Making the "Ruff Life" of Our Pets a Little Easier

I stumbled into Ruff Life during my 30 day challenge last fall.  I had heard that there was a great pet specialty store and thought I would check it out as we practically have a zoo at our house.  Okay,  we are not that bad - just 3 dogs and 1 cat (there are no fish or partridges in a pear tree quite yet).  I went in with the idea to just check it out and get a few treats for our furry members of the family.  In that visit I met Chris, the owner of Ruff Life.

Chris and I had a great talk about local business and how as a community member he opened Ruff Life to serve a need in the community and that he was a big fan of Elmhurst.  I have been excited to tell his story about he and his wife Eliza and their vision and passion around Ruff Life.

Here goes...

Chris and Eliza live and breathe retail.  Both of them have spend considerable amount of time running large specialty retail stores such as Walter E. Smith and Dicks Sporting Goods.  In fact, Eliza is still at Walter E Smith - hmm..I see some cross over here.  Can they make a couch that just has an official scratch post on the side since my cat seems to think that is what it is for anyway?? Sorry to digress.  Back to Chris and Eliza...

Chris and Eliza moved to Elmhurst about 12 years ago as they want do join an amazing community for their boys (who now go to York).  It is no wonder with their background that they would eventually open a store of their own.  They opened Ruff Life in May of 2014.

So why a specialty retail store?  Well - it was all about two little furry family members:  Their dogs, Bradley and Lucy.

Chris explains it like this:

"Both have allergy issues...both food and external such as grass. We used to drive about 30 minutes to buy food for Bradley...We decided to rescue Lucy about 2 years ago and she was in even worse shape...After researching and learning constantly, we decided that Elmhurst needed a store like this.  We knew there was a need based on location and how much people love their animals here".  Below is a picture of Lucy - such a cutie!  Ruff Life is also very active in supporting pet rescue organizations and often have adoption events in store.

I love that the store was based on both a passion for them and our community as well as a need.  Ruff Life fills that need by having products that have zero wheat, corn or soy.  The other thing is that they pride themselves on providing these foods without breaking the bank.  They are often times cheaper (YES, cheaper) than the big box retailers that carry the same brands.  In addition, they have a rewards program that gives you $25 for every $250 your accumulate.  In addition, they have some interesting supplements, treats & toys that you can't find everywhere.  Some of them look so good, you will want to eat them (ha!).

I find that local businesses are about personal service.  If you have any pet food, treat or toy need, stop in to see if they can help. When we adopted our latest puggle, Buddy, we realized quickly that he is a chewer..of everything..all over the house.  Chris helped us find  a few toys and treats to help keep him occupied and stop chewing up our daughter's Playmobil princesses.  (whew- that was some drama in our house which was solved by some very specific toys based on his size and the things he was chewing).

So, why do Chris and Eliza love Elmhurst?  Quite simply it is because "We are so close to Chicago, but you can't tell.  It has a small town feel where everyone looks out for one another.  We love our community and want to see it thrive." say Chris.

When they are not minding the store or participating in an local event, their family is spending time together at Cubs games, watching the Butler Bulldogs in Indy or working on cars.

So if you have furry family members (or know anyone who does) please stop into Ruff Life and say hello!  They are located at 126 W. Vallette.

Coffee & Community at Brewpoint

"It wasn't just about the coffee...Its that fact that through great coffee we could have a foot in the door to build up the community, to form and support lasting partnerships, and to provide excellent service"
Melissa, Owner of Brewpoint Coffee

My first look at the people behind our local businesses is to look at the owners of Brewpoint coffee.  I wrote about Brewpoint during my 30 day challenge as I needed to find a place in Elmhurst to get coffee in the morning instead of buying it downtown on my way to work.  Enter Brewpoint.  It hadn't been open for too long, but I had heard great things.   It was also on the side of the tracks I need to take the 801am train into the city.

 It quickly became my go to spot in the morning.  By that, it wasn't just a cup of coffee.  They literally SAVED me during this ridiculously cold winter we had.  I went from a morning where I got to the garage, walked to the train platform, huddled with others and cursed the day that I became a Metra commuter; to mornings where I would enter Brewpoint, get "Good Morning" greeting from Melissa and Angelo, get my medium skinny vanilla latte and look out the window....until I saw my train coming.  I then could dash out, jump on the train and enjoy my coffee.  MUCH less cursing involved all around.

My love of Brewpoint goes beyond coffee and as Melissa expresses in her quote above, Brewpoint is about more than coffee.  It is about community.

So, who are the people behind Brewpoint Coffee?  The shop is owned by Melissa and her (now) husband, Angelo.  They have owned Brewpoint for about 8 months.  Within that 8 months they not only started a business, but also got married.  Yes, they are small business owners AND newlywed...and yes, they are still speaking to one another :).    They didn't originally plan on running the business together.  Angelo was only planning on helping for the first six weeks for so as the shop was opening up, but as it happens, those weeks turned into months and now they are running Brewpoint together. 

Brewpoint is an expression of their owners.  It is a themed around "exploration".  It is all about expanding your mind and expanding your tastes.  I have seen Melissa and Angelo trying new taste combinations and giving samples from interesting coffee drinks, teas and pastries to just try out new things. (Yes, at some point I will branch beyond a skinny vanilla latte).  They also have a great variety of different milks (some non-dairy) and gluten free products. 

It is no surprise that the coffee shop has a worldly feel given that it was concepted while Melissa and Angelo were in the Philippines.  I love how she tells the story:

"We started Brewpoint Coffee in all the wrong ways: ... I had recently left my corporate job to do community work in the Philippines; while Angelo had been pushing me to dream big and out of the box for months....I took his advice and there in a very hot house in the Philippines with a small electric fan blowing in my face, Brewpoint was conceived".

I love this story as it shows the guts and passion it takes to decide to be a small business
and that for many it is not a job, but the expression of an idea and a dream.  If you walk into Brewpoint I think you feel that in the atmosphere and you taste it in the coffee.

When I asked Melissa what was her favorite thing about Elmhurst she said "The people, Hands down".  So take a minute to stop in, say hello to Melissa and Angelo and grab a coffee.....or a pastry...or a Glazed and Infused donut (available on Fridays and Saturdays)...or all of the above!

Brewpoint is at 124 W. Park Avenue in Elmhurst.

Shop Local Blog is Back...With a New Twist!

I have been thinking for quite some time on what this blog should evolve into.  I loved the 30 day challenge as it fun, simple and really changed how I looked at my own spending behavior.  Biggest issue?  What the heck to do once the 30 day challenge is over?  Uh….I didn’t really think through that part.  Whoops.

I have been thinking a lot about where to go with the blog.  Clearly thinking a looooong time as it has been MONTHS.  Then, the Runners Sole closed, seemingly out of nowhere.  Right after I was walking down the street to go to see the movie, "Home", at York theater (cute movie btw!) and on the left side of York it was empty storefront after empty storefront.

It made me sick to my stomach.

Our local businesses simply cannot survive and won’t stay in our community if we don’t support them.

Being a business owner is very hard and truly a labor of love.  Growing up, my mom ran a small business in our town.  She sold gifts, hand painted art and other items such as gourmet coffee.  I watched her work a 12-15 hour day.  Every.single.day.  She didn’t do it just to make money.  She did it because she loved it.  She loved her customers and she believed that her business added to our community.  It brought people, revenue and something special to our town.  I have never seen anyone work as hard as she did.

When you support a local business you are supporting an actual person and a family that is IN our community, cares about our community and is adding that little something “extra” to Elmhurst. 

“Ding”

The light finally went off.  I want to showcase the PEOPLE behind our local businesses.  These are people with a passion and a vision for our communities and each and every one of them is very different.  They have stories to tell and I want to try to showcase these stories.

I want to tell the stories of the people in our community that work so hard to bring a product or a service to Elmhurst that keeps our community unique.  Without them, we become a “cookie cutter” community, no different than any other town.  I haven’t met anyone who wants that for our town.

So, in the coming weeks, I will profile some great business owners and give you a little peek at the person behind the business.  We will learn not only who they are, but WHY they chose Elmhurst as the best town to grow their business.  

Look for our first story soon -- until then, please take minute to stop into a local business this week.