Do you recognize the person who robbed a locally owned business in Portage ahead of Small Business Saturday?

Ahead of one of the busiest days of the year, a small locally owned Portage business was robbed. ChocolaTea has been a staple in Portage, Michigan for 13 years. The business is a family-owned local business that employs numerous individuals from the community.

When staff went to open doors on Saturday, November 27, 2021, they were greeted with a broken door and a week's worth of cash deposits gone. Now the owners are hoping someone will recognize the culprit who was captured on security footage in the act.

Do you recognize this person?

Courtesy of ChocolaTea
Courtesy of ChocolaTea
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Courtesy of ChocolaTea
Courtesy of ChocolaTea
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In a post to the ChocolaTea social media page, they ask for help identifying the person responsible. You can view the post below as well as find a video of the incident within the comments of the post.

With everything businesses have been through the last two holiday seasons, it's made each item sold that much more important. Not only are our small businesses battling worldwide sales on the internet, but they also have to combat thefts locally.

Many small businesses were forced to close due to pandemic-related restrictions. ChocolaTea managed to temporally pivot how they serve its customers to stay open.

Thankfully ChocolaTea will be able to remain open and the theft will hopefully remain a bump in the holiday road.

As you head out to do your holiday shopping, I would like to encourage you to remember these small businesses that are unique to our communities. Every dollar you spend at a locally owned business generally stays in the community.

Need to shake off the Grinch vibes? Scroll down for a virtual tour of the Gilmore Car Museum Winter Wonderland.

Gilmore Car Museum Winter Wonderland 2021, just outside Kalamazoo, Michigan

The first ever Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum, near Kalamazoo, in Hickory Corners, Michigan, is a drive-thru and walk-through nighttime holiday lights experience on the Gilmore Car Museum 90-acre campus. Christmas 2021, Holidays 2021

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