‘It wasn’t about us.’ How Maine Bay & Berry put customers, employees first during pandemic
Shaun Knight and Christa Stofferahn will do anything to help their employees and customers; the COVID-19 pandemic is proof.
The Maine Bay & Berry Co. co-owners — like many business owners — had to adjust operations amid the pandemic and mitigation efforts. Their days got longer, and they were faced with tough decisions, but their top priority was helping those in need. For them, giving back wasn’t about recognition because community support is something they’ve felt for years, and they know it works both ways.
“It’s always the small businesses that are here doing things to help one another out,” Knight said. “And I think that the community realized that and knows how truly valuable small business is.”
With a three-pronged strategy, Knight and Stofferahn operated the business at 201 Elmwood St. in Lemont, managed the supply chain and took care of their employees. But their main focus was serving staff and customers.
“How can we help all of our customers who have been here to support us in the first few years of business? How can we do anything to help them in their time of need?” Knight said. “That is first and foremost next to our employees. How do we keep them employed, so they’re not losing paychecks and that they live their lives safely, but are also bringing in income to support themselves?”
As grocery store shelves emptied and supply chains were interrupted by the pandemic, Knight said they adjusted their supply chain, so Maine Bay & Berry Co. had three different sources to pull fish. Though they were able to supply some seafood, it was challenging at times. Knight added that he had to learn how other companies were adjusting services to accommodate their own employees’ needs and available supply.
Still wanting to serve customers who didn’t feel safe leaving their homes during the pandemic, Knight and Stofferahn also established a delivery service where they initially carried out between 75-100 orders per week, free of charge. Stofferahn said some people turned to them for help with groceries, especially when pork, beef and chicken were running low in stores. At the time, Stofferahn said they didn’t have an issue with their supply chain, so they worked to fulfill customers’ needs beyond seafood.
Over the holidays, the couple also donated food to 40-50 families who were struggling and used social media to gauge community needs and compile a list of people who might have needed some extra help.
“The only thing we wanted was for them to have a good holiday, and that was really cool,” Knight said, highlighting how customers supported the business and supported community members by nominating people in need.
Knight and Stofferahn didn’t want to go out of business, and although adjusting services cost money, they knew taking care of their staff and customers was key to survival, as well as supporting other businesses and community organizations, like food banks, through partnerships.
“It wasn’t about us; it was about that,” Knight said.
Knight and Stofferahn don’t know what comes next as COVID-19 restrictions are eased and businesses reopen, but the nice thing about being a small business is being able to “pivot on a dime if we need to change,” Knight said. He added that safety is a top priority moving forward.
But they do know that as long as the community continues to support them, they’ll be able to reciprocate.
“One of the things our customers always thought was that we had smiles on our faces and we’re always having conversations with people. We are very hyper-customer-focused. That is the primary No. 1 job,” Knight said, adding that he’s eager to get those conversations and quality time with customers back.
Until then, they — along with the rest of their staff — plan to greet customers by smiling with their eyes and using inflection to create the same welcoming environment when they walk through the door.
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