Press
As sustainability is core to PILLLAR’s brand, Corey sought to integrate waste reduction and energy conservation into the culture and operations of the PILLLAR Forum Café when it opened in spring 2022. The café already offered reusable mugs for onsite consumption, and was interested in a reusable to-go option especially as supply chain issues were making it more difficult to find inexpensive options for compostable cups. When Corey met the MNimize team in March 2022, this dream became a reality!
Northeast Minneapolis coffee-slash-skateshop PILLLAR Forum never intended to be a show space; "music wasn't really even on the radar" when they opened last year...
Bracken says a friend recently helped him put into perspective just how important spaces like Pilllar are for a city that wants to have a vibrant music community.
"They were like, 'What you're doing here, these kids are gonna remember it forever.' Like, these are gonna be those core memories of 'Remember going to that show, and seeing that band, and moshing, and all that stuff, at that coffee shop?'" he says. "I totally remember going to those types of shows when I was in my late teens, early twenties... now I'm like, holy shit, now I've got a space providing those same memories for bands and people that are coming out to see the music."
DISPATCH checked in with Corey Bracken, founder of PILLLAR, a Minneapolis-based skateboard company focusing on sustainability. Not only that, the company also took over the former Anelace space by Lowry and Central in Northeast with the new Forum Cafe, complete with decks, clothing, and a mural from a big deal national artist.
The Twin Cities has a lot of great “coffee and” shops. Coffee and bikes? You’ve got Venture North, Angry Catfish, and The Fix. Coffee and records? There’s Caydence. Coffee and books? Moon Palace. Coffee and games? Steamship. Corey Bracken wondered: Why not coffee and skateboards?
Pilllar Skateboards is a skateboard company based here in the Twin Cities. They are the first ever climate positive skate company, laying the path for companies to take the initiative as well. Corey was such a fun guy to talk to. I hope you enjoy!
by, E.White
PILLLAR Skateboards is based out of Minneapolis and their primary focus is about making the world a better place. Whether its planting a tree for every deck purchased, creating apparel out of recycled material, using bamboo bottles to reduce use of single use plastics, PILLLAR is a climate positive Skateboard company you NEED to pay attention to.
by, Progression Skateboard Co.
Carbon neutrality is not a term usually thrown around at your neighborhood skatepark... Corey Bracken founded PILLLAR Skateboards with the goal of becoming the world's first climate positive skateboard brand.
by, Everywhere Co-CEO Irys Kornbluth
PILLLAR brings environmentalism to the skateboard world with an extra "L"
by, Chris Delvin
PILLLAR has a simple mission: to promote skateboarding, sustainability and climate awareness for a new generation of environmentally and socially conscious skateboarders.
by, Climate Emergency Fund staff writer