Saline’s Brewed Awakenings Supporting Small Businesses with In-Store Pop-Ups

By Delaney Krause, STN Writer

Nestled on the outskirts of Saline, a charming cafe not only brews a perfect cup but also a tale of local ingenuity and collaborative success. What awaits is more than just coffee—it's an invitation to explore the vibrant pulse of a town coming together, one pop-up at a time.

Brewed Awakenings Cafe was established in Saline in 2011 by Kim Kaster, alongside her husband Mike. The cafe garners an incredibly warm and inviting atmosphere with its floor-to-ceiling windows, cozy fireplace, and inclusive menu. Aside from its delicious coffee, snacks, and soothing ambiance, the cafe has acted as an incredible platform for other small businesses in Saline.

Since the cafe opened in 2011, its walls have been adorned with artwork by local artists, and its shelves with books by local authors. Brewed Awakenings embraces the work of community members and regularly offers its space to support these local entrepreneurs.

As a small business owner herself, Kim has always been an advocate for their survival: “Let’s face it. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, but it is really hard to run a small business”.

In an effort to provide these businesses with a platform, Brewed Awakenings began scheduling pop-up shops for every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month– according to Kim, “Within a couple hours, [spots] were booked through August.” As a result of the overwhelming interest, the cafe has also implemented experience-based events with local entrepreneurs on Saturdays.

In terms of type of business, Brewed Awakenings is proud to host a variety of creators; from art, to merchandise, to food, the cafe’s pop-ups not only appeal to diverse businesses but also to a diverse customer base. When asked about what types of pop-ups Brewed Awakenings is looking for, Kim stated, “We are open to all ideas!” and that she “would love to see candles, baked goods from around the world, candy, and more.”

Once a small business secures its spot, it is allotted three hours on a Tuesday (2:30 pm-5:30 pm), and may use the available time and space in any way they please. As such, Brewed Awakenings offers small businesses a platform to advertise and sell their products in both an unconventional and uncomplicated manner. Alongside these unique pop-ups, Brewed Awakenings' first experience-based event is Saturday, March 9th; The Massage Center (out of Saline) will be providing chair massages from 10:00 am-2:00 pm. The cost is $5.00 for five minutes and $15.00 for ten minutes. The schedule for pop-ups and experiences (thus far) is included below.

Kim’s desire is for Brewed Awakenings to be exemplary of what it means to be a small business: innovative, supportive, and adaptive. They seek to use the pop-up shops as an inspiring form of community engagement that aids in celebrating and maintaining the existence of small businesses (including their own).

Kim credits the Saline community for these collaborative efforts: “We have been so lucky to receive so much support from our community and we hope to do so for others.” When visiting the cafe during one of these pop-ups, Kim emphasized: “You are not expected to purchase anything from Brewed! You are free to come in and buy from the local business only!”. If you are a local business interested in a pop-up shop at Brewed Awakenings, please contact Kim at mybrewedawakeningscafe@gmail.com.