On your next visit to Bloomington, Indiana โ perhaps this fall for leaf peeping โ take a detour to Hopscotch Coffee. The small business is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this autumn, but the creative minds behind it, Jeff Grant and Erin Tobey (brand owner and designer, respectively), make more than caffeinated drinks.
Through their love of art and music, the couple practice many other passions, helping grow Hopscotch Coffee into something bigger than a simple chain of coffee houses and expanding the townโs thriving music and art scenes.
โWe started as primarily specialty coffee, but thatโs now just a part of the many things we do,โ Grant says. โWe have a full breakfast and lunch restaurant, a curated gift section, a mail-order website with subscriptions, and a kidsโ play area.โ
Beyond the thriving business, the couple also is known around the community for their music. Grant and Tobey are professional touring musicians who play several instruments and are part of Bloomington music label Letโs Pretend. Grant currently performs with the popular band Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, while both play in the band Full Sun.
โPlaying music is a labor of love but something weโve always prioritized in our lives, for at least 30 years,โ Grant explains. โAt any point, you can find us playing in bands together or separately, in changing roles and various genres.โ
And then thereโs Tobeyโs stunning public art. When sheโs not working as a visiting art instructor at Bloomingtonโs Fairview Elementary School, sheโs creating several large-scale murals around town. These include paintings at the downtown library and outside several shops, contributing to Bloomingtonโs collection of public art. Itโs a particular style the pair has sought to incorporate into their stores.
โErinโs artwork and our general design sense is on full display in our locations, especially the large cafe on Dodds Street,โ Grant says. โI think the handmade and hand-painted touches around the shop are a sort of signal to customers that thatโs our background.โ
Meanwhile, the pairโs creative endeavors impact how they run their coffee shop.
Grant believes his and Tobeyโs background in DIY music and art affects how they manage their staff. โWeโre supportive of everyoneโs artistic ventures and try to give them as many opportunities as possible to develop them while working here, from hosting events at the shop to being flexible with time off,โ he says. โFor us, the art and music scenes were our main identities prior to opening the business.โ
And itโs their connection to art and music that allows them to encourage other makers. Artists in the community approach the couple to host art markets, artist parties, movie screenings, and book readings. โWeโre usually happy to oblige,โ he says.
Visit Hopscotch Coffee & Kitchen at 235 W. Dodds St. or its to-go shop and roastery at 212 N. Madison St.
