We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Callee Knoll. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Callee below.

Callee, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

My husband, Levi, and I started our brewery/restaurant right after the pandemic. Restrictions were newly lifted, and life seemed to be getting back to (a new) normal. Having been in the restaurant industry for a combined 30+ years, we thought hiring would have been easier than it was. From the get-go, we struggled finding both kitchen and wait staff. We were new business owners navigating the hiring and firing side of things from an ownership point of view, which proved to be much different than anything we’ve experienced working in non-ownership roles.
Over the years, we’ve found staff through in-house referrals, informal walk-ins, online application services, fellow business owners, and so many other avenues. Every staff member has a unique story behind their employment.
Since opening 3 years ago, we’ve learned the ebb and flow of hiring and how to retain valuable crew members from full time, year round to seasonal, part-time staff. A handful of our employees have left and come back, while a few have remained part of our crew since the beginning. Because Levi and I are here almost more than home, we’ve learned to foster an environment where our staff and we can thrive. We owe so much to our staff for creating the successful business we have today, and we truly feel as though they are family.
There are definitely decisions we would have made differently knowing what we know now, but that’s all part of the learning and growing process. Now 3 years in, we have a great core staff and so many more tools in our belts for hiring and retaining staff than when we started.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Levi has been a history and beer nerd for longer than I’ve known him. The two of us met in culinary school over 10 years ago, finding a shared passion for all things food and travel. While we were dating, Levi nudged me toward the craft beer world, informing me of his eventual plans to start a restaurant and brewery. It’s always been his goal to start his own place, and I’ve (somewhat hesitantly) been there to help foster his dream, working as assistant brewer, kitchen staff, and social media manager. Using our combined experience in the restaurant industry, we decided to create a brewery that had an equal focus on good quality, scratch-made food and great drink options. We focus on historic styles of beer, mead, and cider with recipes forgotten in history due to cultural shifts, changes in ingredient supply, and the evolution of brewing processes throughout time. The idea that we could be drinking a brew similar to what our ancestors consumed has always been a source of curiosity and intrigue for Levi. Combine that with our love of elevated yet approachable food, we decided to explore different cuisines to pair with the diversity and cultural history of our taplist. Both our food and drink menus have plenty of allergen-friendly options, as well. We brew ciders and meads on gluten-free equipment and serve it out of gluten-free dedicated taps. Most of our food menu is or can be made gluten-free and our entire facility is nut-free. Offering allergen-friendly options is and always will be a high priority for us. We truly want everyone to feel welcome and safe.
Levi always knew he wanted to set himself apart from the trends of the craft beer world offering something fresh and new yet so embedded in world history. Most of our beer, mead, and cider styles date back to pre-prohibition with our oldest brews from viking era and before. We serve everything from old-style beers with recipes spanning almost every continent to sparkling meads brewed with local honey and cider crafted from area orchards.
We also wanted to create an environment where everyone felt welcome. Our property boasts a large yet cozy taproom surrounded by a wraparound deck and outdoor biergarten out back. All our outdoor spaces are dog-friendly, and we even offer dog burgers and treats for our 4-legged friends. In our biergarten, we have 3 fire pits, multiple corn hole and bocce ball sets, and a separate biergarten bar open in the spring, summer, and fall.
We’re super proud of the environment we’ve created from our loyal regulars and our award-winning 22 taps of beer, mead, and cider, to the delicious food we serve that supports our local farms and community. Combine that with an amazing staff and we have so much to be proud of.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

So much of owning a business is learning what we should and shouldn’t compromise on. Starting with a solid mission statement and general goal for the company influences every decision we make. But there are times when we have to pivot to meet the demand of our clientele. When we started, we had sworn off having TVs in our taproom. About a year in, we made the decision to install a few big screens, recognizing our guests’ interest in sports and the extra revenue it created. We also started out without burgers on the menu. Yes, we fully understood it was a risky move to not serve burgers at a brewery. We also wanted to gauge customers’ palates, offering a menu that was different than most breweries. What will come as a shock to no one, burgers have become a staple on our menu. Having a varied menu of more elevated menu items alongside tried and true favorites still sets us apart from the average brewery while providing a little something for everyone from kids to adults and every appetite in between.
Bottom line is owning a business means almost always having to change course and adjust to customer demands. We try to remain true to our original goals and evaluate what’s worth compromising on.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Steering away from trends in the craft beer world was a risk from the very beginning. In a world of IPAs and smoothie beers, we wanted to go back to the basics. A big reason why that’s remained successful for us is Levi’s passion for historic beer. Without his drive and ambition to bring back forgotten styles and brew what so few are brewing, we likely would have compromised long ago on what we offer. We’ve gotten an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from customers, many of whom have become regulars and Mug Club members. We also love brewing styles we’re both curious about and simply enjoy drinking. There will always be a market for drink trends including hop forward, adjunct heavy, and attention grabbing brews. We have created a taplist for beer nerds, because that’s who we are. Beyond just beer, that includes viking era meads and hard ciders brewed with heritage apple varieties. Customers will always ask for seltzers, more IPA selections, peanut butter beers, or any number of other trend-forward brews. But at the end of the day, we will never be everything to everyone. And we don’t want to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://archivalbrewing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archivalbrewing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archivalbrewing/

Image Credits

Jess Darling Photo
Callee Knoll