BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Business Spotlight
American Natural
A
merican Natural is a convenience store like no other, a place where the local community can not only fuel up but also enjoy high-quality, affordable, freshmade food in a clean, pleasant, welcoming space – a mix of your favorite café, local coffee-house and corner market store. They offer flexible services to make life easier and safer, including online ordering, curbside pickup, delivery (via DoorDash and UberEats), in-store grab & go shopping, catering and, when available, dine-in. As we all know, 2020 was a year of change. American Natural is proud to be able to serve the Pittsburgh community – as an essential business providing fuel and food, but also as a true community partner, forging and deepening relationships with local vendors. Here is a look back at selected partnership innovations from 2020:
About Mancini’s Bakery
Founded in 1926 and still family-run, Mancini’s legendary bread is a Pittsburgh institution. American Natural teamed up with them to create two exclusive sandwiches: the hearty Big Mancini, and the Mancini Sunny-side Breakfast Sandwich.
Steel Cup Coffee Roasters
New suppliers to American Natural this year, owners Doug & Daria say their small-batch, craft roasting coffee business was “born of the dream of a great cup o’ joe and doing the right thing.” Their commitment to sustainable coffee means they use only organic, fair-trade beans sourced from organic cooperatives and farms, roasting them in small batches to ensure consistent, exceptional flavor.
Tupelo Honey Tea
Inspired by one transformative cup of tea in 2002 sipped at a Buddhist temple in Shanghai, owner and founder Danielle Spinola focuses on specialty blends that “not only taste good but are good for your body and soul.” She even offers a seasonal tea made with herbs foraged from Girty’s Woods near Millvale – talk about local!
Helltown Beer
A local favorite, Helltown ales and IPA’s were a bit hard to find this last summer. American Natural hosted a few wildly popular sold-out “Friday Night” pop-ups.
Millie’s Homemade “Real Is Delicious” Ice Cream.
Founders Chad & Lauren started Millie’s in 2014, and they hand-craft every batch, made with fresh milk from Twin Brook Dairy Co. American Natural features Millie’s vanilla ice cream in made-on-the-spot specialty shakes.
Speckled Hen Chocolates (Saxonburg),
Owner Matt and Valerie Cannon stick to their three ideals: quality, uniqueness and customer service. They make everything in house. You can get their exclusive “edible toilet paper” (chocolate in the form of a mini-TP roll) at American Natural stores. Find even more artisan specialty goods in the American Natural Marketplace, like Ready Nutrition (Wexford), and Turner Dairy Farm products. The GoNatural Rewards loyalty program offers plenty of benefits, from frequentdrinker coffee rewards to fuel discounts, and in-store deals. Visit six locations in the greater Pittsburgh area: Cranberry, Gibsonia, Harmar, Mars, Valencia and Wexford. Find out more about American Natural at www.americannatural.com. n
2
JANUARY 2021 | www.northernconnectionmag.com
