Everyday Shop Launches Growler Program

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Everyday Shop and Café is now home to the nation's first Growler Station Express, which offers eight different craft beers for sale to-go in 64-ounce reusable amber glass growlers two-liter "Beast" recyclable plastic bottles. Wilmington, N.C.-based VPS Convenience Store Group, which operates Everyday Shops, formed an exclusive partnership with Growler Station to bring the craft beer "to-go" concept and the patented counter pressure bottling technology to convenience stores, according to the announcement.

"We are very excited to be the exclusive convenience store partner with Growler Station and to be able to offer a selection of craft beer to-go that stays fresher longer and tastes like it is straight from the tap, even weeks later," said Neal Leonhardt, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing. "Craft beer is something our customers are really excited about and now they have the convenience of buying it from the tap, sealing it for optimal freshness and taking it with them to enjoy later."

The Everyday Shop and Café (Liberty), located at 240 Rolkin Road in Charlottesville, Va., was chosen over 424 VPS c-stores to become the premiere test site.

"The Growler Station Express uses a unique counter pressure technology that creates the exact environment from the keg to the growler," said John O'Connell, vice president of business development at Growler Station. "It counter pressure fills the growler with CO2 prior to filling with beer, which means that the process is foam-free and that there is significantly less waste than with other growler systems. The Growler Station Express can fill a 64-oounce growler in approximately 90 seconds. The bottle is then sealed air-tight with metal caps to ensure that the beer never oxygenates, thereby staying fresher longer and tasting better."

To find out which beers are currently available at the store, customers can visit www.facebook.com/GSExpressAtEverydayCafe for real-time updates. The Everyday Shop also features an in-store digital menu display and an iPad station with the GS Beer Wizard App, which allows customers to learn more about the store's selections including style, hop bitterness, color and alcohol content, said the company.

VPS Convenience Store Group currently operates six store brands including Scotchman, Village Pantry, Li'l Cricket, Young's, Next Door Stores and Everyday Shops.