In downtown Tulsa’s East Village lies The Bend Mercantile, a small store that covers all the bases: hand-crafted coffees, pantry items and unique gifts. “The Bend is almost three-fold,” said School of Art, Design and Art History alumna and owner Kristin Robert (B.F.A. ’23). “We have an incredible coffee program that we’re continuing to evolve, a bodega in the back, and retail from global and local artisans that I work with.”
The Bend Mercantile takes its name from the historic plaque on the exterior, which honors Tulsa’s rich, cinematic heritage. “A lot of Francis Ford Coppola’s movies, like ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Rumblefish,’ were filmed in this area,” said Robert. The Bend has embraced this history. When you walk through the doors, you’ll notice a small mural commemorating “Rumblefish.” Robert even nicknamed the espresso machine Susie, after “Outsiders” author S.E. Hinton, who is also a UTulsa alumna.
Although this isn’t her first business, Robert’s newest venture has allowed her to express herself creatively, not only within the store, but with patrons as well. “My graphic design work really incorporates itself within the branding and different assets we create for the shop,” she said.
When Robert decided to return to university as a nontraditional student, she wanted to explore her creative side. She found support in School of Art faculty like Director Michelle Martin, Associate Professor M. Wright and Applied Assistant Professor Jason Rafferty. “They were like a breath of fresh air for the school, and they gave me the opportunity to learn from some incredible professionals,” Robert said.
Her favorite experiences, however, came from Third Floor Design, a student-operated graphic design agency that has provided promotional materials for nonprofits for more than 30 years. “I worked with local business owners and helped create their branding and identity,” she reminisced. “My favorite project was working with a local middle school, San Miguel. I helped create their entire logo and mascot. It was probably the biggest highlight of my time at UTulsa.”
In addition to exploring her creativity, Robert credits The University of Tulsa for introducing her to people from all different walks of life. “When you’re engaging with different students, faculty and staff, you glean the knowledge and experience of people who have completely different perspectives than you do,” she said. “It really sets you up for success, especially when you venture out as a business owner and entrepreneur. You can take that knowledge with you.”
Overall, Robert emphasized the importance of having your heart and your head in sync when taking a leap of faith, like starting a new business. “But don’t be afraid to ‘slow burn’ anything because you need to organically evolve your business,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect from the start!”