Meet Alex Gale | Master Roaster / Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Gale and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
2016 Our business opened with an idea of good coffee, and a unique atmosphere in a historic town. We believed that when humanity gets the opportunity to experience the “unexpected”, you become part of an eco-system in a corner of the world. Time progressed and our team become intentional and the trajectory of our journey began to shift when Alex Gale started his journey with us. He began PT and threw his self into his role as one our barista’s, we compared his journey to Manitou, with his drive of people, outreach, creating a community not only on the inside of our walls , but beyond that. Black Lodge quickly became a safe haven to diversity across the board, while also being the host of his wedding. Time continued to evolve and he became the leader we had always hoped for our company, with passion, integrity , creativity , connectivity. Now 7 years later we have managed to be the manitou in our little town of New Harmony, (the spiritual and fundamental life force that flows through everything. Organisms. places, objects, coffee) Now the life force flows through Black Lodge and Alex and his family/team members as they carry our little corner of the world into the horizon)

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Starting in the coffee industry first starts with a want , to help a human to be there for them. Let me tell you being a barista on a daily is challenging , everyone looks at you to start their day in the right moment in time. A beverage to help stimulate their mental agility , and maybe catch a few words in, to help them get through their battles we may not get the opportunity to know about. I say as a barista, you have a responsibility of community ( a relative term) and creating a narrative for people to buy into. It’s not about having a cool item to sell.

Was it easy? No not at all , but coffee always guided me to be in the moment

I have always lived by a Moto ” Increase your hustle against adversity while maintaining your ethics and integrity” as a LGBT owned business adversity is already there. Having the opportunity to create conversation around diversity is difficult but present in our place of business. I have learned that we all have more in common than not.

Being tenured an industry doesn’t make you invincible, it hopefully allows you to be more and more vulnerable to multiple teachers that you surround yourself with. It’s about growing the pie not take a piece of pie. When you pour you self into an industry you find that your business or craft will attract the people its supposed to. No need to force an audience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Where would I take them , to New Harmony, IN. Being a historical town there is moments you get to slow down and be present ( little to no connectivity , but truly intentional opportunities for you and your human)

We would eat at the Yellow Tavern for mainly lunch (discovered in 1816) followed by a golf cart ride to Black Lodge Coffee Roasters for a drink. Would make sure there was opportunity to see and discover all the gardens and Labyrinth’s we have to offer. Of course with a ride you have to have the Tahitian Vanilla spray from the New Harmony Soap shop to repel those pesky gnats. As the week goes on more than likely there will be pop events all over to be able to be immersed in. Tours to take to learn about the towns history. During the evening there’s always a great opportunity to do our Haunted New Harmony tour with Joni Mayhan (she has written over 25 books of the paranormal activity ). Time will start getting late and you will be able to grab some dinner at the Red Geranium hopefully on a clear evening , or if its a particular evening, you catch the Moveable feast ( local commercial kitchen that creates a dinner menu twice a week , you get it all togo and go on a picnic). Yes there is a sweet spot , Sarahs Wine barto get a glass of wine and beer to wine down the evening after a day / week of catching up. within these experiences we would hit all the local retailers, antique stores, art galleries galore.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few so bare with me as I mention….

Doug Claybourn
– A advisor at the Indiana Small Business Development Center, Evansville, IN. He invited me in with intentions of guiding me in the direction of business knowledge, business development. I get hear what I needed to hear not what I wanted to hear. I had the dedication, work experience within the coffee community. I needed guidance to help with my journey of starting/Taking over a business.

MaryBeth and Michael Guard
– Owner/Operator Capers Emporium. My previous business partners that saw a fight within me to carry on this big project. I had taken all of the year 2019 to create a business plan to take over Black Lodge, but didn’t have the funds to take on this project. I had presented my plan to 5 different banks in which declined me almost immediately, which in return left me with no funds no end sight to take on my dream ” It looked “cute” to the banks but not financially sustainable. I had no more fight within me for Our little corner of the world, I felt as though someone had ripped my heart out and ripped something out of my hands that I had completely fallen in love with. A local community member had heard of my failed attempts to take this journey on and met them for the first time to tell them my entire story (yes we shed a ton of tears) with in 4 days I was on my way to create something I had always hoped to create, a eco-system of humanity and good coffee. It was all because a couple of local business owners saw something in me that they couldn’t pass on. Welcome Black Lodge Coffee Roasters

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Image Credits
Alex Gale