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TOAST OF THE TOWN Buddies' virtual pub puts 'Cheers' camaraderie online for everyone Heather Maddan, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, April 1, 2007 Staying in is the new going out for CherryTap.com, an online pub where you never have to worry about last call. Forget cover charges and dress codes, the Web site watering hole -- which says it has 780,000-plus members -- offers those 18 and older the opportunity to mingle without leaving the comfort of their computers. Users earn "cherry bucks'' for interacting and can cash them in at the virtual gift store to buy presents for other users. A plethora of goods, from gag gifts like a pair of beer goggles or a chill pill to flirtier ones -- a condom or fuzzy handcuffs -- are available there. Co-founders Bill Lee, Mike Hed- lund and Ryan Riccitelli "scraped together money off credit cards and bummed from friends," Lee says, to start the site, which is free of pop-up and banner ads and simulates their own pub experiences. Though CherryTap is not based on any bar in particular, the men liken it to the one in "Cheers." They say the quickest way to become a virtual Norm is to sponsor a Happy Hour on the site. For $100, the user's thumbnail is posted next to the CherryTap logo, which invites members to browse the profile. It's not unusual for the sponsor to receive a virtual shot of Jack Daniel's, a beer or a Rolex from other members during that time frame, when everyone's cherry points double and the store items are all half price. Users start out with Fresh Meat status and can work their way up to Cherry Godfather by referring friends to the site and taking advantage of the activities offered -- from rating people's photos to sending a "secret crush" to someone they admire. For those in need of advice, CherryTap has its own version of a bartender -- a feature called MUMM (Make Up My Mind) where patrons can post questions -- from which outfit to wear to whether they should dump their boyfriend -- so other members can respond. Volunteer bouncers using screen names like Kinky, Suga and Baracudda patrol the site to ensure that adult content is not posted in public areas. Various lounges provide varying vibes and types of music. Named for Hedlund's fondness for Hansen's cherry soda (he drinks six or seven cans a day, but said he's cutting back) and a beer tap, CherryTap is the friends' version of a teenybopper-free MySpace or Facebook. Members have profiles where they can download photos and receive messages. Headquartered in Lee's Los Altos home, the company, which has amassed users around the world including U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and a few verified celebrities like Gary Busey (cherrytap.com/garybusey). Riccitelli, 34, has since moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he continues to play an active role in the company. "We make enough to keep the lights on, get a few beers and pizza from time to time," said Lee, 36. "I spend all my waking hours on the site," said Hedlund, 29. "Even some when I'm not awake."
