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10 Places to Shop Local BG

As our state and community continue to reopen and things normalize, please continue to shop local to support our fellow small businesses that have suffered in recent months. Here are just a few options for small businesses that you can support in the Bowling Green area!

 

Spencer’s Coffee

 

Spencer’s is our neighbor and coffee supplier (we literally could not survive without the caffeine)! They are currently offering carryout and curbside pickup at their downtown location and drive-thru at their new location on the bypass. — My personal favorite is the honey badger latte and I love their breakfast bowl.

Downtown: 915 College St, Bowling Green, KY 42101 

Bypass: 1265 U.S. 31-W, Bowling Green, KY 42101 

 

Griff’s Deli 

 

Griff’s has everything! Sandwiches, paninis, salads, spuds, soups, cheesecakes, and so much more- one of my favorite menu items is their pasta salad. They’re open for dine-in, carry out, and delivery every day from 10:30 am- 9 pm.

1640 Scottsville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42103

 

Great American Donut Shop (GADS) 

 

I’m pretty sure everyone in Bowling Green has heard of GADS and loves every single one of their donuts. However, if you’ve never been this is your sign to get in the car and go right now.  They are open 24/7 so you never have to wait a minute longer than you have to for your donut fix. ( I highly recommend blueberry cake!)

901 U.S. 31 W Bypass, Bowling Green, KY 42101

 

 Lisa’s 5th Street Diner

 

Lisa’s is the definition of a classic diner. Everything there is homemade and made with love. Their dining room is open again, but they are also offering pick up and delivery from 5 am- 2 pm every day!

430 Center St, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101

 

Kyoto Gardens

 

Kyoto is one of my personal favorites. They have a great selection of hibachi grilled meals and sushi. They’re open for limited dine-in and carryout Mon-Sat 11 am – 9 pm and Sunday 11 am – 4 pm.  (p.s. WKU students get 10% with your student ID)

760 Campbell Ln # 110, Bowling Green, KY 42104 

 

Stuck in the Kitchen 

 

Ashley Stuckey runs this business through her Instagram page. Every Sunday she makes a no-doubt delicious meal that you can pick up from her at Muse Apts. She makes something different every week, check her Instagram to see if she’s having a shrimp boil, BBQ, pasta, sandwiches, or anything else you could think of that Sunday.

 

Jules with the Flowers 

 

Jules is open for deliveries and in-store shopping. She makes the most beautiful bouquets, has great house plants, and always has fun trinkets in the shop. You can order a bouquet online, or keep up with her Instagram stories to see what new plants she has in!

802 Broadway Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101

 

Back Down South Boutique 

 

Back Down South is an adorable boutique with trendy outfits and accessories nestled in Fountain Square Park. They are open Mon-Sat 11 am- 7 pm and Sun 12 pm- 4 pm. You can shop in person or have your orders shipped to you! (PS pets are always welcome in the store- our kind of people!)

433 Park Row, Bowling Green, KY 42101

 

Mellow Matt’s Music and More 

 

If you’re trying to build your vinyl collection, this is your place. You can find records and CD’s of famous artists like the Beatles, but also from local and regional musicians. And under normal circumstances, you might be able to find someone recording in there or even catch a live show!

1200 Smallhouse Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42104

 

Slow as Folk

 

Sarah Gust has always been a friend of Ment, and she makes the cutest polymer clay earrings and illustrations. Check out her website to add a new statement to your jewelry collection. She is offering a jewelry-making workshop right now in her studio so you can get her awesome earrings, but make them yourself!

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Shopping Local – Now is the Time

Shopping local has always been important, but now more than ever, these small businesses need our help. It’s up to us as citizens of Bowling Green, to step and do our part. 

There are so many ways that you can contribute to the continuation of your local businesses. We are offering encouragement to our fellow local companies and doing our part here at Ment to give back to those who have done so much for us. 

WHY

Did you know that shopping local helps fund more money back into your city? 

Reports show that $68 dollars of every $100 spent locally stays in your community. Local businesses tend to purchase from other local businesses, farms and service providers. This means that there is more of a financial return is being made and improving the local tax base. Environmental impacts are also reduced because less transportation, fuel and packaging is needed.  

More jobs opportunities, more choices, unique products with a personal touch, and quality customer service. Local. Is. The. Key. 

HOW

The effects of the COVID-19 and government regulations have forced many businesses to get creative with their practices and adapt to the current situations by creating new ways of offering their services and products. So how are they doing this and how can we help? 

Order out. Many restaurants and food services have closed their doors but are still offering carry out services and/or delivery. Services like DoorDash and GrubHub have seen a huge increase in business and many of these food providers not already on board with delivery, are now partnering with them. Some food organizations are keeping their drive-thru options open and taking extra precautions. 

Online shopping. Those businesses offering products such as clothing or gifts, have switched to online formats where customers can still shop and are pushing their online sales. We’d be fooling ourselves if we said we aren’t going to be at home shopping online so we might as well just embrace it and check-out some styles from our favorite local stores. 

Gift cards and gift certificates have become a popular option for many. For some, this is an additional option, but for others, it may be their only source of income at the moment. Besides, you really can’t go wrong with gift cards! Set aside some of that money that you already know will be going towards that favorite boutique of yours and treat yourself when they open back up. This is also a perfect option for gifting those special people in our lives who may have a birthday or special occasion coming up. 

Make donations. For some of our friends offering services, these times can be especially trying as options may be even more limited. It’s important to show our support and let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them. This may mean sending them a small gift or donation to let them know that you still support them. After all, giving back to them means they will be more inclined to return the favor when circumstances change. 

Word of mouth. If all other options are not possible or your finances won’t allow you to do so, simply spreading the word about your favorite local businesses and letting others know, can go a long way. Leave them a good review, share their social posts, or simply give them a call and check to see how they’re doing. Maybe there are other ways you can help. 

WHO

They are everywhere! You won’t have to look far to figure out where or who to go to during these times. 

Our community partner is just one of the many who are still offering services in their own creative ways. You can place orders from Jules With The Flowers and pre-pay online or over the phone at 502-303-4050. Orders will be delivered by door drop-offs or as Jules calls it “ding dong ditch style,” or by running orders out to your car. Jules Sandlin and her business can be found on social media for additional news and changes. 

Flowers are the perfect way to liven up with all of the doom and gloom that we’ve been feeling lately (and still allow us to do our part in “Going Green”). Most of Jules’ items and products are perishable so it’s especially important that if you’re wanting some fresh florals, to CALL NOW. Remember our friends and family members with birthdays and events that are now cancelled? This is another awesome way to gift them and show your love!

“During this weird time, it is our responsibility to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19 within our team and to our patrons,” Sandlin said. However, “Flowers and plants sure do liven things up during doomsday,” she also states. 

Community Businesses

We have compiled a list of some of your local businesses that are still open (in one way or another) and some of the options they are offering: 

  • Spencer’s Coffee – Takeout orders only. Delivery and online orders coming soon. E-Gift Cards 10% off $50 or more. 270- 393-7060.
  • Chainey’s Dairy Barn. Curbside and window walk-up service available. Call ahead orders.Buy a $25 Chaney’s gift card for only $20. 270-843-5567.
  • Beet Box. Delivery options still available to Bowling Green/Warren County, Glasgow & Franklin areas. Visit website for additional info. Curbside Pickup available during daily store hours. 270-418-9735. 
  • Zest – Juice for Life.  Pre-order and in-store pickup available. Call ahead, website or social media orders. 270-791-8235. 
  • Bowling Green Backyard Bootcamp. New online fitness classes program. 270-791-5312. 
  • GADS Doughnuts. Delivery and drive-thru options available. 270-842-7155.
  • White Squirrel Brewery. Curbside pickup and delivery options available 4-7 p.m. daily. 15% off all to go orders. 270-904-1573. 
  • Grant’s Farm Produce. Open regular business hours with produce readily available. 270-202-4036. 5960 Louisville Road Bowling Green, KY 42101.
  • Community Farmers Market. Tuesdays 2:00-6:00 pm, and Saturdays 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Open air markets taking place outside. 
  • Steel Mill & Co.. Revised hours of 9-5 p.m. daily with curbside order pickups available and online shopping with free shipping. 270-904-7970. 

For more details on resources and local operating businesses, check Buy Local Bowling Green for daily updates and business changes or WBKO for a full list of open restaurants. 

Bowling Green is one of the many communities that is fighting during these times, but like many, we are standing strong and showing support for the place that we call home. Now that you’re stalked up on toilet paper, go buy from our local friends and give your community some love! 

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Tips for How to (Sanely) Work Remotely

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For some of us, working remotely has already been a thing for years, but for others it’s a whole new concept. Many are now transitioning to a new way of working due to the rise of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and the precautions being taken. From major companies, media sources and universities world wide, we are being encouraged to stay home. While freelancers and digital nomads have been practicing social distancing for years, some of us are finding it challenging to be productive within the walls of our homes.

So what can you do to work productively from home? We want to share a few tips that we use in our coworking space that are easily adaptable to you in your home right now.

 

Be Aware

If you’re like us, you’ve probably felt as though you live behind your desk most days. Now it will be even harder for you as you navigate how to divide your home life from your work life. The key is to be aware of where you are doing your work, when you are doing it and how often you are doing it. Keeping this separate from your home life as much as possible will keep you from going stir crazy. 

Going Off the Clock

While it is necessary to be available when needed, it’s also important to make sure we know the importance of being away from our work when we need to as well.  This means fighting that urge to check those work emails when you’re “off the clock.” Studies say this can lead to further work anxiety and we have enough anxiety going on as is. Those emails can wait, because sometimes your sanity cannot. Take care of yourself first so you can do a fantastic job later.

Take Breaks Often

This could be when you break to eat or when you need to just get a breath of fresh air. (Also we would like to point out – please break to eat. Sometimes that is a forgotten necessity.) Eat lunch away from your work spot. Whether this is your at-home desk or your couch, step away from your work while you eat. Trust me, your crumb-less keyboard will thank you and so will your mind. Get outside, exercise in between Zoom meetings or even take your laptop (if you must) to your back porch while the kids plays outside for a change.

Switch It Up

A key factor in getting work done that we focus on is being comfortable and productive. Chances are if you’re working in the same spot day after day, you may lose inspiration or start to feel burnt out. Being told you have to remain at least 6 feet away from others and preferably stay in your home only adds to the feeling of “burnt-out-ness.” Get creative. Set yourself up for success and designate a few work spots for yourself and your spouse. Most importantly, make sure they are not the spots where you relax or spend time “off the clock.” 

Practice Self-Care

Probably most important of all, take care of yourself. This is what all of these tips boil down to. Simple things like taking a shower, creating more than complaining, drinking water, getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep and so on… These few simple improvements are what is going to get us through this time. Do it for yourself, your career, your family and your sanity.

 

 

Some could look at this time as another roadblock in the world of business. We choose to look at it as a push in the direction toward restructuring and adapting to modern practices. Coworking has been a leader for years in the societal shift to working remotely. Although the current circumstance is not favorable for many reasons, we are still staying here and being a resource when needed.

Best of luck to you in your work journeys remotely!

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