Collaboration Is Key

Local business owners connect to help make their bigger dreams a reality.

| 2018 Q1 | story by Anne Brockhoff | photos by Steven Hertzog
 Collaboration

Alchemy Coffee & Bake House and KANbucha and Bates Co. (owner of Bon Bon and The Burger Stand restaurants) have a lot in common. Each opened in a miniscule space. Each grew rapidly, with no outside investors. And, each counts people among its most essential assets.

 Collaboration

Alchemy

Relationships with customers, employees, collaborators and even each other have helped these entrepreneurs maintain their brands and thrive even as they expanded. Certainly, they’ve beaten the odds so far. One-third of all new businesses fail within two years of starting and half within five, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Yet, Alchemy is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, KANbucha, its eighth, and The Burger Stand, its ninth.

“It’s not just that the products are good, though they are,” Joni Alexander, who co-owns Alchemy with Benjamin Farmer, says of the company’s success. “It’s a human connection.”

It’s impossible not to experience that at Alchemy, given that the service counter, bakery, prep and storage areas, and handful of tables are squeezed into 420 square feet. Customers chat with baristas while waiting on their pour-overs (a style where each cup is made to order) and espresso drinks. Folks pause at the kitchen window to see what Alexander is baking that day, and cars come and go from the eight-spot lot near the corner of 19th and Massachusetts streets.

Farmer likes that the shop always feels busy and that it embodies the coffeehouse culture he’d come to love as a college student. Would he have liked to find a bigger location back in 2013 when he opened? Maybe. But, Alchemy was entirely self-funded, with only some of Farmer’s grandfather’s property as loan collateral; so, it wasn’t really an option.

“This model was about all I had the budget for,” Farmer explains. “When I opened the doors, I was down to my last dollar.”

Farmer’s customers quickly became fascinated with the Kyoto brew towers he’d installed in a case along the north wall. With their glass beakers and coils, the towers look more like lab equipment than coffee makers, but the design allows cold water to slowly drip through ground coffee to produce a smoother, sweeter concentrated coffee known as cold brew.

A Cold Brew Winner

 Collaboration

Benjamin Farmer, Alchemy, relaxing behind his coffee bar

It was a hit, and customers were soon asking where else they could buy it. Farmer began bottling and selling his cold brew at The Community Mercantile (The Merc) and Cottin’s Hardware & Rental. After watching sales numbers for six months, “I thought we could make something out of this,” he says.

Farmer went from producing 4 gallons of cold brew concentrate a week to 40, and he knew he was out of room. One day, while chatting with Elliot Pees, KANbucha’s owner and an Alchemy regular, Farmer discovered they had the same problem.

The two decided in 2014 to lease a 2,500-square-foot warehouse in Riverfront Business Park, off North Second Street. Farmer, his father and Pees then spent about nine months renovating and turning it into a joint production facility.

Farmer engineered a larger cold brew system and installed a Diedrich IR-12 coffee roaster, and began roasting his own beans. He and Pees added other equipment, such as the bottle filler they share, but the operation is far from automated.

“Most of it’s still done by hand,” Farmer says. “There’s still a craft aspect to it.”

By the peak summer season in 2017, Farmer was producing 300 gallons of cold brew concentrate a week-enough to supply 60 wholesale customers in Lawrence, Kansas City and Denver with both bottled product and kegs for accounts that prefer serving it on tap. Bottles, cans and growlers are available at the shop and online. Alchemy cold brew also goes into Martin City Brewing Company’s MCBC Alchemy Coffee Stout and Hildebrand Farms Dairy’s Mocha Milk.

Farmer will continue focusing on regional growth, in part, because his cold brew doesn’t contain preservatives and, so, has to be refrigerated, which complicates distribution. But, he also likes developing relationships with his wholesale customers in the same way he does with retail ones.

 Collaboration

Joni Alexander behind her food counter at Alchemy

“That’s why we’ve been so successful,” Alexander says. “We’re physically here. It’s our passion.”

Alexander and Farmer met shortly after Alchemy opened, when he was searching for a source of baked goods. The model-turned-baker began supplying Alchemy with muffins, sweet breads and other treats in 2013, and opened a closet-sized bakery in the shop in June 2014.

“When we came up with the idea of putting a bakery in here, it was a very ‘aha!’ moment,” says Farmer, who is now engaged to Alexander.

Hiring for the Long-Term

Alchemy usually has between 10 and 13 employees. When there are openings,
both Alexander and Farmer interview applicants to find a fit for what they describe as a tight team.

“We don’t have scripted interview questions,” Farmer says. “In the end, we try to have a conversation. That’s when someone’s true self comes out.”

Once hired, employees progress through a series of training levels. As they gain more experience, their compensation goes up. Alchemy pays above minimum wage, Alexander says, and tips are shared among all staff according to a formula that takes into account employee longevity, the number of hours worked and which training levels they’ve passed.

Farmer and Alexander agree it’s important they support employees’ own aspirations, but it also makes management sense.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” Alexander says. “If we invest in good employees, they invest in making this a good business, and it pays off in the long term.”

That will become even more important as Alchemy adds a second location at 816 Massachusetts St. this March. The 2,200-square-foot building will include plenty of seating, a bar, a full basement for storage, an office and a side room where Alexander’s daughter and Farmer’s son can do homework and play.

 Collaboration

Elliot Pees inspecting his Kanbucha out of the tank

Coffee offerings will be similar, if streamlined somewhat to appeal to “people who want to pop in and out,” Farmer says. There will be more on-tap options, including Alchemy’s nitro coffee (cold brew that’s been charged with nitrogen to give it a thick texture and creamy head) and KANbucha, and a growler refill station.

The original Alchemy, which Architectural Digest in January called the most beautiful coffee shop in Kansas, will remain open, although Alexander will move to the new site’s 550-square-foot kitchen. She’ll continue making breakfast sandwiches, pies, donuts and other baked goods, as well as baking custom cakes and catering. She’s considering more food options, and the couple is applying for a liquor license. There still won’t be a set menu, but Alexander says her customers are used to that.

“Our branding is built on trusting Ben’s and my palate, and our direction,” Alexander says.

Farmer agrees, “We pursue what we’re passionate about, and that’s what makes it good.”

It’s a philosophy KANbucha’s Pees identifies with, and he appreciates being able discuss with Farmer their similar business challenges.

“We’re both learning a lot, and we share a lot,” Pees says.

Fermenting Success

 Collaboration

Pees became a fan of kombucha, a tangy and effervescent fermented tea that contains probiotics, while teaching music at Southwest Middle School. He found instructions for making his own online and was soon experimenting with recipes and flavors.

“My DIY nature kicked in,” Pees says.

Pees liked what he was making and figured the Lawrence market would respond to a local kombucha. He took a food-safety course, researched food handling, labeling and other requirements, installed a certified kitchen in his basement and began selling KANbucha at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market and The Merc in 2010.

Demand for KANbucha increased, especially after The Merc expanded its coffee and juice bar, and began selling it on tap. Moving to the joint production facility freed up Pees’ kitchen basement, and he rented it to food start-ups, including a tortilla manufacturer and a company that makes fermented vegetables.

“Being able to speak with them and help them through the murkiness of owning a business, what steps to take, who to talk to-I was happy to share my experience,” Pees says.

KANbucha’s north Lawrence location has a production kitchen, cold storage, bulk ingredient storage, a temperature-controlled fermentation room, warehouse shelving and a small office. Sharing with Alchemy has proven ideal, and Pees says he couldn’t have afforded such a build-out on his own. There are other synergies, as well, especially when it comes to marketing.

Both kombucha and cold brew coffee are easily served on tap, so it made sense to design a stand-alone, self-dispensing unit for grocery stores like The Merc, Hy-Vee and Kansas City’s three Whole Foods stores. The units have three taps-one for Alchemy’s cold brew and two for KANbucha flavors, usually its most-popular, ginger rose, and another selection that changes regularly.

Prospective clients “perk up a little about having that combination of beverage options, especially when they’re two things people are looking for,” Pees says. “It’s a no-brainer.”

He’s now selling more KANbucha in bulk than in bottles, which is a boon, since bottling is expensive and labor intensive. KANbucha is available in 25 locations throughout Lawrence, Manhattan and Kansas City.

On-tap availability has also made both KANbucha and Alchemy’s cold brew more appealing to local restaurateurs such as Codi and Simon Bates, of Bates Co. They sell both products on draft and occasionally in bottles at The Burger Stand restaurants in Lawrence and Topeka. For Bon Bon, they collaborated with Pees on a bespoke KANbucha flavor that’s only available at that restaurant.

 Collaboration

Product line of Alchemy and KANbucha drinks

“It’s been fun to work with both Ben and Joni, and with Elliot, and see their companies grow,” Simon Bates says. “We’re all relatively the same age, and we’re all committed to our town. We all share the same vision.”

The couple moved to Lawrence and helped Robert and Molly Krause launch The Burger Stand concept in what was then Dempsey’s Pub (it’s now called Dempsey’s Burger Pub) in 2009. The menu stuck to burgers and fries, because there wasn’t room for much else, Simon Bates says.

“There was a grill, a fryer and a flat top. It was really pigeon-holed in there,” he says.

Their following grew, and in 2010, The Burger Stand moved to the Casbah at Eighth and Massachusetts streets. A second site opened in Topeka in 2011. The Bateses became sole owners of both in 2015.

The schedule was grueling in the early years, and the couple frequently worked 80-plus hours a week. That commitment had an unexpected payoff: Because they as owner-operators were almost always present, they developed a loyal staff and came to better understand how to motivate and retain employees.

Benefits Boost Retention

Pay is one factor. The Bateses are committed to paying a living wage and constantly evaluate the balance between wages and tips to ensure they add up to about $15 an hour, depending on how many hours a week an employee works.

The couple has boosted benefits, too. They subsidize some fuel costs for managers who use their own vehicles for company errands. They offer paid parental and sick leave, paid vacation and health insurance (with an opt-in for dental and eye care) for eligible employees. This year, they hope to add individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for higher-level managers. It’s all helped reduce turnover.

They offer flexible scheduling for employees who are also students or artists, or have other passions. For those who want a career with the company, they strive to find management and leadership opportunities, like working with social media or gardening, that suit their talents.

 Collaboration

Codi and Simon Bates at their bar in Bon Bon

That’s all added up to a solid team of managers and employees, which in turn enabled the Bateses to open Bon Bon in east Lawrence in 2016.

“We love this neighborhood,” Simon Bates says. “We love everything about it. We love the people.”

They found a long-empty historic stone building that was rich in character but had no space for a kitchen. Their solution? Park a food truck next to the building and cook from that until they are able to build a permanent, albeit still external, kitchen.

Bon Bon’s menu is an eclectic collection of dishes that reflects the couples’ love of travel and utilizes ingredients from as many local farms as possible, including their own Bon Bon Gardens across the street. It’s a very personal concept and one they relish having been able to craft over time.

“The Burger Stand took off, and we’ve just been steering it,” Codi Bates says. “With Bon Bon, we thought about what we could create. We were able to think it through, every detail, our vision, our voice.”

That process allowed the Bateses to consider their goals and every aspect of their business, including what’s worked-and not worked-over the years. They reorganized the company to better take advantage of any future business opportunities, wrote a mission statement and outlined what they consider the key pillars of their business.

“That’s based on everything we’ve already been doing-caring for our community, caring for our staff, caring for our customers, the environment, our suppliers and vendors. Just caring for other people,” Codi Bates says.

Share.

97 Comments

  1. Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in truth was once a entertainment account it.

    Look complicated to more introduced agreeable from you!
    By the way, how could we be in contact?

  2. Hi, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a
    lot of spam responses? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can advise?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any support is very much appreciated.

  3. Nice blog right here! Additionally your web site so much up very fast!
    What host are you the use of? Can I get your associate hyperlink
    on your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

  4. Для расчета кешбэка за основу берутся только те средства, которые
    пользователь проиграл со своего реального счета,
    а не бонусного депозита.

  5. Чтобы получить фриспины, перейдите на сайт казино по нашей ссылке,
    после чего начните регистрацию.

  6. Достаточно просто выбрать подходящий игровой ресурс и
    уже каждый желающий получит доступ к безграничному
    количеству слотов.

  7. Kent казино сотрудничает с многими лицензированными провайдерами,
    предлагая пользователям широкий
    выбор автоматов.

  8. Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this web site, as i want enjoyment, as this this web page conations in fact fastidious
    funny stuff too.

  9. Ведь согласитесь, что лишь игра на настоящие деньги приносит
    настоящие выигрыши, и, следовательно,
    реальное удовольствие.

  10. Hmm it seems like your website ate my first comment (it
    was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it
    up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your
    blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any tips for novice blog writers? I’d certainly
    appreciate it.

  11. Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it,
    you might be a great author. I will be sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will
    come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage that
    you continue your great writing, have a nice holiday weekend!

    Feel free to visit my webpage – vpn special

  12. Для начала необходимо зарегистрироваться
    и пополнить баланс.

  13. На сайте вы можете найти всю необходимую информацию
    о казино, такую как правила, условия,
    бонусы, игры, поддержка и т.д.

  14. В подобных случаях для обхода блокировки рекомендуется использовать работающее и актуальное на сегодня зеркало Pokerdom.

  15. Игра balloon предлагает множество уникальных особенностей, которые
    делают ее особенно привлекательной для игроков.

  16. Пользуясь услугами офшорных
    букмекеров, вы рискуете не получить выигрыш, столкнуться с
    блокировкой счёта и другими санкциями.

  17. Наличие подобной информации
    усиливает доверие к казино, поскольку показывает его прозрачность и готовность к открытому диалогу с пользователями.

  18. Действует программа лояльности, с десятью рангами для пользователей – от Новичка до Босса.

  19. Победитель может выбрать между физическим призом, Aston Martin DB12, или денежным
    эквивалентом, который будет
    переведен на игровой счет в Kent
    Casino.

  20. Ежедневно численность виртуальных
    казино повышается, что затрудняет задачу по поиску.

  21. Десятки комбинаций, которые каждый игрок может использовать самостоятельно, чтобы выиграть игру.

  22. Игровая универсальность клуба «три топора», позволяет игроку совершить на сайт официальный вход с компьютера или воспользоваться мобильной версией сайта.

  23. My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less.
    I’ve been using Movable-type on numerous websites for about a year and am worried about switching
    to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?
    Any help would be really appreciated!

    My web page – vpn 2024

  24. An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do think that you ought to publish more about this
    topic, it may not be a taboo subject but generally folks don’t talk
    about such issues. To the next! Kind regards!!

    Also visit my web-site :: vpn special coupon

  25. I’ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area .

    Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this site.
    Studying this info So i’m glad to exhibit that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed.
    I most certainly will make sure to do not put out of your mind this website and give it a look on a constant
    basis.

  26. Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic however
    , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring
    a blog post or vice-versa? My blog goes over a lot of the same subjects as yours and I think we could greatly
    benefit from each other. If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an email.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by
    the way!

  27. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is valuable and all.

    But think about if you added some great pictures or videos to give your posts more, “pop”!

    Your content is excellent but with images and video clips,
    this blog could undeniably be one of the greatest
    in its field. Good blog!

  28. I’ve been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of area
    . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site.

    Reading this information So i am glad to express
    that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I
    needed. I so much indubitably will make certain to don?t disregard this site and provides it a look on a
    continuing basis.

  29. I feel that is among the most vital information for me.
    And i’m happy studying your article. But
    want to statement on few general things, The web site style is wonderful, the articles is truly
    great : D. Excellent job, cheers

  30. The name of mcdougal is Robena McAbee although it
    is not her birth name. I used become unemployed the difference is I am a computer operator but soon my
    hubby and Let me start this business. I am really given to caving nevertheless
    i can’t create my profession really. Minnesota is area that it hurts I
    love most need not don’t are thinking about changing
    they.

  31. You can certainly see your enthusiasm in the article you write.
    The world hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who are not
    afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.

  32. Rox Casino оказалось приятным сюрпризом в мире онлайн-казино! С первых минут заметна продуманность интерфейса и удобство навигации по сайту. Игровой ассортимент здесь действительно впечатляет: множество слотов от ведущих разработчиков, а также большой выбор настольных игр и игр с живыми дилерами. Особенно порадовали быстрые выплаты и гибкие лимиты. Служба поддержки всегда на связи и готова помочь по любым вопросам, что очень важно для меня как для игрока. Бонусы и акции тоже на уровне — есть много интересных предложений как для новичков, так и для постоянных игроков. В общем, Rox Casino — это отличное место для тех, кто ищет надежное и разнообразное казино с отличным сервисом!

  33. Hello. Ok, i’ll introduce writer. Her name is Reita. To do
    cryptography is something my wife doesn’t fancy but I. For years he’s been living in Virgin Islands but his wife wants your crooks to
    move. Booking holidays is his profession but
    soon his wife and him will start their own small
    business.

  34. Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written much better!
    Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He constantly kept preaching about this. I am going to forward this article to him.
    Fairly certain he’ll have a great read. I appreciate you for sharing!

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code