From sipping to shipping

Bailiwicks Coffee Company at South Washington and East Perry streets opened its doors on March 12, 2012, and owner Jessica Wirth said the shop is celebrating its 10th anniversary Monday with a "Pay As You May Day." "We're going to allow (customers) to set the prices for day," she said. "We'll also have cupcakes and things to give away. We want to keep it simple, but very appreciative. "I just want to show how appreciative I am that the community has continued to support us and continued to help us grow," she said. "I'm just very grateful for that." The first 10 years of the coffee shop's growth reflects the changes and growth in downtown Tiffin during the last decade. "So much has changed," Wirth said. "It's basically unrecognizable." When she, her mother and brother decided to act on their idea of starting a business, she said downtown wasn't nearly as busy as it is today. "You could walk up and down the street and have your choice of almost any storefront," she said. "It's been a complete 180. It's been amazing to see and amazing to be a part it. "There's been a large and deliberate push to really strengthen downtown," she said. The Main Street program through Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership, under the direction of Amy Reinhart, has brought attention to downtown Tiffin and earned national accreditation. "On a national scale we're seeing a value in our small town and historic downtown,'' Wirth said. Today, businesses complement one another and tend to work together for the benefit of all. "As everybody strengthens one another, the downtown strengthens," she said. "We're making it a much more walk-able downtown, which obviously helps with traffic." Over the last decade, Wirth said she has seen a change in the mindsets of many local people. As they understand the importance of supporting local businesses, the more local business has emerged. "Then local businesses are able to give back," she said. While the money people spend at larger chain stores and restaurants mainly leaves the local economy, she said money spent buying from local people remains in the community. "It just creates this awesome cycle," she said. "As people are accepting that and taking that to heart, it will allow more local businesses to come and to strengthen the community further." Just as downtown came to life, Wirth said Bailiwicks took on a life its own and became different from what she originally envisioned. "You have to pivot and learn," she said. "You do as much planning as you possibly can, but go with the changes." When she opened the coffee shop, she said she thought her main customers would be university students. Although students and others related to the universities play a large role in the store's success, she said the major portion of customers are downtown professionals and business people. "It's a college town with the two universities," she said. "But community support for the small businesses is what really drives the businesses." In the beginning, she thought her business might be reduced during summers. But that hasn't been the case. During the summer, the most popular drinks shift, but the revenue side of the business doesn't change much. She roughly estimates 25% of her customers are students — both college and high school students — and 75% are people who live or work downtown, or people who are shopping or visiting downtown. Roasting the beans Another difference was the speed at which she was able to make enough profit to begin roasting her own coffee. Her original plans were to start roasting within 10 years. Instead, she bought the roaster that resides in the front of her building in 2016 — only four years after opening. "Because of the way the business grew, it allowed me to invest in that much sooner," she said. "It was a huge game changer in more ways than I imagined." Since then, Wirth has been sourcing beans from all over the coffee-growing regions of the world and has been roasting all of the beans Bailiwicks uses for coffee. "It creates more unique products," she said. "It's rare to find roasters in coffee shops, but it's even more rare to have a female roaster." Roasting her own beans allows her far more control over the quality of Bailiwicks coffee. "It allows for us to serve the freshest coffee possible," she said. "It's far fresher than you can get from a grocery store shelf." As an agricultural product, the quality of the beans makes a big difference in the quality of coffee — similar to how grape quality affects wine. Wirth said she's a profile roaster. "It's my job to bring out the natural character of the beans, the region they're grown in and the soil they're grown in," she said. Depending on the roasting time and temperature, and the air flow through the roaster, she has learned to bring out the best in each batch of beans. Wirth said no two people taste coffee exactly the same way. "You and I can drink the same exact coffee and like them differently," she said. The goal is a great cup of coffee. Some people enjoying adding cream and sugar or flavors, she said. Some like it black. "I just want you to enjoy the coffee," she said. "However you like it and whatever you put in it. That's why there are different options." The coffee shop has monthly specials written on the chalk board at the order counter. This month's theme celebrates the 10th anniversary. "It's a collaborative effort among the employees," she said. "I did it for years, but I don't do it as often anymore. Whoever feels compelled to do it takes it on for that month." At last count, she said the shop has 400 recipes for specialty drinks. "At this point, it's difficult to come up with new ones," she said. "They play around with different ideas and different flavor combinations. "If a customer wants to create their own drink, they can," she said. Wirth said it's nice to see the coffee shop back to its place as a community gathering spot. Customer support enabled Bailiwicks to remain open during the pandemic. "The uncertainty was the scary part," she said. Wirth said she wanted to balance the financial needs of the business with the need for employees to keep their jobs. "Ultimately, that was one of the employee-driven things," she said. "They wanted to stay open and wanted to work." So the coffee shop remained open. "One of the first things we did was scale our hours back and continue to work with our strengths," she said. People could no longer hang around as much, but it provided a place for people "to grab their morning coffee and go about their day." As the pandemic wanes, Wirth said Bailiwicks has returned to its former role. "It goes back to the overall goal in opening," Wirth said. "Just to create a safe community space to bring people together, to become an affirming place and a safe space." She said people use the space for meetings and as an office. "Families come in on weekends. It's kind of neat to be that place for people," she said. "I hope 20 years from now kids will remember coming here with their parents." Wirth said the coffee shop is a special place to her as the business owner and the building owner, but she knows she also provides a special place for others. "It makes me stop to reflect," she said. She said the coffee shop has seen first dates, marriage proposals and baby showers, among other special events. "We've actually had a wedding here," she said. Next steps In January 2021, Wirth took another step and bought the building she had been leasing. "We immediately put a lot of investment into the historical building," she said. The investment included repairing structural issues and the like. In addition to the coffee shop on the corner, Wirth said Bailiwicks coffee is becoming more widely known in the region through sales of bagged coffee and partnerships with other businesses. For eight years, she said she's been partnering with Riehm Produce Farm, which offers Bailiwicks coffee as an option for people to choose in their weekly market boxes. Riehm's customers in Bowling Green, Findlay and the Toledo area have easy access to her brand. Local coffee also is sold in bags by Molyet's Farm Market & Garden Center, for example. Laird Arcade Brewery uses it in their "Bailiwicked" beer and Bailiwicks coffee is served at the Wall Street Pub & Grille. "Those partnerships have really helped to create another side," she said. "It isn't just a brick and mortar store." Through word of mouth, Wirth said she ships special orders throughout the United States. "We ship coffee," she said. "We absolutely do. I'm trying to establish that part and grow into that area." Whether she's looking out of her office door seeing a busy gathering place where people are enjoying coffee, or she's working with her community and business partners, or she's taking orders for shipping regionally or to another part of the country, Wirth said she looks forward to Bailiwicks' future.