Reinvention

F.U.E.L.: Fremonter's Understanding & Embracing Local

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ginger Rosenthal and speak to her about her journey in entrepreneurship. Ginger owns the building located at 529 N Main St. She also runs her yoga studio, The Blue Yoga Studio & Wellness Center out of this space. April 1st, 2024 Ginger opened F.U.E.L. - Fremonter’s Understanding & Embracing Local. F.U.E.L. is a mindful meeting space for business or private small groups. If you know Ginger, you know she finds mindfulness and whole person health important. As Ginger took me through the journey that she’s been on that led her to the path she’s on now, she uncovered how she came to place so much emphasis on mindfulness and community.

Ginger first began her entrepreneurial journey because she felt a lack of fulfillment as an employee. She had always loved coffee and music and found that she wanted to curate a space where a community could form and find a place of reprieve. Ginger opened the Blue Bottle Coffeehouse and had a blast, but as any entrepreneur can tell you, it meant long hours and little free time. Ginger moved the coffeehouse 2 blocks off of Main Street because the building she was originally located in was in need of major repairs. This move caused her to lose 60% of her clientele, she learned the importance of convenience to her consumers. She had hopes that her customers would continue to show the same amount of support after the move but eventually she was faced with a choice. Looking down the barrel of bankruptcy Ginger had an opportunity to move to Colorado and reinvent herself, or forge a new entrepreneurial path here in Fremont.

As she sought serenity and introversion Ginger discovered a love of yoga. She had begun taking classes and eventually took certification classes so she could teach yoga herself. This helped her to find the clarity that it was time to phase out coffee and focus on yoga instead. The previous owner of the Blue Yoga building started talking to Ginger about buying the building. She was ready to retire and move on from owning the building and she knew Ginger was meant to be the next owner. In a whirlwind of becoming a business owner, switching business models and now owning a building, Ginger found herself changing furnace filters on the roof of her new building questioning what she was doing. Through perseverance and passion for others, Ginger kept working hard. She learned who to call when there was a problem, worked closely with the Fire Marshall to make the upstairs portion of her building into her living quarters, and began to create spaces on the main floor that she could rent out to other businesses. “My friends and family thought I was nuts,” Ginger recalled, “living and working in one place.” 

Ginger knew that entrepreneurship was for her. She loves the freedom of being in control of her own schedule, creating a space where she can foster connections and be involved in the local community. This led her to her next chapter: F.U.E.L. Through the years she had customers reach out saying they missed Blue Bottle. They missed the one-of-a-kind customer service and the comfy atmosphere. As a vacancy came up in her building Ginger got a notion about a different kind of business. She looked at renting the space once again but couldn’t shake the feeling that now it was time for her to take another leap. One afternoon, I received a call from Ginger. She told me she needed my professional and personal opinion on an idea. She told me about this new business she was considering opening and asked what I thought. What a feeling to have a business owner ready to take such a huge risk and looking to you for support. We had developed a relationship during my time at MainStreet thus far and I was so eager to find how we could support her on this new journey. I told her I thought that she should take the leap, and it sounded like she knew that was the answer already, she just needed to know people would be there in support as she jumped.

This jump into starting F.U.E.L came from the deep roots Ginger comes from. Ginger grew up on a farm and she fondly remembers gathering with friends and family over food - which was often made from scratch. This has given her a passion for ensuring that she has access to food that is real, local, and intentioned. Ginger has a passion for health, this begins with the food you eat, which is why the food and drinks found at F.U.E.L. are local first, organic second. When you go to F.U.E.L. you will find a curated space that is welcoming and customized to you which allows you to be efficient and your best self. The space is available for rent by the hour. It’s a great place to hold an intimate meeting, have a pop up office for the day, or hold a creative workshop. 

As Ginger and I sat down in F.U.E.L. so she could share her story she told me she felt the best fitting name for this was “Reinvention” and I couldn’t agree more. There is so much more to this story than I can fit in a blog post but the theme is evident, sometimes you just have to shift gears. Entrepreneurship is not straightforward or clearcut. It is often messy, confusing, and at times a bit scary. The beauty of being part of a downtown community such as ours is that you are never alone. There are other entrepreneurs next door, across the street, and down the block facing similar challenges every day. Being a part of a community like this means supporting each other in every season, to the best of our abilities. We love the opportunity to learn more about the people we serve and the support we can offer. As we end this article, let me leave you with one question: How can you support small business owners in your community today?