It’s sushi night at Common Spirits in Goshen, and things are humming. Couples crowd in to wait for tables; I’m alone, so I take a seat at the bar and order. Jami Hawkins, the proprietor, is an ebullient hostess, visiting with customers and running drinks. She finds time to say hello and even to introduce me to her business partner and husband, Ryan.
“If you’re too busy, don’t worry about the interview,” I say. Watching the bartender crush fresh mint and pour fresh-squeezed juices is entertainment enough while I wait for my sushi. But Jami loves what she does, and amidst the bustling atmosphere finds time to tell me about her sparkling new business.
Jami was born in and grew up in Goshen. She planned to move away to Nashville for college and study the guitar, but life threw her a few curves and then she met Ryan. She ended up staying in town and working both in the food business and as an ACE personal trainer. She is still co-owner of the
l.o.l. Fitness Studio with Maija Stutsman and teaches there on Mondays and Tuesdays. Ryan left his IT job in Kalamazoo so that he could work in the business full time.
“We’re such a good pair,” Jami says. “He does everything I don’t like to do, and we enjoy complementing each other.”
Common Spirits
Edible Michiana: You just opened in June. How has business been?
Jami Hawkins: Amazing! Goshen is hands-down the best place to start a business, because Goshen supports its own. Furthermore, it has the amenities of a city with a community feel.