In the wake of the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, many restrictions were put in place to slow the spread of the disease. These restrictions disproportionately impacted the food and beverage industry, leaving many business owners at a loss as they struggled to cover their operating costs without the typical revenue they would see from in-person dining.
We recognized the strain and uncertainty that this put on many small business owners and wanted to come up with a way to support our wholesale partners, the people who have bought our coffee for years and allow us to do what we do every day. The plan was to utilize our existing online platform to sell bagged coffee, which would be specifically branded for each participating business, and share 50% of the revenue with said business.
What started out as a program involving eight of our existing wholesale partners, grew quickly to 180 small businesses, not just in Michigan, but across the country. It was no longer just cafes and restaurants, but other businesses who were negatively affected by the inability to operate in-person such as gyms, photographers, and salons. By the time the six month long program had concluded, we sold almost 3,500 bags and had donated $30,000.
Our slogan is “coffee for anyone” and through our Small Business Support program, we were able to meet, collaborate with, and help more people than ever before. While we’re hopefully nearing the end of this pandemic, we hope to be able to continue finding creative ways to make a positive impact in our community.
