Events: Private event hosting including tasting room bookings, outdoor tent rentals, and Brewtus mobile beer trailer. Catering to groups from 10 to 200+ attendees with craft beer and wine service.
- Food & Food Trucks: Food truck partnerships at North Main location and kitchen operations (opened Spring 2024) at tasting room.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | O.G. Roots - Mostly reds with guest appearances from white, rose, or orange wines |
| Subscription | Monthly | Red Collection - Exclusively red wines for enthusiasts |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Private Events - Tasting Room Service |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Brewtus Mobile Beer Trailer |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Community Tap product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Community Tap operates three brick-and-mortar craft beer and wine retail shops in the Greenville, South Carolina area, selling curated craft beers and fine wines for on-premise pouring and to-go purchases. The company supplements retail with a monthly Roots Wine Club subscription (six bottles curated by a certified sommelier) and private event hosting services at its tasting room and via the Brewtus mobile beer trailer.
Product overview
The Community Tap is a multi-location craft beer and wine retail shop offering both on-site consumption and to-go sales across three Greenville-area locations (North Main, Trailside at the Commons, and Travelers Rest). The company operates as a unified retail business combining: core retail operations (Beer & Wine Retail), a subscription offering (Roots Wine Club), event services (Private Events Hosting and Brewtus mobile trailer rental), food service (Food Truck Program), and community event programming (Young Entrepreneurs Market and Community Pride Fair). The product portfolio is not a software platform but a brick-and-mortar hospitality and retail business.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brewtus: The Tap's mobile beer trailer that can be rented for offsite events.
- Roots Wine Club
- Trailside Trotters
Products and services
- Beer & Wine Retail
- Roots Wine Club
- Private Events Hosting
Companies that use The Community Tap
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Community Tap technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Community Tap partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Radio RoomcoreThe Radio Room is a co-presenter of the Community Pride Fair, hosting the event in their parking lot and welcoming attendees into their listening room space. This is a key partnership for the annual LGBTQIA+ visibility event.
- PFLAG GreenvillecorePFLAG Greenville partners with The Community Tap to co-present the annual Community Pride Fair, focusing on LGBTQIA+ organization visibility and nonprofit resources in the Upstate community.
- Project HostcoreProject Host Food Truck provides food service at Community Pride Fair events. Table fees from Young Entrepreneurs Market events are partially donated to Project Host, making them a charitable community partner.
- Upstate LGBT+ ChamberminorThe Community Tap is a proud member of the Upstate LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, indicating membership and participation in the regional LGBTQ+ business community.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Community Tap competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Total Wine & More: National multi-store alcohol retailer with deep craft beer and wine assortment. Comparable as a large-format bottle shop and taproom operator, but with national scale and significantly broader assortment than the Greenville-only operator.
- BevMo!: Multi-store beverage retailer with on-site tasting events and broad craft assortment. Comparable retail/tasting event format, though a much larger chain with standardized operations.
- Binny's Beverage Depot: Large multi-store craft beer, wine, and spirits retailer in the Midwest. Most comparable as a multi-location curated beverage retailer with strong local/regional brand presence, though broader in assortment and scale than The Community Tap.
Emerging players
- Winc: Digital-first wine subscription service delivering curated bottles monthly. Comparable to The Community Tap's Roots Wine Club model on subscription mechanics and curation, but operates online at national scale.
- Firstleaf: Direct-to-consumer wine subscription with curated selections. Comparable to Roots Wine Club on recurring six-bottle monthly delivery and tiered preferences, but operates purely online.
Direct peers
- K&L Wine Merchants: Independent multi-store and online alcohol retailer known for curated wine/spirits selection. Closely comparable on curated, expert-driven merchandising and a strong online channel — a model The Community Tap's Roots Wine Club aspires to scale.
- Sherry-Lehmann: Iconic independent wine and spirits retailer with curated selection and deep tasting program. Comparable as a sommelier-driven, curated wine retailer with strong brand identity in a single metro area.
- Hop City Craft Beer & Wine: Craft beer and wine retailer with taproom and on-site service across multiple locations. Directly comparable as a craft-focused multi-store beverage retailer with on-premise pouring and curated selection.
- Empire Wine & Spirits: Independent large-format wine and spirits retailer focused on curated selection. Comparable as a curated, expert-led beverage retailer with strong in-store tasting experience.
Regional players
- Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods: Regional multi-store beverage and specialty food retailer in Texas. Comparable on multi-store retail format and broad alcohol assortment, though it does not compete in the Greenville market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Community Tap social profiles
Digital presenceThe Community Tap financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Community Tap leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Community Tap funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Community Tap M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Community Tap
What does The Community Tap do?
The Community Tap operates three brick-and-mortar craft beer and wine retail shops in the Greenville, South Carolina area, selling curated craft beers and fine wines for on-premise pouring and to-go purchases. The company supplements retail with a monthly Roots Wine Club subscription (six bottles curated by a certified sommelier) and private event hosting services at its tasting room and via the Brewtus mobile beer trailer.
Is The Community Tap a public or private company?
The Community Tap is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Community Tap founded?
The Community Tap was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Community Tap based?
The Community Tap is headquartered in Greenville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Community Tap make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Craft Beer & Wine Retail is the primary driver. The others are roots Wine Club Subscription, private Events and food & Food Trucks.
Who are The Community Tap's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Total Wine & More, BevMo! and Binny's Beverage Depot. Emerging players are Winc and Firstleaf. Direct peers are K&L Wine Merchants, Sherry-Lehmann, Hop City Craft Beer & Wine and Empire Wine & Spirits. Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods is listed as a regional player.
Does The Community Tap have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Community Tap.
What industry is The Community Tap in?
The Community Tap's product category is Specialty Beverage Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms, with a secondary code of CRANACAE, Wine Bars. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.