Submitted by: Sarah Smenyak Photo taken from @fluidcoffeelove instagram
Alison and Chuck Scates have been in love with coffee for a long time. The creative couple met in a Merrillville High School art class and found a way to merge their love of coffee and the arts into their business lives when they opened Fluid Coffeebar in downtown Valparaiso. “This dark heady brew has fueled our creative and academic ventures for many years,” says Alison. And now they are taking that coffee fueled creativity into Michigan City and the Uptown Arts district.
It is crunch time for the Fluid team. They will have a one night soft opening this Friday, December 6th, as a part of Michigan City’s popular First Friday Art Walk . On First Friday they will have live experimental global music, local artists, free samples, a chance to meet the crew, and an open mic night. Fluid’s Michigan City location will officially open for regular business on December 22nd with a ribbon cutting in the afternoon, full menu, more free samples, and giveaways.
Fluid is all about sustainability and respect. Every coffee bean is picked by hand from specific regions around the equator. They buy their coffee directly to eliminate the middleman and ensure the fair treatment of the coffee farmers. At the cafes, Fluid uses several brewing methods that all highlight different components of the coffee. Alison’s current favorite coffee is from the the Embu region of Kenya. They also make concoctions and elixirs at Fluid and her favorite one right now is the Novus Ordo, a rich chocolate and orange smoked salt latte made with espresso and oat milk.
In the spring Fluid hopes to have educational tours of the cafe and the roasting lab to explain the processes with transparency and unite the northwest Indiana coffee community. The Scates love the region. They hike, shop, eat and drink throughout the dunes area and love to promote local artists and musicians in their stores.
The Michigan City Fluid will be located in the newly renovated Eagle Building at 518 N. Franklin St. The location will offer their signature specialty coffees, with several drinks made just for the Michigan city store, as well as a food menu that will include vegan and paleo dishes. Alison and Chuck are looking forward to the new location,“we are excited about the people, and the growth and energy in the Uptown Arts District. It’s palatable!”
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