A love for Bloomington drives Roly Poly owner for 6 years. Now he's ready to sell

For more than six years, Tom Seybert has been driving every day from Greenfield to Bloomington to run the Roly Poly Sandwiches location in Westplex Plaza on West Third Street, which he purchased in July 2018.

His plan had been to turn the sandwich shop into a profitable business after several bad years. He anticipated selling it after about a year.

Now it's five years later and he's finally ready to sell to the right person. What took so long?

"I fell in love with Bloomington," he said recently while sitting outside the Roly Poly shop he owns and operates at the Bloomington Ivy Tech campus. Smiling, he added, "I graduated from Purdue ... that speaks volumes for the city. I love Bloomington."

In a recent Facebook post announcing the sandwich shops are for sale, Seybert said, "The people, the personality and the tight bonds with the community made it impossible for me to leave."

How Seybert came to own Bloomington's Roly Poly

Before 2018, Seybert worked for Roly Poly as director of operations and a trainer, traveling to restaurants across the Midwest to help them open new locations. When he saw the Bloomington restaurant on West Third Street was for sale, he decided to purchase it, with the intention making it more profitable again.

"The first owner, Dave, did such a good job and gave it such a good reputation," he explained. "I never thought I'd work in just one unit."

Seybert said he doesn't mind the more-than-an-hour commute from Greenfield to Bloomington. It's less traveling than he did when he was working for the corporate office and he's serious when he says he thinks Bloomington is a great place to work and a special community.

Adding a Roly Poly at Ivy Tech's Bloomington campus

Seybert didn't envision he would own the Roly Poly on West Third Street for more than six years, let alone open another Roly Poly in the Bloomington area. In 2022, he added a second restaurant inside the Ivy Tech Bloomington campus where Bloomingfoods previously had a small grocery before the pandemic.

At Ivy Tech, Seybert has developed a unique restaurant that offers sandwiches, soups, drinks and other food items from local businesses. That includes Gable's Bagels, Popkorn with a Twist, Scholar's Inn Bakery, Pink House Sweets, Brown County Coffee, Chocolate Moose, Pure Memory Water and Honey Sweet Gardens. Honey Sweet Gardens products come from Seybert's own honeybees.

"These are people who put their heart into their product," he said. "The small businesses here work closely together. They are so proud and that's great. This really took me by surprise. ... Bloomington just has a downhome feel to it."

Besides offering more options at the Ivy Tech restaurant, Seybert — along with Ivy Tech students and staff — created the chicken cheddar melt (cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, bacon and barbecue sauce served with ranch dipping sauce) on the menu. "The sandwich is simple, but allows for the customer to change it to their liking," Seybert said.

The Ivy Tech location has become a testing ground for Roly Poly, he said. It also offers breakfast and breakfast catering. These options have helped bring in more business to the restaurant inside the Ivy Tech main building. The additions also give the store a more local feel, letting customers try items from other businesses.

Business tactics that work

Seybert's leadership seems to be working for the local restaurants. Besides a positive attitude and attention to cleanliness, he lets the employees have final say when hiring a new worker.

"The key to good staff is to let the staff do the hiring," he said. Prospective employees work two hours alongside current staff who then tell Seybert if that person will work out well. Currently he has eight employees at the two locations.

"We are just tight," he explained. He's taken his employees to the circus, "The Book of Mormon" musical, to see the Globetrotters and he's planning a trip this summer to Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie in Fishers. In fact, while talking to a reporter, Seybert took time to wish one of his employees the best on his last day of work. After shaking hands, he invited the younger man to attend the summer concert with the others, eliciting a smile.

Searching for the next owner of Roly Poly

While Seybert has enjoyed his time in Bloomington, he's looking for someone to purchase the stores since his five-year lease is ready to renew. His wife, Cheryl, is retired, Seybert said, and it's time for him to consider retiring too.

He's hopeful there's an energetic entrepreneur looking for a good investment for their time and talents.

Realtor Lorraine Fowler with Remax Acclaimed Properties, is handling the sale. For both properties the listed price is $190,000 and Seybert is willing to stay and help with the transition. Fowler said she's already had a couple of inquiries.

She believes the best possible next owner would have the "heart of a restauranteur" and be ready to take the restaurants to the next level. Anyone interested in learning more can call Fowler at 812-332-3001.

A true salesman, Seybert is helping to market the business, stating on social media, "Roly Poly comes complete with the best team in Bloomington. ... Everyone on our team knows every aspect of the business, can work both stores and are eager to help anyone wanting to take over."

Reach Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Owner offers Bloomington's 2 Roly Poly shops up for sale