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Dayton Entrepreneurs

Savorista Offers Shockingly Great Decaf Coffees

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Love coffee, but it doesn’t love you? Fear not, Savorista & its line of caffeine-conscious coffees are here!

Founder Kait Brown was working a high-stress job in Chicago when her father was diagnosed with cancer. She switched to decaf when she realized her coffee consumption was making it even harder to sleep and deal with the stress.

But she discovered that her decaf options sucked, she recalled with a laugh. So she and her husband set off around the globe to find and bring home the best decaf coffee.

Kait pitched Savorista at our August 2019 edition of Early Risers.

“Most decaf is bad because it starts with lower quality beans that are chemically decaffeinated,” she said.

Kait & Daniel visited coffee producers and decaffeination centers in South America & East Africa. They tried hundreds of cups of coffee to find better beans & processes.

Savorista currently offers four caffeine-conscious decaf coffees online. The coffee begins with high-quality beans that are naturally decaffeinated using a water process, then roasted to order in small batches. Wait plans to also offer a low-caffeine coffee later this fall.

“We’re looking to shift the way people think about low-caffeine & decaf coffees,” she said. “It’s a valuable addition to your day, especially in the afternoon or evening with a great pastry. It’s not a punishment for being caffeine-sensitive.”

In the U.S. there are 30M people who drink decaf coffee at least once a week, representing a $1B market, Kait shared. And there are another 80M who drink coffee every day, but are interested in limiting their caffeine intake, representing an addition $2.7B market, she added.

Savorista is aiming to be the household name in decaf coffee. So far, they have shipped product to 37 states and 3 countries.  Support Kait by trying a cup of Savorista coffee & telling a friend!

Kickstarter live for veteran startup seeking to recycle uniforms, tell stories

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Will Romes is working to help fellow veterans transition to civilian life — by helping their uniforms make that same transition.

Will’s new company, Eighth Order, will take donated uniforms from retired veterans and re-pattern them into new oxford-style cotton shirts. He’s running a Kickstarter now to get the company up & running.

An Air Force veteran, Will wasn’t ready to retire at age 38.

“In military life, there are stage gates,” he explained. “Goals are easily achievable  if you follow the path laid out.”

As he looked toward retirement, he realized he didn’t have a path laid out for his post-military career. He was pondering this new reality one Sunday as he dressed for church, and his eyes wandered to the four stacks of military uniforms that he would soon be throwing away.

It seemed like a shame, he recalled. So he looked for a way to repurpose it.

He connected with a factory in California that can make eight pattered shirts out of each military uniform, But Eighth Order isn’t only about clothes — it’s also about the stories behind those uniforms, he said.

According to the Veterans Administration, between 11 and 20 percent of U.S. veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Will is one of them.

Sharing the stories behind the uniform — what countries it has traveled to, what campaigns it has seen — can help the veteran deal with the disorder, Will said.

When veterans donate their uniforms, they’ll also return a card where they share as many or as few details from their service as they wish. This card will eventually be distributed with the shirts the uniform is used to create.

Will has 45 days to go on his $20K Kickstarter goal. He hopes to launch his Eighth Order e-commerce shop in February 2020. Share this story, & click here to support him!

Meet the entrepreneur opening a boutique workout studio downtown

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Looking for a quick, efficient group workout downtown? Lindsey Deck wants her new workout studio, Third Space Fitness,  to be just the spot.

Lindsey is building out a boutique fitness studio in the St. Clair Lofts with plans to launch classes in September. Classes offered will include barre, TRX and dance cardio. 

Attorney at Taft Law, wife and mother, Lindsey knows how important it is to take care of yourself — and how important it is for those workouts to be time-efficient & require a limited commute.

“As a mom, I take better care of my daughters if I take care of myself,” she said. “But I’ve got to get in, get out and get home.”

Lindsey has been taking group fitness classes since she was a teenager. She likes the community atmosphere & the variety of workouts that hit flexibility, cardio and strength all in one.

“I don’t want to go into the gym and have to figure it out,” she said. “I want to be told what to do, see friends, then go home.”

Lindsey first dreamed of someday owing her own studio when she was in law school in St. Paul, Minnesota. After returning to Dayton, as she started to look for the perfect studio location, she kept being drawn back downtown, where she works.

“I’ve been living in Dayton since I was 6 years old, and I’m super excited about everything going on downtown,” she said. “I feel like a proud parent, I get so excited whenever there is good news about Dayton. I am thrilled we found a spot downtown.”

Her studio offerings will complement other fitness offerings in the downtown area, such as yoga, cross fit, weight lifting, cycling and boxing, she said — & maybe someday, these studios will join forces for a membership that allows people to tap into them all, she added.

In the meantime, she blames her father for her entrepreneurial goals. A general contractor, he launched his business when Lindsey was in elementary school.

“I kept waiting for that feeling to go away, but when I finally talked to my dad, he understood it, this nagging,” she recalled. “It’s very cool to create something of your own.”

Stay tuned on Instagram thirdspacedayton for the latest as Lindsey gets her studio up & running.

Dayton woman launches social media management co

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Need a social media guru for your small business? Taylor Hudson is your woman.

Taylor launched her company, Taylored Social, on July 1. Taylored Social is a small business social media management company, offering a full suite of services including social media monitoring, posting, content creation and consulting.

“We’re empowering small businesses to grow and leverage online communities,” she said.

Taylor face is familiar to many local entrepreneurs — a Dayton native, she tapped into the local startup scene early when she took a job at Nucleus Coshare at 19.

“I love how everyone treated me as an equal, even when I was in college,” she recalled. “If you’re engaged in the startup community, you’ve experienced that sense of support — you’re empowered, even if you don’t own a company.”

Last fall, Taylor accepted a full-time position at The University of Dayton. But she quickly realized that she preferred the odd but flexible hours of the startup world to the steadier pace of a 9-5. As she started voicing these feelings to friends, they encouraged her, and purchased an online course in entrepreneurship for her.

“It was a pivotal moment, to realize they believe in me, and they’re willing to invest in me,” she said.

In July, she returned to The Entrepreneurs Center part-time and launched her social media company.

“I love social media because it’s a platform to be creative and easily connect with individuals across the world,” she said. “Relationships and interactions don’t need to be bound by geography, social media makes connecting with others remotely quite easy.”

But Taylored Social is more than just social media — it’s about being social and connecting in real life to support fellow creatives & small business owners, she said.

To demonstrate this side of her work, Taylor organized a photoshoot event that pulled in multiple collaborators including The Brightside Music & Event Venue, Fusian, Home with Ashley, Breana Soliday Co., Kandice Stidham Photography & volunteer models. The participants donated their time and supplies to connect in person, then used the resulting images to cross promote each other’s skills across social media. 

“It was magic,” she described. “Remember to stay connected and supportive online and in person.”

When she’s not running her social media management company, Taylor can be found hanging with her two best guys, fiancé Alec and dog Blue; shopping local; or organizing events to benefit local charities.

Connect with her here.

Dayton Syringe Co Named Most Promising Startup

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Mick Hopkins

Dayton startup True Concepts Medical, brainchild of Mick Hopkins, has been named 2019’s most promising startup by the Quality & Safety Education for Nurses International Forum.

Mick has invented a series of new syringe technologies capable of revolutionizing healthcare across the globe. The first of these technologies, Diversyn, has the potential to reduce false blood cultures by up to 92%. The second, S.A.F.E., can save lives during cardiac arrest by ensuring the proper saline flush automatically follows the administration of epinephrine.

He exhibited prototypes of these devices at the annual QSEN conference, held in Cleveland at the end of May. He was one of seven companies set up to demo products to the 150+ nursing leaders from across the country during a new “Evolving Ideas in Healthcare” event.

These leaders tapped Mick’s company for the award for the most promising innovation in healthcare technology for quality and safety.

“I knew that people would be interested since it was a nursing conference, and they would get it, but the overwhelming acceptance of devices was humbling,” Mick said.

Several of the hospital leaders were interested in purchasing the syringes, and the Institute is willing to help market the devices when the time comes, which will hopefully be within the next two years, he said.

There were also great questions from these future end users, including suggested applications Mick hadn’t explored, such as use in dialysis treatment, he added.

Other products demoed at the QSEN conference included analytics-driven software apps, a new chest-tube technology, & a learning platform for nurses.

Mick holds 4 U.S. patents for his syringe technologies & has multiple international patent applications pending. He’s currently raising funds to manufacture a full prototype run and clear FDA regulations. Ultimately, he hopes to license the technology to an existing medical device manufacturing company.

Workout outdoors with new fitness startup Honey Active

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Heather Allen

Heather Allen has weights, jump ropes and a bluetooth speaker — and she’ll travel to a park near you.

Heather is the founder of Honey Active, recently launched outdoor fitness startup. She leads outdoor group fitness classes in Dayton parks, and offers personal training and corporate fitness event services.

“I like showing people new spots — places they don’t think to workout,” she said. “You really can do it anywhere, and I’m proving that to people.”

Heather is an accountant-turned-fitness guru. She actually got into fitness, specifically running, after her first busy accounting season. A former cheerleader and soccer player, she had always been active, until that that stretch of 60- to 70-hour work weeks behind the desk.

“I started feeling slow and groggy and icky,” she recalled. “So I signed up for a marathon to motivate myself.”

She got addicted to running after that, she added with a laugh.

A few years ago, she helped start an accountability group with a few friends to talk about wellness. The group wound up deciding to do weekly workouts together, and Heather found herself organizing those workouts at Riverscape Metro Park.

Soon, people outside the original accountability group started showing up for the workout classes, so she rented Knack Creative’s Studio 42 and began holding training classes on the side. Requests from personal and corporate clients soon followed.

Sweat Bee is a boot camp style class that is 45 minutes of hard work.

Heather quit her day job and went full-time with Honey Active in March. She runs the bulk of her outdoor group classes at Oak & Ivy Park in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood she calls home. She hasn’t decided what her winter season will look like yet — if she’ll build out a studio or just find a big, open space.

“What drives me is helping people be more confident and energized,” she said. “I’m helping people find a healthy lifestyle, not chase fad diets. It gives me energy, helping others in this specific way, doing something I love and sharing it with people.”

She’s grateful she experienced those periods of inactivity because it helps her relate to her clients, she said.

“I believe in discipline, but I’m not no-excuses,” Heather said. “Life happens, we deal with it, then we move on and build.”

The desire to convey this sentiment shows in her company name — Honey is for natural, local; Active is for fitness, she said.

“I wanted the brand to reflect who I am,” she said. “A little fun, a little cheeky, and I don’t really like rules.”

(DE-FI) Seeking Input on Fashion Coworking Space

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Caressa Brown founded (DE-FI), the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator, six years ago with the goal of making Dayton the fashion capital of the Midwest.

Today, she is poised to open the region’s first multidisciplinary fashion coworking studio — and she wants your input.

“We’re shedding our grassroots structure and becoming more visible within the community,” Caressa said. “The multidisciplinary fashion coworking space will offer fashion professionals an affordable and unique workspace right here in Dayton — a fashion business hub created by and for the fashion community.”

(DE-FI) is holding a series of bi-weekly public meetings  in the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch’s Conference Room 1B, to get community feedback on the general direction, business model, and logistics for the fashion coworking space. The current vision for it incorporates a design studio featuring design software, designated and roaming desks, designated and roaming offices, a visual art studio, a fashion studio, a makerspace, a micro-manufacturing/fabrication space, photography studio, sewing studio, conference room, production room, classroom space, networking space, and venue rental.

 

Participants in the Aug. 3 session will hear about the progress of the local fashion community and will work together in small groups to generate ideas for the character and amenities of the space that may be incorporated into the overall plan, Caressa said.

Follow-up meetings will be held at the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch on  Aug. 31, 10a-12p, Conference Room 3A; & Sept. 14, 10a-12p, Conference Room 3A.

(DE-FI) currently operates a number of subsidiaries that work different angles to make Dayton a fashion center. Among them, The Gem City Sewing Company trains individuals to sew, prioritizing work with underserved communities; Dayton Garment & Textile District offers micro-manufacturing and an online registry of seamstresses, fabric makers, pattern makers, weavers, fabric dyers, beaders, embroiderers and vendors; & Dayton Threads, an online boutique, hopefully soon to be a brick and mortar shop, offers retail space for individual and emerging designers to sell their products.

(DE-FI) also runs Dayton Fashion Week, and holds workshops on topics ranging from combatting sexual harassment and trafficking to advocating legislators and establishing reporting hotlines to combat the predatory aspects of the fashion industry.

For more info, visit (DE-FI) online.

Battle Sight Tech gearing up to launch suite of new products

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Nick Ripplinger

As Dayton startup Battle Sight Technologies approaches its second birthday, the company is preparing to launch a suite of new products to serve the warfighter, founder and president Nick Ripplinger said.

Battle Sight Technologies recently announced a new licensing deal with the Air Force Research Lab that would enable it to build out its suite of infrared spectrum tools using a new phosphor technology.

This phosphor works like the light in watch dials — it charges on any type of light, then emits in the infrared spectrum, Ripplinger explained. The charge lasts about 20 hours.

Battle Sight will be using this new material to spin out at least four new products for its military customers.

The first product will be phosphor-equipped badges, enabling friendly identification on the battlefield or in a training environment, Ripplinger said.

The phosphor tech can also be incorporated into a paint-like substance to use to mark tools to make it easier to identify items on a patrol or similar mission.

The tech can be used as a sort of backlight for information to allow soldiers to keep track of important frequencies or locations – think the reflective bands that quarterbacks use to keep info on plays on their person, Ripplinger described.

Also, in its powder form, the phosphor can be used to tag and track objects, he added.

Battle Sight Technologies is also developing a second product with the infrared capsules it uses in its CrayTac markers. The new product is an infrared sea dye marker that utilizes buoyant, chemiluminescent squares to float with a life raft to make it easier to find downed pilots and aircraft faster, Ripplinger explained.

The sea dye was developed in tandem with end-user feedback, Ripplinger said — military leaders came to the shop and brainstormed with the Battle Sight Team, which then won the first Air Force Pitch Day competition. The company was able to use the prize money to prototype the new product, which debuted at Tech Warrior in June.

“There’s no better feeling than when the warfighter is coming to us with a problem because they think we can fix it,” Ripplinger said. “We have the best customers in the world.”

Battle Sight’s new suite of phosphor tech products are expected to hit the market in Q1 of 2020.

As the product lines grow, Ripplinger hopes to grow the team as well. He’ll expects to hire four to six employees in year three, ranging from product managers to admins to brand managers.

Interested in working for this awesome veteran-owned Dayton startup? Check out battlesighttech.com for more info on the company.

Local Startup Ella Bella Shipping Internationally

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Local startup Ella Bella Gluten-Free can now be found abroad!

The company landed its first international account last month, founder Mandy Groszko shared. She shipped one case each of her gluten-free flour, brownie, chocolate chip and sugar cookie mixes and two cases of her lactation cookie mix to a shop named Chisai-Bums in Okinawa, Japan.

“I am extremely excited, and just flabbergasted, that something I made and created is going halfway around the world,” Groszko said.

The Japanese shop is approximately 7,000 miles from Ella Bella’s home base in Fairborn, OH. Shipping was easier than anticipated — the presence of a US Air Force base at the destination allowed Groszko to use domestic pricing and domestic customs forms, all available on the USPS website, she said.

The Chisai-Bums store owner found Ella Bella through a closed Facebook group created for the community of mothers using cloth diapers for their new babes. The owner of a cloth diaper store in Fort Wayne that sells Ella Bella’s lactation cookie mixes posted a positive review of the cookies, along with a note about how she could sell them at a 100 percent markup.

The lactation cookie mix is the top retail product for Ella Bella, founded in 2012. Groszko launched the company when her daughter was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance.

“I wanted to be able to make a single chocolate chip cookie that she would eat and like and that my husband would eat and like,” she recalled.

She developed the lactation cookie mix two years ago after a conversation with her longtime friend Allison Hopkey Fullenkamp, owner of samozrejme, a Troy store featuring eco-friendly parenting products. The lactation cookie mix includes additional minerals and vitamins that help new moms produce milk.

Groszko sold the cookie mix at samozrejme for a year before she began marketing the product, she said.

Ella Bella is currently on shelves in 21 retail stores, primarily in the Dayton-Cincinnati-Columbus region. You can also find the mixes on shelves in California and Alaska — those shop owners also found Groszko through the post in the closed Facebook group before purchasing her products through FAIRE an online wholesale marketplace for retailers seeking unique goods for their stores.

“The dream is to get into a store in every state across the country,” she said. “I have a gluten-free product, the flour, that allows people to get back in the kitchen.”

The Ella Bella gluten-free flour is a one-to-one substitute for traditional flours, whether it’s in a roux, a fried breading or a baked good, Groszko said.

“You can cook your family recipes,” she said. “You can have that family connection, that communication, that love that happens in a kitchen, and then it’s good food to eat at the end, and those people who don’t have to be gluten-free also enjoy the food.”

Want to try the mixes for yourself? Order online or find a store near you!

Welcome to The Collaboratory!

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The Collaboratory Logo

Cities are amazing things. Their growth during the 17th and 18th centuries helped lay the foundation for some of the largest leaps in thought in that era, and have continued to be a source of innovation ever since. A conversation in one of the booming coffee houses in 17th century London lead to the writing of Newton’s Principia; another chat lead to the creation of Lloyd’s of London, the world’s first insurance agency. The Industrial Revolution grew slowly within cities, drawing people in with opportunities for economic growth. The density of people in urban centers helped to spread ideas by developing a fertile environment for it. The more seeds of ideas that are planted in one area, the better the chances those thoughts will bump into each other and spawn completely new, innovative thoughts. The internet may have us more connected to more resources than ever before, but there is still something special about meeting people face to face. Adding a personality and a voice to all those interesting Facebook posts and LinkedIn updates. That is where The Collaboratory, a new place for people to connect, share, and develop, comes in.

The Collaboratory is located at Courthouse Square, the hub of downtown Dayton, and provides a space for everyone to use. There is a wealth of talent in this area, and we are seeing it grow in leaps and bounds. It is being developed in homes and small offices through the city, people working long days on labors of love. The Collaboratory is a space for people who are looking for more tools, a change of scenery, and more access to expert advice on building a business. It is for entrepreneurs who are just starting out and looking for help and for established businesses needing a place to work on larger projects. Being downtown encourages a wider group of people to come and utilize the space, attracting politicians, students, non-profit experts, and civic leaders to interact and develop new ideas to enhance the Miami Valley. It is within walking distance to many resources, like the Metro Branch of the Dayton Public Library, Sinclair Community College, and Boston Stoker. Physically, it offers one of the largest white boards in the Miami Valley, as well as internet access, public and individual tables, and the ability to be reserved for morning and evening meetings. All of this access costs just $5 and a mention on social media!

The Collaboratory pricing

Connect and collaborate for the cost of a few beers. What could be better?

This venture has been spearheaded by Peter Benkendorf, someone who has believed strongly in this community since he moved here in 2008. He is head of Involvement Advocacy, a group dedicated to encouraging collaborative efforts and creating support systems for those seeking to build a better Dayton. By developing spaces and events that bring people together, better known as Collaborative Infrastructure, Involvement Advocacy is looking to put our city on the map with St. Louis, New York, and Oakland as leaders in innovation. Spaces like this foster interaction with thinkers in diverse industries, ones that may not otherwise have a chance to sit down at a table together. This is where new concepts are developed, ones that can add a fresh sparkle to the Gem City.

Cities are engines for developing new ideas, and Dayton has the talent and imagination to make its own future. The Collaboratory wants to collect that imagination and turn it into businesses, actions, and inspiration to go out and connect with members of your community. There are many places in Dayton you can go outside of your office to get some work done. There are few where you have all of the resources you need to assemble something new. This space will be open on Monday, January 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM. We look forward to seeing and reporting about all of the phenomenal new ideas to come out of The Collaboratory! What will you be heading downtown to build?

Apply Now for Activated Spaces’ Pop-Up Fall Project

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Pop-up DotsFor those who have dreamed of opening their own business, now is the time to give it a try and the place to try it is downtown Dayton.

Activated Spaces, an initiative to fill downtown storefronts, is accepting applications for temporary retail and service businesses to open downtown this fall as part of the fifth phase of its Pop-up Project. The project matches business owners and entrepreneurs with downtown property owners who have first-floor storefront space available for occupancy.

Interested retailers should fill out an application, which can be downloaded at www.activatedspaces.org, and email it to Jen Cadieux at [email protected]. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, July 19. Tenants will be selected the week of July 29, and retailers must be ready to open no later than Friday, Sept. 20, in time for the fall Urban Nights.  

Lease lengths will range from three to six months. The spaces will have varying lease rates, but will be leased below market value. Activated Spaces volunteers will connect retailers with commercial property owners, help make the space move-in ready, and promote the business during such events as First Friday and Urban Nights. Selected businesses will negotiate leasing terms directly with the selected property owner, but flexibility for the tenant is a priority.

Activated Spaces volunteers hope to build on the success of the Pop-Up Project’s first four phases. Six of the businesses that have opened as part of the Pop-Up Project are still open: Beaute Box, 116 W. Fifth St.; Peace on Fifth, 508 E. Fifth St.; American Pi, 37 S. St. Clair St.; Vintage Barbershop, 110 W. Fifth St.; Sew Dayton, 16 Brown St.; Green Baby, 31 S. St. Clair St.; and All Pilates, 27 S. St. Clair St.

Commercial property owners interested in offering space to Pop-Up Shop owners should contact Jen Cadieux at 937-224-1518. Participating property owners are on the Activated Spaces website. Once a match is made, a limited amount of money is available to be distributed at the discretion of the Activated Spaces team for such purposes as offsetting utility costs, making cosmetic improvements to the space or other necessities for making the space operational.

Activated Spaces, a volunteer-led initiative spearheaded by young professional organizations Generation Dayton and UpDayton, has three main goals:

• reactivate and beautify vacant storefronts with creative displays

• encourage entrepreneurs, artists and community groups to occupy space for short- and long- term uses

• showcase downtown properties and increase interest and investment in available space

Activated Spaces is part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a strategic blueprint for the future of downtown. Those interested in volunteering with Activated Spaces should e-mail [email protected].

Pop-Up Project Seeking Business Owners to Open Downtown

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Guests at Beaute Box, one of the businesses that opened downtown as part of the first phase of the Pop-Up Project.

Guests at Beaute Box, one of the businesses that opened downtown as part of the first phase of the Pop-Up Project.

Activated Spaces, an initiative to fill downtown storefronts, is accepting applications for temporary retail and service businesses to open downtown as part of the second phase of its Pop-up Project. The project matches business owners and entrepreneurs who want to try out a business concept with downtown property owners who have first-floor storefront space available for occupancy.

Interested retailers should fill out an application, which can be downloaded at www.activatedspaces.org, and email it to Sherri Wierzba at [email protected]. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 9. Tenants will be selected March 30, and retailers must be ready to open by May 1.

Lease lengths will range from three to six months. The spaces will have varying lease rates, but will be leased below market value. Activated Spaces volunteers will connect retailers with commercial property owners, help make the space move-in ready, and promote the business during such events as First Friday and Urban Nights. Selected businesses will negotiate leasing terms directly with the selected property owner, but flexibility for the tenant is a priority.

Activated Spaces volunteers hope to build on the success of the Pop-Up Project’s pilot phase, when three businesses filled 2,300 square feet of space. Two of those businesses ― Beaute Box, 116 W. Fifth St., and Peace on Fifth, 519 E. Fifth St. ― are looking to convert their temporary leases into traditional long-term ones. Another business, Basho Screen Printing and Apparel, opened a second area location at 521-523 E. Fifth St. after being drawn to the space when it was occupied by Comfort & Joy, which offered holiday gifts, during the Pop-Up Project’s pilot.

Commercial property owners interested in offering space to interested retailers should contact Sherri Wierzba or Erin Gillespie at 937-224-1518. Participating property owners will be listed on the Activated Spaces website. Once a match is made, a limited amount of money is available to be distributed in $250 increments at the discretion of the Activated Spaces team for such purposes as offsetting utility costs, making cosmetic improvements to the space or other necessities for making the space operational.

The grand opening celebration of Pop-Up Shop Peace on Fifth.

The grand opening celebration of Pop-Up Shop Peace on Fifth.

Activated Spaces, a volunteer-led initiative spearheaded by young professional organizations Generation Dayton and updayton, has three main goals:

• reactivate and beautify vacant storefronts with creative displays

• encourage entrepreneurs, artists and community groups to occupy space for short- and long- term uses

• showcase downtown properties and increase interest and investment in available space

Activated Spaces is part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a strategic blueprint for the future of downtown. Those interested in volunteering with Activated Spaces should e-mail [email protected].

For more information, contact Sherri Wierzba or Erin Gillespie at 937-224-1518.

South Park Tavern – An Entrepreneur Success Story

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Previously, I wrote an article about starting a business with little capital and smart business plan.  Here is a great case study:

Bill Daniels has been in the pizza business for a number of years.  He has a degree from Wright State University and the business savvy and technical knowledge of the food (pizza) industry.  This is a great combination for an entrepreneur.

After starting the successful Pizza Factory years earlier, Bill acquired a building a few blocks away on Wayne Avenue in the South Park neighborhood and began to lease the space on the top floor to tenants.  Then slowly he built the success of South Park Tavern.  At first, he found Shane, who is a sharp bar manager who had experience in the industry.  He gambled on Shane and Shane gambled on him.  He opened only on weekends and served no food.  The neighbors were thrilled to have a place and so they supported the tavern.  Service was terrible and there was no food.  But each weekend, the place got better.  Bill invested everything earned from those early days back into the business.  He began to offer pizza by transporting it from the Pizza Factory store down the street.  He extended the hours each time business picked up.  The neighbors relentlessly promoted the tavern.  If there was a special event, Shane would open the tavern.

Next, the great marketing promotion and understanding of the customer took off.  Shane opened through the week.   They had open mic nights to bring in bands.  They had half price pizza nights on Monday.  Bill built a patio outside and remodeled the tavern, installing 12 micro brew taps in the process.  Instead of offering the same beers and pizza that most other chains offer, the South Park Tavern offered exotic seasonal beers with unique and flavorful pizzas.

The South Park tavern offers only beer and wine.  By not offering hard liquor the establishment identifies itself as family friendly tavern.  Many would be tempted to increase revenue by offering hard liquor, but Bill and Shane understood the importance of their market positioning.

So, Bill used a formula that involved several trends in the industry.

  • Popularity of micro brew beers
  • Different pizzas
  • A hang out for the people of the neighborhood
  • Bands and music
  • No hard liquor

As a result, the South Park Tavern has become a popular and successful  business.  It did not start with a million dollars of capital.  The business stretched the capital and grew in small increments.  The business tried to differentiate itself and it created loyal customers.  Bill and Shane are not done.  They plan to carefully expand the business further.

There are some lessons for entrepreneurs in the growth of the South Park Tavern…