Batch
Borrowing can be overwhelming, especially for a small businessperson like me, I wear a lot of different hats in one day. …But they made it easier as far as describing exactly what I needed and they were patient with my thought process.
People
When Meghan Pohl and Jessica Brewster started selling their small-batch jams and jellies from a Saxonburg storefront in 2014, there were few local businesses on Main Street. In 2015, just five shops participated in the town’s inaugural “Mingle on Main” event. A decade later, Batch is among scores of businesses that participate in Saxonburg’s summer mingles, and space on Main is at a premium. When their landlord offered to sell them Batch’s building, they went looking for financing.
Progress
Owners of the Derailleur Bike Shop Café recommended The Progress Fund, which loaned Batch $230,000. Owning the building has improved Batch’s bottom line by hundreds per month.
Impact
Batch still sells signature jellies and jams, but also locally made soaps, jewelry, candles, pillows and clothing, plus eat-on-site or to-go quiches, breads, soups and cinnamon rolls. Batch has the feel, says Meghan, of “your grandma’s house or your parents’ house, with all the smells and feels of home.” Owning the building allows Jessica and Meghan to plant a garden, add outdoor seating and potentially expand the storage area and kitchen. Meghan says one thing won’t change. “It’ll always be a place to come for not just food, but community, for a place to come in, sit, be with people.”
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