When Courtney Buhl purchased what she calls "The Bear" nine years ago, there were hot dogs and three sandwiches on its menu. Today she has wraps, sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups milkshakes and more. She calls her menu "fast food with a conscience" for consumers who eat healthier than they did in the past.
And when she re-opened
The Sugar Bear March 5 after a $90,000 renovation, she was rewarded immediately by a soar in business.
"My daily sales have increased up to five times on some days," says Buhl, of business growth at her Paw Paw ice cream parlor and restaurant.
Buhl immediately beefed up her staff and finally had the luxury of adding a dishwasher that previously she could never afford.
To keep up with the demand, she’s hired five new employees and is in the process of hiring a sixth, bringing the staff to 14, including Buhl.
"I am currently trying to decide if I need a personal assistant. I have no time for my office work," she says.
How did Buhl accomplish such tremendous growth?
"Facebook!" she says emphatically. "I started a huge network marketing campaign last year. I dedicated all my time to
Facebook, newsletters, newspaper ads--not tons of those, though."
Buhl says she began her campaign with fewer than 300 Facebook fans and today has 1,134. Many of them followed the renovations with constantly updated photo albums of before, during and after pictures so that past and future customers could follow along. The albums created a buzz in and around the community.
"I made them all feel a part of it and, of course, want to come see it," Buhl says. "Daily, I hear from customers who say they followed the renovation on Facebook and how great it looks. The increased interest increased my sales even beyond anything I could dream of."
There may not be many ice cream shops with a menu as unique as The Sugar Bear’s. Buhl is proud to cater to customers with special dietary needs--she includes a newly expanded gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian selection, as well as meals for clients with lactose intolerance and egg allergies.
Is there really a market for vegetarian fare in Paw Paw? It’s a question Buhl has been asked frequently in the past. The notion there might not be continues to amuse her.
"The amount of customers that come here for the vegetarian, vegan and gluten free would surprise you. It was actually the vegetarian options that made my menu take off," Buhl says. "There is not a single day that goes by that we do not have vegan, vegetarian or gluten free customers come in and some of the days, most of them are. Some of my customers drive from over 30 miles away just to eat here."
She is very particular about the progressive fare she offers, especially its careful preparation and how thoroughly her clients are informed about ingredients.
"I got a lot of new equipment. I wanted a new, larger stove to equip me with separate cooking surfaces for gluten-free and vegan items. We also have books on allergies at the counters showing all the products we use," Buhl says. "The awareness of what gluten can do to a person’s system is causing even those without an allergy to stay away from it."
Recent renovations gutted the restaurant’s back kitchen and the ice cream counter area to create a smoother workflow. Buhl says that the former kitchen was not equipped for the volume of sales that the Sugar Bear handles today.
"I offer up to 12 daily homemade soups, so new steam tables were a must," she says. "I also added booths, which are a huge hit."
Another upgrade for the restaurant is a new point of sale system that ensures that orders are entered electronically rather than on the hand-written tickets of the past.
Network marketing, a versatile menu and a friendly staff are what keep people coming back to "The Bear," according to its extremely busy owner.
"I love my job," Buhl says "And I am so thankful for my staff and customers."
Kelle Barr is the jobs editor for Southwest Michigan's Second Wave Second Wave. She spoke with Courtney Buhl, Owner of The Sugar Bear for this story. Photos courtesy of Courtney Buhl.
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