Shop Local
Community ties unite local businesses in Lockport By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske
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hen Paul and Chrissy Ivnik began searching for the right location for their new brewery they considered several suburbs but Paul said there was only one right location. He wanted to come home to Lockport, where he grew up and where past generations of his family called home. To live and work in Lockport is to know a community that truly cares for each other as seen in the support for its schools and sports teams to the dedication to its businesses. For the Ivnik family, it wasn’t just a great location to open a business, Nik & Ivy Brewing Company, but a place where the family could plant their roots to become a part of the community. They moved their family, opened a business during the challenges of 2020 and invited the community to celebrate its one year anniversary in 2021. “We love living here,” Paul Ivnik said. “I feel more connected to the community now that we have a business here.” Opening a business during the uncertainties of 2020 isn’t for the faint of heart, but Paul Ivnik said he had great support from the city and fellow business community from allowing outside space to be used for customers and tables to customers coming out to try the new business. Lockport is a place where businesses help each other. Paul Ivnik collaborated with local Lockport businesses to provide food service to his brewery, so customers hungry for wings, barbeque or pasta can order and have food delivered hot and ready to their table at the brewery. While locals know and love their city, Lockport
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is also a destination that draws visitors each day, whether it’s to see the historic sites, shop and visit the local businesses and of course it’s dining scene too. Each day Marguerite Ruminski welcomes guests from near and far to dine at Vegan Café. The café has been a part of Lockport for 11 years and the last eight years under Ruminski’s management when she went from dedicated customer to owner. “I feel in love with the place. I thought the food was great,” Ruminski said. In addition to being a completely vegan café, which means no meats or dairy, the temperature of the fruits and vegetables never rises beyond 110 degrees, allowing for the maximum use of the foods vitamins and nutrition, Ruminski said. Like many of her customers, she came to the café not sure what to expect and with the first bites discovered a delicious meal that incorporates flavors from around the world. Try the Thai spring rolls, a pizza made without cheese and one of the top picks, nachos. There are fresh juices made daily and satisfying salads, desserts so good, you won’t want to share when you order her loved nocheese cheesecake. “People are blown away then they take that first bite,” she said. And then there are the customers that seek out the café specifically for its vegan practices. Ruminski said she loves when visitors come from a far and she can help them find other places to visit while they enjoy an afternoon in Lockport. The first time Tim Gaba came to Lockport, it wasn’t his idea of fun. His mom had moved them to the community to try and steer him
out of trouble and he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. A football coach at Lockport Township High School saw the potential in him. “He took me under his wings and helped lift me up,” Gaba said. Playing with one of the best high school football teams in the state changed Gaba and helped cement his dedication to the community. When he decided he wanted to open his own business, he knew there was only one place. “I knew I wanted to come back to Lockport,” Gaba said. In 2015 he launched Perfect Shape Fitness, where he utilizes personal and group training programs, fitness classes and weight training to help his customers feel healthy, strong. He offers programs for adults as well as classes for youth and teens. For his customers, it’s more than a place to exercise and work up a sweat. “So many friendships have been built in this gym,” Gaba said. “They share recipes, talk about their families, their work and they look forward to seeing each other.” And for Gaba, it’s more than just a business that grounds him in the community. He is involved in the community from serving a term as the Lockport Chamber of Commerce President to serving as a coach since 2012 for the high school’s lacrosse team. “It’s something about the traditions built in this community,” Gaba said. “People stick together and there is a sense of belonging. This is a town that really cares, that really comes together and that’s what I really love about it.”
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1/20/22 12:21 PM
