When shopping or dining in Bloomington, it is not unusual to see an item from another local shop for sale. Many Bloomington businesses partner with one another to create a small business community.
Kurtis Cummings, co-owner of Switchyard Brewing Company, said the core reason for partnering is to be as sustainable a business as possible. The company strives for environmental, economic and community sustainability.
“One of the reasons we have so many partnerships is because we believe in being responsible stewards in our community,” Cummings said.
Kassie Jensen, co-owner of Two Sticks Bakery, said the bakery's partnership with Switchyard started when the Switchyard owners offered them their leftover spent grain.
Spent grain is the grain that remains after the beer making process. There is usually a large amount left after a brew. Cummings said it’s usually around 600 pounds. The leftover that isn’t baked into dog treats by Two Sticks Bakery is picked up by a local farmer to feed the cattle.
Cummings said they try to find different uses of the grain to make sure their process is sustainable.
In addition to sustainability, Cummings said the partnerships help reach different demographics, which ultimately helps bring in new customers for all the businesses involved. He said Bloomington businesses all tend to have a natural affinity to one another because they share similar values.
“If you operate a business in Bloomington, you put it here for a reason,” he said.
One of Switchyard’s most important partners is Hopscotch Coffee. Hopscotch offers a specialty blend at Switchyard called the Kickstart Blend. They also use this in their Hopscotch Coffee Stout.
Another partnership is the Big Cheeze food truck, which parks right in front of Switchyard to allow customers to get food since Switchyard doesn’t sell food.
Cummings said the partnership came about because he and co-owner, Jeff Hall, used to work on an ambulance, and the Big Cheeze was one of the few places to get food in the middle of the night.
“We would regularly go to the Big Cheeze when we worked on the ambulance, and we got to know the workers really well,” Cummings said.
Switchyard also offers tea from Cup and Kettle Tea Company to patrons who prefer it to coffee.
Cup and Kettle Tea Company owner Jessica Messmer said working with others was always part of her business plan.
“We believe as a company that partnering with local businesses helps create synergy and vitalization for downtown,” Messmer said. “We feel that it helps downtown businesses as a whole.”
The Inkwell, the Pourhouse Cafe and Bloomingfoods are among many local cafes that serve and sell Cup and Kettle tea.
They partner with Hopscotch Coffee and Brown County Coffee for the coffee they use in their store.
“Besides the warm, fuzzy feelings you get from working together it also helps to create community, and that’s what we're all about,” Messmer said.
