A decade ago, Lindsay Held and Jeff Carton attempted to send a gift across the country to their former college roommate. After discovering the difficulty of sending premium spirits online, they saw an opening in the market that they quickly capitalized on.
ReserveBar pioneered the premium spirits online space and continues to lead it. ReserveBar is headquartered right in the heart of our beautiful Main Street.
We sat down with Founder, Lindsay Held to talk about how ReserveBar continues to innovate and lead the online luxury spirits space and how a serendipitous encounter led him home to Ridgefield.
Talk to us about ReserveBar. How and why did you start the platform?
- My co-founder and I wanted to send several bottles of premium vodka to a college friend who lived across the country and quickly realized that no website was devoted to doing just that – so we built one instead. ReserveBar has pioneered the online luxury spirits market. Now, heading into our tenth anniversary, it has become the established e-commerce leader in rare, luxury, and ultra-premium spirits for all occasions. We specialize in discovery, customization, and convenient access to the world's finest spirits, champagnes, and wines for self-consumption, collecting, innovative gifting, and provisioning an outstanding bar.
- In November 2021, ReserveBar acquired Minibar Delivery, an on-demand delivery provider with over two million SKUs. We successfully integrated the Minibar Delivery technology and retailer network in less than a year post-acquisition, allowing ReserveBar to offer customers the choice of on-demand delivery and shipping as the method of fulfillment via ReserveBar.com. Most recently, ReserveBar Holdings Corp. has expanded its portfolio with Get Stocked, which will serve as a content-centric destination dedicated to exploring and purchasing a curated selection of the best craft beer, ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs), and hard seltzers available.
We read in The Wine Enthusiast that you are going to soon be able to offer messages from celebrities for their brands, plus on-demand delivery experiences within one hour. Are you able to elaborate on any of that?
- ReserveBar is a digital marketing partner for spirits brands. We can showcase their products in an on-brand fashion. As a result of our relationship, we have become the industry's launch partner for new brands, new variants, and special limited bottles, and that has also developed into partnerships with "celebrity brands" who rely on our experience in providing consumers a seamless path to purchase. ReserveBar's philosophy has always centered around providing our customers with the best shopping experience in the industry. Launching our new on-demand delivery capabilities last year significantly enhanced our ability to meet the consumer at their point of need with even more efficiency, speed, and convenience. Introducing on-demand delivery gives users a better, more convenient way to shop with a personalized, effortless, and unparalleled customer experience. In addition, ReserveBar offers many exciting new features, including expanded content and customer reviews, improved merchandising, and video messaging for gift-giving.
What is your advice to other entrepreneurs looking to cultivate their own venture?
- Embarking on the journey of building a business is undoubtedly a challenging endeavor that demands dedication, resilience and a healthy dose of innovation. There are complexities and uncertainties that come with cultivating your venture. Here are the tips that have been helpful for me when I was trying to make my business work, especially during the good times and the bad times.
- Continuous Learning - Keep learning, and stay up-to-date on what's new in your industry.
- Stay open to new ideas. Be willing to experiment and adapt.
- Build a Strong Team: Surround yourself with talented individuals who share your vision. A cohesive team can complement your skills, bring fresh perspectives, and contribute to the growth of your venture. Never try to be the "smartest guy in the room "- I am certainly not.
- Most importantly, rely on friends and family as your sounding board because starting a business is a lonely endeavor, regardless of what it is. Try to seek advice from people even if they are not part of your business.
Can you tell us briefly what you did prior to ReserveBar?
- I have been everything from a corporate lawyer and an associate at an investment bank to an ice cream man owning stores in NYC.
Finally, what brought you to Ridgefield?
- Ultimately, what led me to Ridgefield was a serendipitous encounter. I happened upon Ridgefield's Main Street during a vibrant town fair, and in a moment reminiscent of The Talking Heads' timeless lyrics, "This must be the place."