Access Ecologies LLC | Application Preview
Access Ecologies LLC is applying for government grants to support the growth of their mobile café business focused on environmentally-friendly practices and local sustainability. The funding will be used to acquire essential brewing equipment for coffee and tea, serving containers like mugs and carafes, a solar dehydrator for harvesting and using local plants, a mobile cart for serving in various locations, and solar power technology for sustainable operations.
The business aims to transition from pop-up events in collaboration with restaurants to a mobile café model, broadening their audience and offering deeper guided experiences related to ecology, cooking, herbalism, and community engagement. Their long-term goal is to establish a storefront as a local market and café within the next five years.
Access Ecologies emphasizes its commitment to accessible foodways rooted in local ecology, focusing on regionally-sourced ingredients and transparency about their origins. By fostering interest in local food systems, they aim to strengthen the local economy and promote connections between consumers and local producers.
While competing with established coffee shops like Onyx Tonics, Vivid, and Front Seat Coffee, Access Ecologies sets itself apart through its unique offerings of locally-harvested ingredients and a strong focus on local terroir. Their mobile format positions them to engage with Vermont's tourism sector and collaborate with organizations to create relevant, ecologically-inspired drink menus, enhancing their competitive advantage in the market.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 0414495
Location: Plainfield, VT, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
Access Ecologies is seeking funding to buy (1) brewing equipment for coffee beverages (including a drip coffee machine, coffee grinder, and espresso machine), (2) brewing equipment for teas (glass containers, kettle), (3) containers in which to serve beverages (mugs and carafes), (4) a solar dehydrator which would allow us to harvest our own plants for use in recipes and selling as retail, (5) a mobile cart set-up to allow for serving in multiple locations, and (6) solar power equipment and battery to operate sustainably and potentially off-grid.
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Business Plan
Access Ecologies is growing from operating during pop-up events in collaboration with restaurants (expanding their non-alcoholic drink menu during service to reflect plants locally available and offering an opportunity for patrons to engage in experiential learning related to our local ecology), to operating as a mobile cafe where we can reach a wider audience and begin hosting more in depth guided experiences relating to ecology, cooking, herbalism, mindfulness, gardening, and other community-orientated practices. Within 5 years we aim to operate out of a storefront as a local market and cafe. Access Ecologies is dedicated to creating accessible foodways that are rooted in our local ecology. We believe offering regionally-sourced ingredients while being transparent about their origins and presenting them in an engaging format will garner interest in local food systems at an approachable level, in turn strengthening our local economy as people begin to engage more with local growers and purveyors.
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Self Identified Competition
Our main competitors are coffee shops like Onyx Tonics and Vivid in Burlington, and Front Seat Coffee in Hardwick. All of these coffee shops offer tea alternatives as well as operate partially in a mobile setting. These coffee shops are serving specialty coffee at a similar level of quality that we are planning to serve with comparable attention to sourcing. On top of competing with these coffee shops in quality of specialty beverages, Access Ecologies differentiates its service by utilizing locally harvested ingredients (sans coffee) and offering drinks that are crafted from an attention to a local terroir. Our mobile format also allows us to engage with Vermont's thriving tourism industry by traveling to major events and partner with existing organizations to help create ecologically-relevant drink menus.
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Contact Applicant
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