It doesn’t take long visiting with Mandy Fincham to recognize the energy and passion she has for her Beloit-based business, Kettle. Fincham, who co-owns the Beloit spot with her husband “B”, possesses a special energy that is clearly reflected in the way she speaks about her business.
“My husband and I are really social. Our biggest thing is we want to have fun all the time,” explained Fincham. “We are just always socializing, but Beloit is a small town that has limited options.”
A mother of two, as well as an entrepreneur, Fincham’s fondness for the town of 4,000 is also evident in the way she talks. “Beloit is a town of 4,000, and has a lot going for it,” says Fincham. However, Fincham recognized that there were no places that fit the bill of being family-friendly enough to both bring children, and also to safely enjoy adult activities, like a glass of wine or a cold craft beer.
Thus, the idea to create such a place was born. The Finchams knew it would take work to transform their dream into a reality, but they decided to go for it anyway. “The more we researched it the more we thought it could fly,” said Fincham. “We told ourselves, if it opens and closes in a year, we can say we tried. We didn’t want to be 80 and have regrets, wondering if it would work.”
It wasn’t easy, but nearly seven years later, it’s safe to say– it worked. “We definitely had some hard times…it was very hard,” reflected Fincham. “But now we’re in a comfortable place, being really well received, getting awards, moving to a bigger building…we are going in the right direction but it all started with wanting to have fun and wanting to share that fun with other people.”
The Kettle website describes the location as, “The best in coffee, wine, beer and eats”. Customers at Kettle can expect tasty bites, delicious beverages, and even fun entertainment when they visit.
Kettle advertises itself as the home of the “most unique grilled cheese in Kansas.” Fincham explained that each week, there is a new grilled cheese offered. “We have had hundreds of kinds of grilled cheese. This week is beer brat and cheddar cheese, next week is zucchini fry and ranch grilled cheese. People come back every week to try the weekly grilled cheese.”
The restaurant involves customer input via Facebook polls and conversations to choose what crazy grilled cheese they want to try next, and sometimes the grilled cheese of the week is inspired by the time of year, holidays, or even made-up holidays like National Pizza Day. The innovative grilled cheese sandwiches are Kettle’s best-selling menu item.
The spot is approaching its seven year anniversary in June, and is making big moves– literally, to a new, bigger building just down the street. Currently Kettle employs 11 individuals, but after making the move to its new building, will be adding around four new staff members. Additionally, the new building has a historic soda fountain, and Kettle will be adding new items to the menu. “We’ll be adding soda shoppe drinks and ice creams to the menu. We’ve never done it, but are excited to learn!” exclaimed Fincham.
In addition to the delectable and unique menu, Kettle also offers a variety of entertainment, from music, to beer and wine tastings, to murder mystery dinners, and more. The entertainment appeals to a wide demographic, so there is always something for everyone. “We just want to provide more fun in a small town,” explains Fincham.
Like all small businesses, Kettle felt the effects of Covid, but Fincham feels they came out on top. “We did end up closing for a month, but some great things did come out of it…we got creative with events, started doing take-home meal kits, things where we could still make some extra money but our customers could do it at home. We tried to really think outside of the box a lot and I think the creative changes helped us to be stronger on the other side,” she said.
Some services put in place during the pandemic have remained, and are widely popular in the community, including a coffee ordering app, and even coffee deliveries. If the customer orders at least four drinks, the business will deliver for just a dollar.
Seven years into owning Kettle, the Finchams aren’t stopping any time soon and are thrilled for the opportunities the future and their new building will bring. “The new building will be a lot bigger, and we’re just really excited. Right now people have to walk away because there isn’t room at least once a week, and we just hate that,” said Fincham. “We shouldn’t have that problem in the future, as we will have more space for dining. We would love to start catering but currently our kitchen is just too small. We would like to start baking- we love to bake but we just don’t have time or space, and we would love to host some more creative events and things…street dances, possibly comedy shows. We just want to be even more creative with our events, and really bring the customer service.”
All this hard work and creative energy is paying off, as Kettle is getting noticed around the state. Most recently, Kettle was awarded a Kansas Department of Commerce Award for business innovation in North Central Kansas. Additionally, they have won a Wekan! award, for “Bringing the fun to Beloit.” They have also been featured in the Wichita Eagle and Lawrence Journal. “We’re always so humbled and so grateful that people see us and see what we’re doing and our hard work and that we can be recognized in little ways like that,” said Fincham.
Of course, the success of a business just wouldn’t be possible without a community and customers to support and back it. Fincham would like to extend a happy “thank you” to the customers and townspeople. “Thanks for sticking with us and thanks for shopping small, and being willing to try different things with our food and coffee. Thanks for trying, and thanks for supporting us. I love getting to add to the community I love. I’m contributing in some way, making the community a better place. So many travelers come through and think Beloit is so great, and we are a part of that and that’s so neat!”
