Retail is more than just products and price tags. 

At its best, it’s a tool for transformation. 

Sip & Savor, a community-focused coffee house brand founded by Trez Van Pugh III in Chicago, is proof that when done with purpose, retail can uplift underserved neighborhoods, creating lasting economic opportunity and cultural value.

From hiring locally to hosting financial literacy workshops, this retailer offers a model for how to build a business that drives community change.

Here are seven ways retail businesses can uplift the communities that need them most.

1. Open In Areas That Lack Community Anchors

When Trez launched Sip & Savor in Bronzeville, he addressed a community need. As he explained:

“They didn’t have [coffee houses] on the South Side… I wanted to try to come over and pioneer that effort.”

At the time, many South Side Chicago neighborhoods lacked third spaces: vital environments outside of home and work where people can safely gather, connect, and engage. 

By intentionally placing his first store in an area that was often overlooked by commercial investment, he created a hub for conversation, collaboration, and connection. In this space, residents, elected officials, artists, and entrepreneurs could come together and connect.

Retailers who aim to create a meaningful impact should consider location from a community standpoint. Ask yourself:

• Does this neighborhood lack welcoming places for people to gather?
• Is there an unmet need for services, jobs, or cultural programming?
• Could your retail store help rewrite the narrative of a neglected area?

Retail is all about presence. When you open your doors in an underserved neighborhood, you have the power to offer visibility, opportunity, and hope. Prioritize locations where your store can become an anchor as a safe, affirming space where people feel they belong.

2. Let the Community “Pick You”

The expansion of Sip & Savor came from listening. As word spread about the store’s welcoming environment and community-first mission, customers, local leaders, and even elected officials began to express a desire for a similar presence in their own neighborhoods. 

In neighborhoods like Hyde Park, South Loop, and Edgewater, the momentum to grow was rooted in genuine, organic demand from the people the business served.

Rather than imposing a retail concept into a new area, Sip & Savor grew by responding to requests and invitations from communities that had experienced its value firsthand. This approach ensured local buy-in while laying the groundwork for deeper trust, faster integration, and lasting impact in each new location.

Growth is most sustainable when it’s community-led. Pay close attention to where your brand naturally resonates, and look for signals that your presence is wanted and needed. Let interest from residents, neighborhood organizations, and local institutions guide your retail expansion strategy. When you invest where you’re genuinely invited, your business becomes woven into the fabric of the community.

3. Hire From Within the Neighborhood

One of the most impactful and often overlooked ways retailers can support underserved neighborhoods is by hiring locally. At Sip & Savor, employees are recruited directly from the surrounding neighborhoods, helping to make sure that the staff reflects the community and actively contributes to its economic mobility.

This local hiring strategy builds trust with customers. Seeing familiar faces behind the counter reinforces a sense of shared ownership in the success of the business. It also provides real pathways for residents, especially young people or those re-entering the workforce, to gain skills, earn income, and grow in their careers.

For retailers looking to replicate this model, here are practical ways to build a community-based hiring strategy. Try the following:

• Partner with local schools, churches, or community organizations to promote open positions.
• Offer entry-level roles with clear pathways for advancement.
• Prioritize candidates who reflect the lived experience of your customer base.
• Provide training in both technical and soft skills to invest in long-term employee success.
• Recognize and celebrate local staff achievements publicly to build morale and loyalty.

Hiring locally is a strategic business decision. When your team understands the community from the inside out, customer service improves, brand loyalty deepens, and your store becomes a source of pride and purpose for the neighborhood. 

4. Incorporate Local Art and Culture Into Your Space

Make your retail store about what’s seen, heard, and felt. By intentionally incorporating local artists and musicians into the daily environment, Sip & Savor converts its coffee houses into vibrant cultural spaces. The walls display artwork created by neighborhood talent, while music in the background often comes from local performers. 

When residents see familiar creative expressions within a retail environment, it sends a powerful message that this place was made for them. It elevates local creatives and helps keep culture circulating within the neighborhood. It also encourages repeat visits and social sharing, as customers feel more emotionally connected to the space and its story.

Your store’s environment is part of your brand, and it’s a valuable opportunity to reflect the culture of the community you serve. When you invite local creativity into your space, you’re building identity, inclusion, and emotional investment for the people who walk through your doors.

5. Host Educational Events That Empower the Community

At Sip & Savor, a key part of their impact comes from offering free, practical events that help customers build knowledge and confidence in essential life areas. These events are designed to meet real needs in each neighborhood the store serves.

Whether it’s financial security, mental wellness, or professional growth, these gatherings create meaningful access to resources that many residents might not receive otherwise. 

Here are just a few types of community-focused initiatives Sip & Savor prioritizes:

• Financial literacy workshops: Customers learn about budgeting, credit, and financial planning to build long-term stability.
• Real estate seminars: These sessions offer guidance on buying a home or investing in property, a crucial step toward generational wealth.
• Estate planning education: Legal professionals walk attendees through the importance of wills, trusts, and asset protection.
• Mental Health Mondays: These open conversations are led by therapists and offer a safe space to talk about emotional wellness free of charge.
• Entrepreneur networking: Sip & Savor serves as a connection point for local business owners, creatives, and aspiring entrepreneurs to meet, collaborate, and grow.

Each of these initiatives is focused on one goal: giving people access to tools and relationships that empower them. 

If you want your retail space to uplift your community, use it to inform. Prioritizing initiatives that deliver real financial, emotional, or professional value builds loyalty and trust. When your store becomes a place where people grow, you’ll create a brand that truly belongs to the community.

6. Create a Space That Feels Like Home

At Sip & Savor, the customer experience is intentionally crafted to be warm, familiar, and consistent. Artists, entrepreneurs, educators, politicians, and neighborhood regulars all frequent the shop because of the welcoming environment.

Trez built the in-store experience around five core principles: the space must be crisp, clean, classy, consistent, and offer excellent customer service. These values are visible in everything from the cleanliness of the counters to the way staff greet returning guests by name. The music is intentional, the art is curated, and customers are treated like guests.

A clean space and excellent products are just the starting point. What turns a store into a destination is the emotional experience it offers. When you invest in a welcoming, consistent atmosphere that reflects your values and your customers, you build brand loyalty and community belonging. That’s what brings people back, and what shifts your business into something people talk about, support, and rally behind.

7. Support Vulnerable Populations with Action

One of the most powerful ways Sip & Savor stands out as a community-centered retail brand is through its commitment to serving people who are often overlooked. Beyond hiring locally or hosting events, founder Trez has used his business as a platform to offer tangible support. He provides support for disabled veterans, recovering addicts, and people experiencing homelessness—a commitment he’s upheld for over 35 years.

Here are practical ways any retail business can serve vulnerable communities:

• Partner with local shelters or support organizations to offer job training or hiring pathways to individuals re-entering the workforce.
• Offer discounts or free services to veterans, individuals in recovery, and unhoused individuals, particularly during extreme weather seasons or holidays.
• Host donation drives for coats, hygiene products, or school supplies, using your retail space as a central drop-off point.
• Offer mentorship or coaching programs in collaboration with nonprofits and experts, focused on building confidence and soft skills for those rebuilding their lives.
• Make space for healing by inviting community organizations to lead support circles, info sessions, or peer-led recovery meetups in your store.

Retail can be a lifeline, so extend opportunity and compassion to people who need it most. You don’t have to solve every problem, but when you leverage your space, your voice, and your resources for good, you contribute to a ripple effect of healing, hope, and community resilience. That’s the kind of legacy retail can build.

Conclusion

Retail is often viewed as transactional, but Sip & Savor shows us it can be transformational. By deeply embedding itself in the community economically, socially, and emotionally, Sip & Savor has turned each of its five locations into a catalyst for growth, connection, and healing.

Whether you’re opening your first shop or scaling your brand, let the community lead you, and commit to giving more than you take. 

Because when retail meets purpose, entire neighborhoods rise.

Want to discover more inspiring retail stories? Explore how retailers across Illinois are making a real impact in their communities.

If you loved learning about Sip & Savor and know a retailer who deserves recognition, Nominate A Retailer!