TheBurg

06.16 | theburg | 15 Where Can I FInd?? e l e m e n t a r y C o F F e e Chris & Val's Café City House Bed & Breakfast Midtown Cinema e Millworks F r e d e r I C l o r a s C h I C h o C o l a t e Elementary Coffee Co. h u m m e r ' s m e a t s e Harrisburger l I t t l e a m p s C o F F e e Al's of Hampden Café Uovo Dalicia Bakery Garlic Poet Radish & Rye Rubicon m I d s t a t e d I s t I l l e r y s p I r I t s Café 1500 Home 231 Lancaster Brewing Co. Mangia Qui Note. Bistro and Winebar o n e G o o d W o m a n C o F F e e Yellow Bird Café p I z z a B o y B r e W I n G C o . B e e r e Millworks kind of supportive friendship that justifies one- on-one dealings, instead of contracting with big suppliers for everything. "It divides your focus a little bit and divides your time, but the payoff is there, because you're establishing something that gives longevity to your relationships and loyalty to the product as you move forward," she said. "When you grow, you can grow together." Loraschi was well established, with customers in dozens of far-flung hotels and restaurants, when Grove called. Though Elementar y Coffee Co. constitutes a tiny portion of Loraschi's accounts, "sometimes it's not about business," Loraschi said from his pristine shop in Colonial Park. "It's about connections with people, connections with the community." rough collaborations, food specialists bond with like-minded entrepreneurs, the kind who work long hours and have a passion for their product, said Loraschi. Starting a business "takes a lot of courage." "You don't know how it's going to work," he said. "You give it your best try. When there is a young entrepreneur like Andrea, you want to help that person. You want to give advice. It was the excitement of helping someone start something new." IDeA eXChANge Balsamic vinegar and kumquat ice cream, anyone? Sure, said Urban Churn founder Adam Brackbill. It's a favorite of his, and Garlic Poet chef Kurt Wewer inspired it. Exchanging ideas and customers is a welcome byproduct of collaborations. "I get a lot of ideas for creative flavors from him," said Brackbill, who founded his business to bring old-fashioned churned ice cream to city living. At Zeroday, Urban Churn is ready for floating in a brew or soda. In turn, Zeroday brews can be found on tap, depending on the rotation, in such restaurants as Garlic Poet, Café 1500, Rubicon and Home 231. By working together and "figuring out ways we can intertwine products, it is allowing us to access a broader customer base," said Brandalynn Armstrong, Zeroday co-founder with her husband, eo. "Rubicon has a customer base that we may not get, and we have a customer base that Rubicon might not get," said Armstrong as she prepared to open the Midtown tasting room for the evening. "By working together, it expands our footprint, our marketing, our branding. We're all small businesses. Huge advertising budgets aren't really there. By supporting each other, it helps us all." ChANgINg hAbItS When Grove serves a Frederic Loraschi-flavored mocha, "ere's a story behind his product that I can tell to customers, if they're interested." It goes something like this: Loraschi is French, world renowned, and "everything he creates is very pure. We know what goes into his chocolate." "It creates a larger picture, which is where the trend is going," she said. "People want to know the story behind their products. We can honestly tell you what's in it, but it's also neat for the customer who's buying it. ey say, 'I'm part of something larger,' and they're invited to enter into that story." Sprinkling unique, lovingly crafted products around town encourages shoppers to escape the grocery- store grind, say vendors. "We're going back to having the butcher," said Loraschi. "We're going back to having the baker. ere is a resurgence. People want to know more about where their things are coming from, how they're made, who makes them." Even Midtown Cinema taps into the craft food scene. e lobby is Urban Churn's scoop shop. Java comes from Elementary Coffee Co. ("e 'Elixir'

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