Small Business Saturday: Celebrating Local Partnerships
Saturday, November 29, is Small Business Saturday, and at Kowalski's, we're proud to recognize the small local businesses that inspire us every day. When you shop at our markets, you're not only supporting us, a local family-owned business, but you're also supporting the hundreds of small local businesses, growers and makers that we proudly support. It's a win-win-win!
Kowalski's has a unique, intentional relationship with emerging small businesses. We help local food entrepreneurs prepare for success in the retail environment by providing resources and guidance early on in their journey. By sharing industry-specific knowledge and hands-on learning opportunities, we aim to give them a stronger foundation for long-term success.
New business owners often need support across all areas of their business: legal, regulatory, production, financial, staffing, general business strategy, operations, administration and more. Kowalski's works with several incubator-style programs that offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to the diverse needs of food entrepreneurs. Among other things, these programs help new business owners gain access to affordable shared commercial kitchen space, business development resources and mentorship. Kowalski's complements these efforts by providing resources specific to the retail grocery industry.
"We educate and offer critical insight in areas like pricing, competition, logistics/distribution, marketing, merchandising, packaging, labeling and assortment – even sourcing and formulation," says Kowalski's Culinary & Branding Director Rachael Perron.
Working within the context of our partner organizations' programming framework, Kowalski's team members lead organized training sessions, provide tailored group and one-on-one mentoring and coaching, host cohort tours, evaluate practice pitches, judge entrepreneurial competitions, sit in on panel discussions, and host or teach workshops and seminars. We also test products in limited release, giving brands a chance to "play in our sandbox" and work out any potential kinks in their operation before they attempt to enter the broader market.
"Supporting these brands not only facilitates their successful entry into retail," says Rachael, "but can also help prepare them for regional or national expansion."
Numerous Minnesota-based food and beverage brands have achieved regional and national success, often beginning with a partnership at Kowalski's Markets. One of Minnesota's most well-known success stories, So Good So You – maker of probiotic juices and wellness shots – made its major retail debut at Kowalski's and is now distributed at more than 5,000 stores across the country! Another Kowalski's partner, JonnyPops, which began as a St. Olaf College dorm room project in 2011, has likewise grown into an established national brand with a global presence. Newbie Huxley, who took the energy drink market by storm last year at Expo West and went on to win the Naturally Rising National Pitch Slam just a few months ago, has been working with Kowalski's since anyone had ever tasted a single drop of their product!
By investing in people, ideas and partnerships, Kowalski's continues to shape a more vibrant, inclusive and resilient food ecosystem – one brand at a time.
