MKE Home | Small Business Saturday
Happy Small Business Saturday! This day has always held a special place in my heart because of course, I am a small business owner myself! I have always found it so important to keep all of the mom and pop shops in mind, especially this time of year! Sometimes it is so much easier to run to Target and do all of your shopping in one place, but don't forget that there are some really awesome people out there doing really awesome things right here in your community! If you have a neighbor, friend, or family member who runs a small business, support them! Even if you can't afford or don't need their services, share their pages and recommend them to someone who might. Without your help and word of mouth, some of these businesses would not be able to run! As much as we all love a Starbucks PSL or Peppermint Mocha, head into town and stop at a local coffee shop instead! Or if you want to send holiday flowers, skip the grocery store and head to a cute local flower shop! There are so many ways and so many awesome places that we can easily forget about with convenience so close to us, but nothing can beat real, genuine service from a family-run, Milwaukee-based business. So while you are out and about this weekend spending all of your money, don't forget to support local businesses too!
As part of my local Milwaukee series, MKE Home, I thought I would round up a few of my favorite shops for you to keep in mind while gifting this holiday season! (And really, all year long!)
(All of the underlined names are clickable links right to the store's website!)
Coffee Shops:
Oh boy, what a long list! There are so many great ones, but I've listed all of my personal favorites in the area!
1. Valentine Coffee - My number one favorite coffee in Milwaukee! Their iced vanilla bean latte is to die for!
4. Collectivo Coffee - The cutest interiors and so many locations! My go-to order is a blackberry sport tea!
7. Alderaan Coffee - Such a cute storefront with the coolest neon coffee signs which are of course, very Instagram-worthy.
Flower Shops:
1. Parkway Floral -This one has a special place in my heart since I actually grew up working here all through high school since I was 14 years old! This place taught me the importance of shopping local in your community and true, honest customer service.
2. Flowers for Dreams - This awesome shop (based in Milwaukee and Chicago) has such an awesome cause behind it and has the cutest store located downtown! They also have the cutest little delivery trucks driving around throughout the city.
3. ALT's - This absolutely adorable little place is actually an antique, floral, and custom build shop all in one. I have actually never ordered a floral arrangement from here but they have a ton of cute plants and antiques, and the shop itself is SO adorable! You need to check it out!
Boutiques/Retail:
I cannot say enough about all of these gorgeous local shops! I have listed a collection of the most beautiful, fine art/lifestyle shops in the area that you need to see if you have not before. The amount of artistic talent that goes behind running these businesses is so amazing and these shops truly deserve all the love!
1. FORM Fine Goods - This may be THE most aesthetically pleasing place you will ever go to! This store has been a favorite of mine ever since they held a spot in the Milwaukee Public Market, but they had recently moved to their own storefront in Walker's Point. This store carries everything from plants, to jewelry, art, magazines/books, and everything in between!
2. URSA - Another super artsy, aesthetically pleasing store with a little bit of everything including plants, skincare, clothes, etc. I can't get over the cuteness!
3. Orange & Blue Co. - Another adorable shop I could rant and rave about all day long, but seriously you guys it's the absolute cutest and so unique. The interior of this store will make you actually want to move in! They also carry a little bit of everything from perfume to home goods.
4. Specter - Another incredibly artsy, aesthetically pleasing store with alllll the moody earth tones in pottery, fragrances, jewelry and more! The vibe of this store is unreal!
5. MOD GEN - A modern general store located right in the Third Ward with the absolute cutest goods and SO MANY PLANTS! I am such a plant person, so if there's plants, I'm there!
6. Cival Collective - This place needs to be your go to for any and all jewelry needs! Everything is handcrafted with love and absolutely stunning! I first came across these girls when they had a pop up shop at the fall market in Cedarburg and got the most beautiful crescent moon earrings! Their jewelry is so absolutely adorable and unique - a must see!
7. Edie's Boutique - This cute little store (as you may have seen featured in a recent blog post) is located right in the heart of the Third Ward and seriously has the cutest (and super trendy) clothes!
Chocolate/Treats:
1. Kehr's Candies - Okay I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best chocolate I have ever tasted. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, their raspberry or mango truffles might be it. They are located right in the Milwaukee Public Market!
2. Red Elephant Chocolate - Another super cute little chocolate shop located right in the Third Ward!
3. Burke Candy & Ingredients - I actually first had their chocolate when we started selling it at Parkway (floral shop above) when I worked there, and it was so dangerous to be taunted with delicious chocolate at easy access (and an employee discount) sitting in front of my face every shift. Safe to say I didn't make it through very many shifts without buying a pack of bon-bons or turtles!
But of course, these are only some of the many, many shops located throughout our city! I encourage you to of course check these out, but also to explore more and find some of your own favorites. Most of the shops listed will eventually be featured in my MKE Home series with their own post, talking about them even more in detail, so please share any other awesome spots you would like to see featured!
As always, thanks for reading!
xo
