RAPID CITY, S.D. – With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, most are shifting their focus to the Christmas season. For some this means hitting the latest sale, but for most it is a time for making memories and spending time with loved ones.
One downtown coffee shop is offering the opportunity for both. Alternative Fuel, located just off the ice-skating rink at Main Street Square, is heating up for the holiday season offering iconic drinks for ice skaters and an inventory that emphasizes the importance of buying local.
With construction at Main Street Square over and the ice-skating rink open, locals and visitors alike can finally enjoy making memories on the ice.
Pairing the ice-skating experience with the iconic drink of most ice skaters, hot cocoa, can reinforce those memories. Of all the 5 major senses, taste and smell have been identified by experts as having the most powerful connection to memory.
“We get to be a part of those memories; being right next to the ice-skating rink,” said Patti Griffin, owner of Alternative Fuel, “Watching parents try not to wobble on their ice skates as they come up to our window to order hot cocoa and the kids giggle at themselves as they try their hardest not to spill their drink as they return to the rink.”
Patrons of the ice-skating rink and the shops at Main Street Square, including Alternative Fuel, can take pride in the fact that they are also supporting small, locally owned and operated businesses in our community.
Griffin has taken that concept a step further as she explained that nearly every product in her store promotes other local businesses, artists and even helps the sick in our community.
“I always wanted Alternative Fuel to mean more and asked myself, “how can we help others?”,” said Griffin, “Would other homegrown, local brands be willing to partner in some way?”
The answer was yes.
Blue Willow Haven is a brand Griffin described as a locally operated business ran by a grandmother who makes flavored coffee out of her home. Alternative Fuel has partnered with Blue Willow Haven offering one of their flavored coffees every two to three months.
Even the tie-dyed shirts have a story at Alternative Fuel. The shirts are made by a local teen who has a medical condition and a portion of the profit goes back to her to cover her continued medical expenses.
“Shopping local has always been important to me,” said Griffin, “I want to show other people in my community that their hard work means something to me and my family. And that’s why I appreciate it when people come in to see us. It truly means something when people make the active choice to support not just us at Alternative Fuel but all of Rapid City and the greater Black Hills.”
Comments