“Shop local” always has been a mantra of area Chambers of Commerce and small business owners. But never has it been more important than in 2020, the year of the pandemic. While it’s as easy as the push of a button to order from stores with a big online presence, many local businesses have stepped […]

Age: 34. Owner of: Fig Leaf, 345 Bluff St. Years owned: 29. (Her mother, Ellen Liberg, owned it prior to McQuillen taking it over.) What does your shop offer? We are a lifestyle shoptique, which is a blend of items to peek the curiosity of many — clothing goods, bath goods and home goods. We […]

Age: 59. Owner of: Shamrock Imports, 391 Bluff St. Years owned: 11 years. What your shop offers: Irish gifts from Ireland. Family: My husband name is Mike. We have four children together and seven grandchildren. What inspired you to open your business? My mother-in-law started the store. We took it over when she wanted to […]

Age: 36. Owner of: Monk’s Kaffee Pub, 373 Bluff St. Years owned: 7. It has been Monk’s for 12 years and a coffee shop since the 1990s. What your shop offers: 80-plus craft and domestic bottles and cans of beer, 30-plus liquors, three rotating taps of local craft beers, coffee, espresso, smoothie drinks, prepackaged snacks […]

Age: 33. Owner of: Kate & Co, 409 Bluff St. Years owned: 10. What your shop offers: Salon services, beauty and wellness products. Family: Two boys — Peyton, 13; and Oliver 10. What inspired you to open your business? My children. I wanted the flexibility while raising my children. What do you believe is the […]