In recent years, a movement has begun. Consumer focus is being directed towards people and businesses central to communities who offer services and retail. Supporting local businesses isn’t a new movement for Bernick’s, however, as we have dedicated a century to partnering with and standing behind the bars and restaurants in the communities we serve. Why is the "shop local" motto so important to us? I’ll tell you...
The Consumer is the End Game
As well as the beginning and middle, too. The consumer is very important in the entire distributor – supplier chain. Because it’s the consumer that unites those two parties with one goal: serving the consumer what they want. In our case, we choose to partner with likeminded local businesses that bolster the community offering residents great places to dine, enjoy beverages, celebrate, and congregate. Local businesses give a community its flavor, and every single town across the country is known for its unique places and watering holes.
Take St. Cloud for example. House of Pizza. The Ultimate Sports Bar. Coyote Moon Grille at the beautiful Territory Golf Club. Anton’s. Dolsie’s Lunch Box Grille on the iconic St. Germain Street downtown. Custom Catering by ShortStop. These establishments are a bit legendary. They are more than a bit important to the residents of that community. Offering patrons and “regulars” the best products and service is what those bars and restaurants strive for day after day. By partnering with a local distributor like Bernick's, who understands the importance of those products and that service, those businesses are able to guarantee their customers will always be the first priority.
Knowing the People Behind the Product
When you personally know the people behind the businesses where you shop, eat, or visit locally, you experience a connection you wouldn’t otherwise. That connection is so important. Along with the rest of the community, you celebrate when your favorite local joint expands into a second location or hosts an anniversary party, honoring customers out of appreciation. Maybe you’ve even turned to your favorite restaurant or bar when you needed support in the form of fundraising, donations, or hosting benefits. That’s what the local businesses of communities do – take care of our own.
At Bernick’s, we are so proud to know all the people and faces behind these great establishments, and we celebrate when they do, we offer support when there is an opportunity to do so, and we treat them like family. Think of food in general, and the most common times that people turn to it aside from basic survival. In times of celebration – weddings, parties, festivals, championships. In times of sorrow and sadness, too, when people need compassion and humanity more than ever. We are there for all those instances. It is both an honor and a privilege to serve.
How a Partnership Works with a Restaurant or Bar
I mentioned likeminded people. When we’re first introduced to a potential partner representing a bar or restaurant, we take the time to get to know them. That sounds old-fashioned, doesn’t it? It’s been our standard business practice for 100 years. We have never been about contracts and binding agreements or the thickness of our book of business. Instead, we are about people. How we can help them be successful in their business ventures, the ways we can collaborate to make an impact in our communities, and with people everywhere.
The partnership emerges when there’s that natural fit, and mutual goals focused on the consumer and the communities in which they live. That’s really simplified but yet, it’s that simple. We want our cities and our towns to have the best dining and beverage options, so that the very establishments themselves become those sources of celebration and support for people everywhere.
