Introducing Sip Station: A New Way to Sip, Serve & Start Something New at MadJax

One of the things magical about MadJax is that there’s always something waiting to be reimagined. Sometimes it’s a space. Sometimes it’s a piece of equipment or left over materials. And sometimes, it’s a drink cart. 

Tucked away in a corner of our 80,000-square-foot building, was a drink cart with potential—it just needed a little work and a new purpose. 

So the MadJax team started thinking: How could we turn it into an opportunity for local entrepreneurs while also creating another reason for people to visit and experience MadJax?

And with that, Sip Station was born.

From Old Cart to Sip Station

Maker Space Coordinator Maranda Lujajohnson took the lead on transforming the cart, using the tools and skills available in the Maker Space to repair, modify, refinish, and expand it. Operations Coordinator Amanda Reninger worked through the requirements with the Delaware County Health Department to make sure the finished cart was ready to safely serve the public.

Once the cart was ready to go, MadJax began building a lineup of local drink entrepreneurs who could put it to work. Pretty Little Cafe, operated by Adrionna Welton, debuted the Sip Station during Soup Crawl at MadJax on Thursday, October 1.

What started as an unused cart became something more useful: a low-barrier way for local entrepreneurs to test an idea, reach new customers, and build their business.

More Than Just a Drink Cart

Sip Station serves two important purposes at MadJax.

First, it creates an accessible opportunity for entrepreneurs. Starting a product-based business doesn’t mean you’re ready for a storefront, and it shouldn’t have to. Sip Station gives beverage entrepreneurs a place to test products, meet customers, gather feedback, and learn what works without taking on the expense of their own permanent space.

That’s the kind of experimentation we want MadJax to make possible. Whether someone is building a product in the Maker Space, testing an idea through the Maker to Market Accelerator, or serving customers from Sip Station, we want entrepreneurs to have opportunities to start small, learn, and grow.

But Sip Station also supports another important part of where MadJax is headed: becoming a more active public destination.

MadJax is home to makers, artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations, but we also want to be a place the broader community sees as their own. A place where you can stop in, explore, meet someone new, see what’s being created, or experience something you weren’t expecting.

That means creating more reasons for people to walk through our doors, not just during large events, but throughout the week.

Sip Station helps us do that. A rotating lineup of local beverage businesses gives our tenants, members, Ball State students, downtown neighbors, and visitors another reason to spend time at MadJax while discovering and supporting local entrepreneurs.

For us, those two goals go hand in hand. When we create opportunities for entrepreneurs, we create new experiences for the community. And when more people experience MadJax, we create more opportunities for the people building something here.

Sip Station Schedule: October

Friday, October 9 | 10 AM–3 PM
Pretty Little Cafe

Wednesday, October 14 | 10 AM–3 PM
Melted Ice

Friday, October 16 | 10 AM–3 PM
Pretty Little Cafe

Wednesday, October 21 | 10 AM–3 PM
Melted Ice

Friday, October 23 | 10 AM–3 PM
Vendor TBA

Wednesday, October 28 | 10 AM–3 PM
Titi's Teas and Treats

Friday, October 30 | 10 AM–3 PM
Titi's Teas and Treats

Interested in Serving at Sip Station?

We’re looking for more local beverage entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to Sip Station. Whether you already have a business or have an idea you’re ready to test, we’d love to hear from you.

And if you’re not an entrepreneur, you can still be part of it. Stop by, try something new, meet the people behind these businesses, and help us continue building MadJax into a place where our community comes to make, create, gather, and discover.

We’re excited to see where Sip Station goes, what our entrepreneurs create, and how this little cart can become a big part of the MadJax community.

Come grab a sip and see what’s brewing at Sip Station!