Cortado‘s Victoria Brenneman shares some of the ways Warrick & Boyn has helped her and her husband, Steve, bring new energy and more lunchtime options to Downtown Goshen.
When Goshen residents Victoria and Steve Brenneman purchased the building at 132 South Main Street in The Maple City, they did so with plans to bring new energy—and more delicious lunchtime options—into downtown.
“My husband, Steve, is a serial entrepreneur, and we have a few different manufacturing facilities in Elkhart County and Kosciusko County,“ said Victoria. “We wanted to own a building in Downtown Goshen and create something within that could benefit the community. We love cafes and bakeries, and we decided to open the type of eating establishment that we would enjoy going to.”
Blessed are the flexible…
When Cortado opened with its own unique format—a coffee shop and bakery by day, and a Supper Club and wine spot by night—it felt like a smooth and logical culmination for Victoria, a former health coach and the former publisher of the popular Edible Michiana magazine.
“I’m passionate about quality food, and I have such a curiosity for local produce farmers and local food products,” said Victoria. “I enjoy shopping at the Maple City Market and at the Goshen Farmers Market, and I love anything that involves making recipes in the kitchen. So, the transition into the local restaurant space felt very much like a natural progression for me.”
The Brennemans have since discovered that running a restaurant and bakery is not always a ‘piece of cake.’
“We’ve tinkered diligently with the format and the hours,” said Victoria. “February 20 was the last day of our Supper Club format, and the good news is that people have been enjoying Cortado, and we’ll be expanding our cafe hours and lunchtime options. This is our first restaurant, and there has definitely been a big learning curve, but my husband has this saying, ‘Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape.’”
While that mindset has greatly helped the Brennemans comfortably adapt along the way, as they learn the ins and outs of the food industry, there have been times when they needed legal assistance and support.
A knowledgeable and experienced legal partner
“We’d heard that Warrick & Boyn is quite knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to working with the ATC, and they have been great to work with,” said Victoria. “Warrick & Boyn helped to answer our many questions regarding the different licensing opportunities, and with their help, we ultimately decided on a two-way license that best serves our purposes. We worked quite a bit with (partner) Rachel Schnetzler, and she is awesome. She was helpful, responsive, knowledgeable, and also involved. She actually came with me to procure our two-way license, and she came in to dine at Cortado and support us once we were open. That’s well above and beyond the norm.”
According to Victoria, developing chemistry with the staff and working with like-minded people to create something unique are among the best perks of owning Cortado.
“I really love the synergy we’re working to develop with our employees at Cortado,” said Victoria. “I love choosing the menu, taking the seasons into account, and collaborating with other food lovers. Steve and I both love Goshen, and for so long we’ve enjoyed going to the many wonderful eateries here. It’s nice to be a part of the local food scene now, and give back by providing another space where people can eat and enjoy community. I would definitely recommend Warrick & Boyn for business owners who need legal consultation—especially in the dining and brewing space. I know of other establishments that have struggled to understand and wade through licensing parameters, and that’s one of the areas where Warrick & Boyn helped us the most.”
Likewise, we would definitely recommend that you check out Cortado the next time you’re in Goshen! Thanks to Victoria and Steve for coming to us—we are always happy to assist, help, and serve business owners throughout Michiana!