As a local business interested in helping another local business, Aspire offered a creative solution to keep the business open as it transitioned out of its brick-and-mortar building to a new permanent home.

After a handful of messages, emails and meetings, the two organizations came up with a plan. On Labor Day, With Room Coffee opened a pop-up shop inside the credit union.

“A coffee shop and its operation are outside the scope of what we normally do in a financial (institution), but we wanted to figure out a way to help,” said Mindee Kohlman, CEO of Aspire Credit Union. “When we looked around, we thought, we have the space, so let’s see if we can make it work.”

Throughout conversations, credit union staff looked at all the locations inside the building that they thought would work, but when the With Room Coffee team members saw the garage, they knew that was their spot.

Submitted Photo Customers line up to get their coffee from With Room Coffee, temporarily located in Aspire Credit Union.

“Of all the places we looked at, the garage was not where we thought they would end up,” Kohlman said. However, the With Room Coffee team had an immediate vision, and knowing this was a temporary solution, they were willing to get creative.

In working with the With Room Coffee team, Aspire learned many of the coffee shop customers order coffee ahead, stop in and pick up their orders. The pop-up in the garage allows With Room customers to get their coffee delivered through their window and go on their way through Aspire’s teller line.

As a credit union, Aspire looked at traffic and numbers to be sure this plan was not going to hinder its customer service, traffic flow patterns or mission as an organization. For the next few months, Aspire is pleased to do what it can to make it work.

“We are excited to be at Aspire Credit Union,” said Rebecca Alvarez, owner of With Room Coffee. “We were determined to keep our staff employed during this transition, and with this partnership, we have been able to do that.”

With Room Coffee can be found on social media, where it frequently updates its hours.

Aspire Credit Union, formerly Prairie Federal Credit Union, has served the Minot area communities since 1937. Aspire Credit Union is a community-chartered credit union serving Bottineau, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, Renville and Ward counties.