The Union Market opened in the Indiana Memorial Union on Oct. 10. It offers snacks, local artwork, IU gear and locally made foods to students and IU visitors alike.
Located on the main level across from the Frangipani room, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Students can use I-BUCKS for food items.
“We decided to make it local so that it is supporting our local community,” director of retail dining Rachael Splain said.
She said not everything is local, but they tried to do as much as they could.
The old gift shop was right next to the Biddle Hotel check-in desk. That space is now a visitor’s information center. The Union Market’s new, more central location helps cater to both guests and students, cashier Elizabeth Flanagan said.
“During the week it’s definitely more students,” she said. “Students will walk around and look at everything and they are super excited. And on the weekends it's been mostly hotel guests that come through because the hotel is right there and they are also super impressed.”
The weekends generally bring in more Biddle Hotel guests than students, Flanagan said.
Splain said the Union Market offers more variety for Bloomington students to purchase food.
IMU Associate Director Mike Campbell said the shop fills a gap that visitors were seeing when visiting. The other retail places in the IMU, like the bookstore, were not offering Bloomington or Indiana-made products.
Splain said the process of finding vendors was a great opportunity to connect with the local community.
One local business that has its products in the Union Market is Soapy Soap Company.
Anthony Duncan, co-founder and chief marketing officer, is an IU alumnus.
The company, rebranding in the coming months to the Mad Optimist, has been making and selling natural body-care products like soaps and body balms for about six years.
Duncan said he was contacted by IU over the summer about the partnership. He was at the grand opening and said customers seemed excited about their products. It’s too soon to tell if it will cause a spike in their overall business.
Another business in the Union Market is Dillman Farm, whose preserves, jellies and sauces are sold in Target, Kroger and Fresh Thyme along with gift shops like the Union Market.
At the Union Market, their apple butter, jalapeno pickles and the F.R.O.G preserves are sold. F.R.O.G stands for fig, raspberry, orange and ginger.
Though Dillman Farm distributes around the country, it is Bloomington-based. The owner, Cary Dillman, is a Kelley School of Business alumni.
Marketing director Megan Dillman said they use simple recipes for their products. They use pure cane sugar, and everything is gluten free and kosher.
“We don’t use the junky stuff,” she said.
She said being in the Union Market has made them more well known among students.
“A lot of the locals in Bloomington know about us but the students aren’t from here, and it does help us to be known more in Bloomington,” she said.
Splain said along with food and other products, they are featuring local artists’ work. She said there will always be new and different things in the Union Market.
“Even though we’re open, we’re still connecting with local vendors and reviewing other local food products,” she said.
