Alison Scates, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of FLUID Coffeebar in downtown Valparaiso, is well-versed in operating a family-owned business and making customers happy. She slowly built FLUID from the ground up with her husband Chuck and the rest of her family and has found incredible success in Northwest Indiana.
Everyone in the family wears many hats when it comes to the coffee bar’s daily duties, so she mainly covers social media, manages the crew, and helps to create the recipes with her son, Ethan, which she stated is her favorite part of her role.
“I’m always analyzing trends and fashion when designing the restaurant and recipes,” Scates said. “It’s great to incorporate all of these creative ideas into this indie café and establish its unique identity, no matter the location.”
Scates started her entrepreneurial career by selling products online. She stated that the biggest challenge she came across was her own mental barriers, though she was able to surpass this by setting concrete goals and establishing exactly what she wanted for her business.
“Through all of my business endeavors, my family has always been my biggest motivation,” Scates said. “I want to accomplish everything I can for the benefit of my family and our cherished customers so I can leave a strong legacy.”
Scates stated that her experience as a business owner has taught her to be more adaptable and open-minded.
“I’m always trying to stay on the top of my game and ahead of what’s coming next,” Scates explained. “I’m a very goal-oriented individual, so I’m always looking to the future and preparing for anything that could come my way.”
She fully commits herself to cultivating the business and making sure both customers and staff are having the very best FLUID Coffeebar experience they can. Each location has its own unique design philosophy, heavily influenced by both the artistic visions of Scates and local artists.
“I’m very thrilled to be a part of this community,” Scates said. “I was born and raised in Northwest Indiana, so to be able to provide a service to the people of this region makes me so happy. I love every minute of it.”
She gave a special shout out to her daughter, Sophie, her partner, Peyton, her son, Ethan, and his partner, Maddie, for all the hard work they’ve done for the business.
FLUID’s newest location, Bosco Store, is located on Franklin Street and now open for business. It offers a more work and study-friendly environment compared to the Lincolnway location.
With two locations in Valparaiso and one in Michigan City, FLUID Coffeebar is dedicated to providing a unique, authentic coffee and tea experience for all its customers. For more information on FLUID and the menu, please visit www.fluidcoffeelove.com