Staff Picks: Shop Small
Did you know that TomboyX is a small, women-owned business of only 11 full-time employees? That's one big reason Small Business Saturday is so important to us. We are so thankful for the support you have given us this year. We want to spread the love and share with you our favorite, fellow Small-Yet-Mighty businesses.
Brenna, Community Marketing Manager
If I could live here, I would 100% live here. When I walk into Elliott Bay Books, I feel like the store is welcoming me home with a big hug. Between the beautiful wood interior and the cute cafe in the back (shoutout to another local business, Little Oddfellows), it is impossible not to want to curl up with a book (or 2, or 12). The shelves are filled with more than 150,000 titles. The best part? The hundreds of staff notes and recommendations. You're in good hands at Elliott Bay.
Carol Ann, Marketing Director
It's small business Caturday you say? One of my favorite local businesses to support is the Meowtropolitan Cafe located in the Wallingford neighborhood within Seattle. It's a cat cafe where you can sip coffee while hanging out with a handful of furry felines who are all looking for a permanent home. The coffee shop partners with local shelters with the goal of getting as many cats adopted into loving homes as possible Since they opened in December of 2015, they've found 116 cats new homes.
Kellen, Creative Associate
Paper Hammer is a small business with a focus around paper crafts, printing, and book binding. I fell in love with this downtown Seattle shop at the height of my typography and letter press craze, and it's still my favorite place to pick up a witty poster, unique graph paper pads, and this fantastic banner hanging in my home. You know, only the essentials.
Rachel, Associate Marketing Director
The Majestic Bay is a movie theater in Ballard (currently run by my boyfriend's dad). A movie theater first opened on that site in 1914, and though it has changed over the decades and been rebuilt, it is still quintessential Ballard. They put real butter on popcorn, and they have HOT DOGS, which are obviously the best food. There’s tons of movie memorabilia to explore, a pig statue that wears clothes, and a bench from the set of Titanic. And the glowing façade is just glamorous.
Support local theaters!
Shena Lee, Art Director
Picking a bar for my favorite small biz might make me sound like I have a problem, but I swear it’s about more than what’s served! The Wildrose is the only lesbian bar in Seattle, and one of the last iconic dyke bars in the country. Historically, bars like these have offered a sense of place and community to LGBTQ folks who may not have other places to find those things. The Wildrose is where I’ve gone not just for a night of dancing, but where I saw Obama elected president twice, watched the election live that granted marriage equality to all of Washington’s citizens, and where I was legally MARRIED. I have a lot of love in my heart for Shelley Brothers and Martha Manning, the owners of the Rose, who have kept the doors open and welcoming for over 30 years.
What's your favorite place to shop small?