Peterborough’s small business community is rallying around The Main Ingredient as the popular bulk food store aims to “Raise the Roof” through a fundraising event.
This Saturday (November 8), the downtown store at 326 Charlotte Street will be staying open late for a special event from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring good food, live music, and giveaways.
The goal is to raise $10,000 to fund essential roof repairs that will stop leaks caused by the older building’s flat roof that doesn’t drain water well.
“The water sits there and creates a lot of damage to our roof and so anytime it rains really hard — as I’m sure customers have seen — the back of the store becomes really messy,” says Whitney Hall who, alongside her husband Michael, bought the business three years ago from longtime owners Ken and Deb Fraser.
“Sometimes there’s buckets all around and in our fridge and so we have to always be mindful. Being a food store, we want to make sure everything we’re doing is for the wellbeing of the customer, but also making sure it’s safe and making sure we’re keeping their food well.”
Hall says that over the years, they’ve had to throw out hundreds of dollars in foods that have been ruined by the leaks, though they never had the capacity to make the repairs because of the $10,000 price tag.
“It’s been weighing on us,” Hall says. “It’s a hard place to be because something needs to get done and fixed but, at the same time, as a small business that didn’t have a busy summer, cash flow can be hard. We can’t really spend the funds that we would (otherwise) spend on buying product to keep our store and inventory intact.”
Hall recalls that, when they renovated the store before, they heard from customers and fellow small businesses that they would have offered a donation if they knew about it. She was reminded of this recently when she wanted to support another business that was in need.
“I realized if I feel the need to help other businesses, what if other businesses would like to support us?” she says. “Even if we don’t hit the exact 10K, at least there’s some little bit of a hand-up.”
“We’re at this really sweet spot where we’re saying ‘Okay, let’s ask for help’ and if it comes, great, we can move forward,” Hall adds. “And if it doesn’t, then we’re just back where we started, so there really is nothing to lose for us to just ask for some help.”
Throughout the event, The Main Ingredient will be selling bowls of the ready-to-make soups they sell in store, which are lentil-based and vegetarian, as well as other soups that community members have volunteered to make.
“I figured let’s do those soups because people love them, and it also gives them (customers) an idea of what they’re like,” Hall says, noting they hope to sell 150 bowls. “We don’t get to make the soup and get people to try it with us, so I thought this would be a really fun time to do that.”
Dessert will also be available, as local businesses Mija’s Bakeshop and Milk + Tea will be donating sweet treats for the occasion.
“I hope people come hungry,” Hall says.
During the event, there will also be live folk music from 6 to 8 p.m. courtesy of Peterborough-based singer-songwriter VanCamp (Calvin Bakelaar).
“We’ve never had live music at our shop yet, so this will be really interesting and really fun,” Hall says.
Throughout the evening, there will also be opportunity for visitors to bid in a silent auction featuring upwards of 30 items that have been donated by other local businesses, including Cozy: Home, Lifestyle + Gift Shoppe, The Refillery on Queen in Lakefield, Kit Croissanterie & Café, Ashburnham Ale House, Hanoi House, and many more.
There will also be raffles for gift baskets full of products from The Main Ingredient up for grabs, and visitors will have the opportunity to provide monetary donations to support the fundraiser, as well.
With so many fellow small businesses eager to support The Main Ingredient, Hall says it has been easier to get past how “awkward and vulnerable” it is to ask the community for donations.
“It’s just so heartwarming to see the community rally around us for something that probably will never affect them really,” Hall says. “It’s just reminding us that we’re not in this alone, because as business owners sometimes it can feel like that.”
Hall suggests the fundraiser is not only helping them get to know other business owners, but could also help to build a community of support among local businesses.
“It’s really nice that we’re able to just come together in unity,” she says. “I may never meet some of these business owners, but it just feels like there’s this really cool expression of unity and love and support from so many people.”
