SMALL BUSINESSES
Thrive during uncertain times Three local companies found ways to navigate the pandemic and find success.
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key phrase in the City of Blaine’s vision statement refers to Blaine as a place where businesses thrive. Over the last two years, thriving as a business has been difficult. With a pandemic unlike the world has seen for generations, businesses were left scrambling to stay afloat, let alone thrive. Blaine is proud to be home to more than 1,400 businesses, many of them small businesses owned and operated by Blaine residents. These businesses are in many ways the lifeblood of the community. The City was able to bolster many businesses and nonprofits during this time through different financial assistance programs, providing nearly $1 million in grants. With all the assistance, programs, and resources available, each business still has a unique story and circumstances that they have endured during the pandemic.
Blaine's First Brewery Invictus Brewing Co. opened in May 2018 in the heart of Blaine across from the National Sports Center. After years of planning, a group of Blaine residents were ready to open Blaine’s first brewery. Invictus was a hit with the community, packed with locals and visitors daily. Invictus had been open for less than two years when the pandemic – and stay-at-home orders – hit, something that was never in the business plan. Gone were the overflowing parking lot and full taproom. Invictus owners had to reinvent their business on the fly. “First, I have to give most of the credit for our ability to come out of
PREVIN SOLBERG, OWNER AT INVICTUS BREWING CO.
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the pandemic to our staff,” said owner Previn Solberg. “They stepped up and helped us get through the toughest of times when we were most vulnerable. When the State announced that in-person dining would be shut down on March 17, our taproom manager had our curbside pickup system in place before we opened the next day.” Previn recognized the team for not complaining or placing blame. “We accepted our reality and controlled the things we could control and did our best to mitigate the impact of the things we couldn’t,” he said. “We never lost faith that we would prevail in the end. In a lot of ways, we are better off because of it.” The pandemic brought many changes to the hospitality industry, many of which Previn believes are here to stay. Enhanced processes at Invictus include a host position to help control traffic and movement, a QR code ordering system at the table, a seating waitlist, and an online curbside ordering system. “We were forced to innovate and implement several business practices that we may not have done or thought about had the pandemic not happened,” said Solberg. “From a financial standpoint, yes, the pandemic hurt…big time. But the reality is that we will come out of the pandemic a more efficient and better-run business.” The pandemic changed the business plan for Invictus, but Solberg says they are still growing and moving forward, expanding their distribution footprint into the St. Cloud area and possibly other areas in Minnesota and other states in the coming years. In addition, they will soon outgrow their current production space and will need to expand to increase production capacity.
