NYC's Mercantile Mayhem: Locavore's Shop Guide, Dog Accoutrements, Harissa at the Endale Arch and Gohar World
A newsletter about the survival of independent businesses in New York City with a focus on immigrant-owned, storefront retail and CPG enterprises.
Everyone is rightly distracted by the election so I decided to squeeze this Mercantile Mayhem newsletter in right before the full-on insanity hits. I hope everyone who hasn’t voted and is eligible, will vote tomorrow.
THE LOCAVORE GUIDE TO SHOPPING NYC IS HERE!
Caroline Weaver is the owner of The Locavore Variety Store in the West Village and the online Locavore Guide, is now publishing a physical book, The Locavore Guide to Shopping in NYC. This is an independently owned shop guidebook, so there are no chainstores listed. The format is similar to Zagat guides of yore, which lists 670 shops (curated, considering Weaver estimates there to be more than 17,000 in New York City). Categories that include fancy pens, deadstock hardware, old-school menswear, hosiery & socks, houseplants, fancy pantry, among others.
The indefatigable Weaver knows all the independently owned stores in the nooks and crannies of New York City, as she walks and bikes around all five boroughs doing extensive research. Some of the 670 independent shops are quite singular, like the no-nonsense AAA Avocados or the super niche Casey Rubber Stamps and Fantasy Explosion. There are also beloved New York City institutions listed, Pearl River Mart and Sahadi’s are two. And of course there are some boutique-y shops listed like Selima Optique and the Fancy Pantry category lists Big Night and Pop-Up Grocer among others.
Coupons are in the back of the book, there’s a page to stick all your fruit stickers, and even suggested neighborhood shopping based on astrology signs. There are also shopping tips sprinkled in, like shopping at an independent pet food store that has free delivery.
The Locavore Guide to Shopping NYC book is officially for sale on November 8, 2024, but you can preorder at any time. There will be a book launch extravaganza at The Locavore Variety Store on November 7, 2024, 4pm to 9pm, 434 6th Ave at 10th Street in Manhattan.
On a side note, please watch this post that Weaver made on Instagram the other day about the actual costs of owning a brick and mortar shop in New York City. I applaud her transparency.
DOGGIE ACCOUTREMENTS THAT DON’T STINK
What a Cutie is a roving—dare I say Rovering—pop-up and ecommerce enterprise specializing in colorful dog leashes and accessories, founded by Jenna Chi. All leashes are handmade, fabricated with BioThane and can be custom designed. BioThane is strong, richly-colored material that does not get dog stink, no matter how many times a dog romps around in muddy, smelly, stagnant, swampy puddles. Among other dog-centric accessories, Chi also makes Dooty Danglers, which are decorative little contraptions to be clipped onto a leash or elsewhere, so dog walkers don’t have to hold bags of dog excrement, bags hang, or dangle if you will, from the Dooty Danglers instead.
What a Cutie is one of many seasonal stalls in the Bryant Park Winter Village centered around an ice skating rink. It doesn’t feel very wintery at the moment, it was in the high 70s when I went, but it’s meant to get people jazzed for the holidays. Chi will be at the Winter Village until November 12, 2024, when Doosra takes over, followed by Eat2Explore and then Paige’s Candle Co., each for two weeks.
Other stalls worth a visit: Mumu Bath (I’m not a fragrant soap person and I loooove Mumu’s fragrant soaps), Mama Lam’s (try the Malaysian satay!), Cantina Royal Hot Sauce (smokey, spicy, hot, smouldering), Joey Bats Cafe (divine pastéis de nata, Portuguese custard treats, sold by the best mother and son team) and JuniBK aka artist Kamila Zmrzla, who I happen to meet during the pandemic when she was painting a beautiful mural on a boarded up storefront in Soho.
If you miss What a Cutie at Bryant Park, have no fear, it will continue on to the Pal Mart Holiday Pop-up November 12 - December 8, 2024, at 242 Elizabeth Street.
MAGICAL MOMENTS IN THE CITY, MERCANTILE OR OTHERWISE
There is a contingent of New Yorkers, I am sometimes one of them, who complain about the chains stores, soulless developments, mall-like atmosphere, boutiques with 3 items of clothing that no normal person could afford, but I stumble across so many magical moments every day. It’s usually in the context of non-corporate commerce, as I’m always snooping around for stories.
One of them happened last weekend. After visiting the new Wild Bird Fund location in Park Slope with New York Pigeon (aka Andrew Garn) we took a stroll though Prospect Park. The late afternoon sun was warm and angled with long shadows, highlighting a woman wearing a red apron, behind a table full of colorful food on a red tablecloth, at the entrance of Endale Arch.
She turned out to be Nadia Ketoure, originally from Tunisia (hence the star and moon in a white circle on her apron and tablecloth) who had a gorgeous spread of food that she sold as boxed meals. Each serving had a base of nettle-topped flat bread on greens with all sorts of fresh, colorful goodies piled on top like radishes, squash, olives and sprouts, with two scoops of sauces, one being her mom’s outstanding harissa. Oddly enough, I have only eaten nettle in Finland, the soup my grandmother made, so it was a delight to know nettle can be eaten in the US too. (I somehow had a mental block that nettle could only be eaten in Finland, in soup.) I also bought a jar of her mom’s harissa, I’m afraid to open it because it’s too precious!
Ketoure has several jobs and professions, like many creative New Yorkers: teacher, private chef and integrative health coach, among others. Her services are listed on her website and you can follow her on Instagram to see if/where/when she’ll have another pop-up. I highly recommend her food and jars of harissa.
IMMIGRANTS IN THE WORKFORCE
Another incredible report was issued by Immigration Research Initiative with Economic Policy Institute, this one is called Immigrants Are a Vital Part of America’s Future. (I previously made note of IRI’s comprehensive report on New York City’s street vendors.)
This report focuses on the broad spectrum of professions immigrants have in the US, from truck drivers to physicians. Immigrants play an enormous part in the US economy, paying taxes and working essential jobs. And let’s not forget the immigrant entrepreneurs who create jobs, a separate report states in 2019, 21.7% of the business owners in the US were immigrants, despite being only 17.1% of the labor force.
A few stats about the US’s immigrant workforce:
• 16% of registered nurses
• 18% of truck drivers
• 28% of physicians
• 37% of construction laborers
• 46% of software developers
Read more stats why immigrants are vital to the US’s future here.
GOHAR WORLD IS OPEN
The new Gohar World shop on Mott Street is open. Gohar World is the creation of two sisters, originally from Egypt, Laila and Nadia Gohar, who are artists in their own right. They have created a line of elegant home goods with a touch of the zany and absurd. Candles in the shape of a fried chicken drumstick, baguette, or stick of butter complete with a fork scraping, for example, rubber dish washing gloves with fancy cotton cuffs and eyelet embroidery wine bottle aprons.
There are some flat-out gorgeous items in the mix, like a line of glassware designed by Josef Hoffman, a boiled egg holder, cotton napkins and table cloths, stainless steel lemon squeezers in the shape of different birds and fish. Various items are manufactured or sold in partnership with family-owned businesses around the globe, the Josef Hoffman glassware is made by the Viennese Lobmeyr. Gohar world will be open through the holidays into February at 262 Mott Street between Houston and Prince Streets in Manhattan.
THE FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE FOR CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS
There is an excellent/scary article in Inc. magazine tilted Why Are So Many Supermarket Brands Loosing Shelf Space? by editor-at-large Tom Foster. The article reports a rather dismal forecast for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands looking for investment. According to the article, the days CPG brands launching, scaling fast and furiously and then selling to a conglomerate, a la tech startup model, are over. However Siete Foods the Mexican-American snack company was just bought by PepsiCo for $1.2 billion last month and Omsom was bought by DayDayCook for an undisclosed amount in June of this year.
In any case, this article goes deep into numbers and why it’s so challenging for CPG businesses to compete against the deep pockets of giant multinational companies like Kraft Heinz, General Mills or Mondelez. And now more private label is creeping onto supermarket shelves. Founders of small companies like Aura Bora and Me & The Bees Lemonade are quoted in the article. I am always studying the supermarket shelves but for anyone outside the CPG business, this article is a good reminder that human beings are behind the non-corporate brands.
ELECTION NIGHT DISCO DANCING
If you will be in New York City and don’t want to be home alone glued to your computer, TV or radio on election night, or hiding under the covers, there is a free dance party organized by Vinyl Nights! It’s going to be in Brooklyn, from 7pm to midnight, information is here. I love Vinyl Nights, I’ve posted about it, and plan to attend.
Thank you to Mercantile Mayhem’s sponsor Accompany Capital. Based in New York City, Accompany Capital, a CDFI, helps immigrants and refugees with loans and financial services. Please read about it here.
Thank you to Small Business Majority, Mercantile Mayhem’s sponsor. SBM supports and empowers small businesses across the US with a focus on public policy, its New York City branch was recently opened by Lindsey Vigoda. Please read about SBM here.
OPPORTUNITIES
EXTENDED! The ScaleUp Bronx Business Pitch Challenge is seeking Bronx-based businesses for the pitch challenge on December 4, 2024. The top prize is $10,000; finalists will receive mentoring and business support. This entrepreneurial competition is presented by Accompany Capital (yes, one of Mercantile Mayhem’s wonderful sponsors!) and OceanFirst Bank. Bronx Businesses must meet requirements listed here, application deadline to be considered is
October 30, November 11, 2024.Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) is accepting applications for their four month Winter 2025 program starting January 13, 2025. Selected companies will receive an initial investment of $150K in a post-money SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) for 6% of each company and the potential for follow-on funding. Deadline is November 4, 2034, apply here.
Immigrant founders, find your people and network through the Unshackled Ventures community. Unshackled Ventures is VC fund based out of the Bay Area cofounded by Manan Mehta and Nitin Pachisia, apply here.
This newsletter always makes me wish I still lived in NYC!
Wish I could join you tomorrow night! I need a dance! Great newsletter as always xx