BLOOM BAKERY ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH RISING STAR COFFEE

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]CLEVELAND, OH — November , 2016 — Effective immediately, Boom Bakery is partnering with Rising Star coffee, a small batch coffee roaster dedicated to curating specialty grade coffees from around the world.

This partnership is the start of a whole new coffee experience at both Bloom locations. Customers can now enjoy Rising Star coffee blends by way of Brazil, Indonesia, Central America and Colombia, including a new espresso blend and two types of house coffee. Rising Star takes pride in its unique roasting process, striving to capture and draw out distinctive flavors so that each blend has a recognizable personality.

In addition to serving Rising Star coffee at all Bloom Bakery locations, the partnership includes extensive barista training for all Bloom employees. This mentorship program contributes to Bloom Bakery’s overarching mission to create a pathway out of poverty for those with barriers to employment by providing on-the-job training, access to new skillsets, and face time with industry experts. Bloom is a social enterprise of Cleveland nonprofit Towards Employment.

“This is a great opportunity to train our future baristas,” says Rising Star GM, Robert Stockham. “Part of our mission is to build good jobs for Cleveland, and this helps us extend that mission beyond our own employees.”

The training program will also elevate Bloom Bakery’s high-end coffee culture to the next level, furthering the company’s commitment to offering the highest quality taste and customer service experience alongside its social mission and giving back to the community.

“When it comes to coffee, Rising Star is simply the best in Cleveland,” says GM Logan Fahey. “It is unparalleled in both quality and industry expertise, which is exactly what we strive for at Bloom Bakery. The training opportunities that this partnership will provide our employees is absolutely crucial to Bloom’s mission—after all, a delicious cappuccino is only as good as the person making it. We’re dedicated to continually raising the bar to accommodate what our customer wants, and if that means giving them the finest cup of coffee in the city, that’s what we’re going to do.”

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About Bloom Artisan Bakery & Café
Bloom Bakery sees creating jobs as its secret ingredient. In addition to introducing Cleveland to top-of-the-line European artisan bakery techniques, Bloom Bakery educates, trains and employs people with barriers to employment by creating opportunities for meaningful work, achievement and self-sufficiency. Bloom Bakery is incorporated as a benefit corporation, a hybrid of a standard corporation and a nonprofit, with a fiduciary responsibility to the interests of its employees, the community and the environment, as well as its shareholders. For more information, visit www.bloombakery.com.

About Rising Star Coffee Roasters:
Rising Star Coffee Roasters was established in 2010 with the goal of bringing the finest coffee beans to NE Ohio and roasting them in small batches. The goal was to bring craft quality coffee to the region. In late 2011, they relocated to the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City. RSCR operates three retail locations in Cleveland in addition to its roasting facility. For further information about Rising Star Coffee Roasters, contact Robert Stockham robert@risingstarcoffee.com 216-469-1579.

About Towards Employment
Since 1976, Towards Employment, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through employment, has served more than 122,000 low-income and disadvantaged adults in Greater Cleveland – to help them prepare for jobs, get jobs, keep jobs and advance into careers. Through holistic programming and strong employer partnerships, TE builds individual skills and confidence, removes barriers to employment and helps individuals meet employers’ workforce needs. For more information, visit www.towardsemployment.org.

Media Contact:
Adaora Schmiedl
Director of Development & Marketing
Towards Employment
(216) 696-7310
aschmiedl@towardsemployment.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]