Meet

Carly and Sara:

Before either one of us had a career, we were two Ohio gals studying abroad in Australia who began a friendship that, over 20 years later, became Craft Event Bar Collective.

Carly Witmer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine art painting from Ohio University and the Hoffberger School at MICA. Her career as a bartender started locally: you may remember her from The Caroline, where she was bar manager from 2007-2010, and where she began expanding beer horizons with Troy’s first craft beer tastings. Or you may have seen her behind the bar at The Boathouse, where she was a consultant on the still-fantastic bar and cocktail program as the restaurant opened in 2016. Carly was also involved in designing the bar at Murphy’s Craft Bar and Kitchen in Sidney OH in 2018. Between those gigs, she’s worked at bars across the US and internationally, immersing herself in bar culture and especially beer, which was a passion she shared with her late father, Jim Witmer, who steeped her in the joys of craft beer and home brewed perfection. Cheers, Dad!

Sara Studebaker earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion marketing at BGSU and earned a master’s in Business Administration from Ohio Wesleyan University. Her path to Craft Event Bar Collective winds through all aspects of event planning and preparation; but her passion for wine stands out as the icing on the event cake. As venue manager at The Riverside, in Boulder, CO she gained an appreciation for fine wine and leveraged her experience to become a sales representative with Natural State Fine Wines & Craft Beers upon her return to Ohio. Her ability to know a wine not only for its tasting notes, but also for its appeal to the general public, makes her a perfect fit for your needs. Sara takes the reins on design decisions at our shop, too. Flexing her skill with event decor for your aesthetic enjoyment.