We've set out to find some great bicycle friendly businesses in Minneapolis. This month, we highlighted Butter Bakery and Cafe, located near the intersection of 38th St and Nicollet Ave in South Minneapolis! Butter is a bicycle benefits business and also makes intentional choices to provide amenities to folks who bike there. Not to mention, they have some of the best pancakes in the whole city (seriously, give them a go, they are amazing!)
We sat down with owner, Dan Swenson-Klatt, and asked him to answer a few questions about how and why he makes his business so bike friendly!
MBC: What bike-friendly improvements have you made to your business?
Butter: We added a bike repair station and have an air pump available. We participate in the Bicycle Benefits program. We improved the landscaping around our front bike loop lock up area along the sidewalk.
MBC: What's the value for you in attracting people who bike to your business?
Butter: We have limited parking so bikers help relieve the pressure for those who must drive. We have a goal to help reduce and eliminate pollution so bikers help us reach that goal! We have been asked to participate in biking events around the city as a bakery - letting us make lovely biker cookies and biker bars!
MBC: Has being seen as a bike friendly business made a difference for your business? How?
MBC: What would you recommend for other businesses looking to be more bike friendly?Butter: We like being seen as an active, alternative, earth-friendly kind of place - the bike community helps by putting us to use along nearby bike commuter routes. We have been able to connect with Midtown Greenway Coalition as a supporter for their events. We had folks from Bicycle Benefits join us for our Nicollet Open Streets event. Our local business association chose to hold a Bike to Bakeries day last year to recognize both the number of local bakeries and the ease of biking in our neighborhood. We have been a stop on several “bike tours” by local organizations. Recently, our support for the bike community led to a Nice Ride Station being located on our end of the block!
Butter: Be willing to offer a discount on a regular basis - since bikers like to develop routines for their biking routes. Be willing to increase the number of bike loops available to handle more bikes! Get involved with Bicycle Benefits!
MBC: Anything else you'd like to share?
Butter: One of the reasons I chose to locate my business so close to my home was to have the option to bike to work. Choosing to shop locally for my business also gives me an option to have places that I can bike to for business purposes. (I’m just working on building a better schedule for myself so that I can make better use of those biking opportunities!) There is a new protected bike lane along Blaisdell one block to the west which feels like part of a growing support in our city!
Thanks Dan! We can't wait to ride our bikes to butter and grab some delicious treats and a discounted beverage with our bicycle benefits!
