NYC's Mercantile Mayhem: The Meaty Shiitake, Food Funded, Estonians Redux and a 'Tartine Takeover' in Brooklyn
A newsletter about the survival of independent businesses in New York City with a focus on immigrant-owned, storefront retail and CPG enterprises.
I will write more about how the new administration will impact New York City’s independent businesses in the next few newsletters. Briefly, tariffs will hurt certain local businesses, as will the deportation of undocumented immigrants, which will be an emotional and economic blow for business owners and workers. I know many undocumented—DACA or otherwise—business owners, I fear for their future. Hopefully these policy changes are not imminent.
On to happier news… several of the stories below have an in-person component this weekend, November 15 -17, I suggest visiting them all.
NEW MUSHROOM BUSINESS ARRIVED FROM THE OZ LAND
Welcome to Fable mushrooms as it is now officially a New York City based business. Fable makes a rich, umami-y ingredient from meaty shiitake mushrooms, used by chefs and restaurants. While Fable has employees on multiple continents, Katrine and Michael Fox the co-founder, are part of the team that just moved from Australia.
Not to generalize, but Aussies always seem to have a good time and Fable’s mushroom-themed art exhibit didn’t disappoint. Artist Roberta Trentin hooked wires up to a mycelium and when people touched the velvety flaps and folds, lovely sounds emitted. (I was worried the mushroom might pick up on some squelched bad vibes inside me when I tried and would make horrible guitar feedback sounds, but to my delight it was funky.)
Amid the fungi fans in their mushroom regalia, I spotted designer Tori Deetz’s beautiful ceramic mushroom planters called GUS that house live fungi beings—the growth you see if just from four days. There are mycelium artworks, like the gorgeous graphic prints by Taehyoug Jeon, based in Seoul, South Korea. I met chef Loni Diep who bakes treats with mushrooms, in fact she will be selling them this Saturday at the Fort Greene Park Artisans Bazaar at Madame Susan's Sauces, follow her Instagram for details.
The exhibit lasts through November 16, it’s not only a celebration of the mushroom, but also a way to announce Fable’s collaboration with La Esquina. The Mexican restaurant will now be serving a Shiitake Carnitas Taco at their Soho location.
It could be mycelium madness, but Fable/La Esquina will be giving 300 free Shiitake Carnitas and Tinga de Shiitake tacos on a first come, first serve basis today and tomorrow, November 15 and 16, starting at 12pm each day.
Fable mushroom exhibit: 345 Broome Street near the Bowery, noon to 8pm everyday through November 16, 2024.
A MOST CIVILIZED INVESTMENT EVENT FOR FOOD BUSINESSES
I highly recommend food businesses looking for investment to keep up with the activities of Food Funded. I recently went an event and I think it was one of the most humane investing events I’ve attended in a long time.
There were ten groups presenting to a room of investors, most were businesses, a couple were nonprofits. They asked for different amounts of investment and how it would be applied to their enterprise. They included: Boogie Down Grind Cafe, Earnest Foods, Connected Chef, Lunar, Essential Kitchen, See & Be Kitchen, Uncle Waithley’s, Waku Tea, Veggie Grub, and Roc Paper Straws.
The three feedback panelists—Jamila Ogilvie of The Beryl Company, Kobla Asamoah of Caminus Ventures and Michael Rabinov of Farm to People—asked questions and then after the pitching was finished, everyone snacked, mingled and went their merry way. Any investment wheelings and dealings are done afterwards in the following weeks or months on an organic way.
There were a couple of panels about investment prior to the pitching portion. One founder told such a horrible story of an investment promise not kept to her, the entire room gasped. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart.
Food Funded is bicoastal, with a focus on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) in the food and ag space, with events in the Bay Area and New York City, follow their Linkedin or Instagram.
ESTONIANS REDUX
A posse of Estonian designers breezed through our city like wind off the Baltic Sea, spreading the gospel of sustainable fashions and designs at the Scandinavia House. The clothing and accessories on display were made from upcycled fabrics, fibers, leathers, furs, deadstock factory fabrics that would otherwise be tossed into landfill.
Designer Reet Aus, PhD, is on a mission to replicate and scale her process of repurposing deadstock fabrics, because working factory by factory, one designer here, a project there, is very labor intensive, so each garment ends up being quite pricy. (If this all sounds a little familiar, I did write about her in May, read about it here.)
The documentary “Out of Fashion” follows Aus from Estonia to Bangladesh to explore the question if slow fashion as it’s sometimes called, can create and use systems that allow upcycling to become mainstream and have environmental impact.
Another Estonian designer Xenia Joost created a line of loose, flowing pieces from cruise ship textiles (yes, they are sterilized, as all upcycled fabrics and textiles are) that would have been discarded. MocoSock sells socks in threes, mix and match, because we always lose one sock. There were other designers from Iceland, in person or repped, the Swedish company Circulous that makes material from recycling worn out cotton, found in garments made by Levi’s and Calvin Klein Heidi Hankaniemi was the lone Finn 🇫🇮 , representing, who is an artist living in New York City. Hankaniemi works with textiles, embroidery, tapestries, lace, often in a performative setting.
The Estonians have returned to Tallinn and beyond, but you can find a selection of pieces for sale at The Canvas inside the Oculus.
NOT JUST MARKETING BS
The word “community” is thrown around in marketing copy, but many brick-and-mortar shops do in fact provide a third space for New Yorkers to exist, chat, eat, read, sip, even zone out while being with those in their community. In the wake of the election results, many independent businesses across the city like Edy’s Grocer, Kolkata Chai and Archestratus Books, among others, invited their customers and community at large to visit their shops, often for freebees, or simply as a place to be. Shop owners are planning future events and ways to take action. Does Starbucks or Barnes & Noble do this? No! Let’s remember that independent establishments are the businesses looking out for their communities’ well being.
FOCACCIA FESTIVITIES IN WILLIAMSBURG
Last Sunday I went to the one, the only, “Tartine Takeover” at Talea Beer Co. featuring tartines made with Gotcha Focaccia. Each tartine was slathered in the creamy goodness of Bezi Labneh, which is Turkish style, less tangy than Lebanese style, with an assortment of toppings, from savory to sweet. If you like freakazoid levels of deliciousness, you are in luck because they are going to be at Talea Beer Co this Sunday too, November 17 at noon until they sell out.
I first met Bezi co-founder Ilay Karateke at a Startup CPG event during the insane three-day Fancy Food Show, I just met Meira Bennett, founder of Gotcha Focaccia last weekend. I highly recommend visiting their tartine pop-up, you will have a lovely experience and eat a tasty tartine. “The Everything” (as in, bagels) tartine I ordered included: Bezi’s “everything” labne, pickles made from a Bennett family recipe, onion, topped with spicy “everything” Holy Tshili chili crisp, which is exquisite. Other tartine options had Lottie’s Meats meatballs with olives, or habenero honey Brave hot sauce. The dessert tartine was nothing short of magnificent, focaccia with chocolate baked in, topped with healthy doses of Pistakio pistachio spread and raspberry compote.
On a side note, there happen to be a Waldo Rescue dog adoption event in the outdoor area, I fell in love with a little black puppy named Maryland Crab Soup. Information on upcoming events here.
Talea Beer Co., Sunday, November 17, 87 Richardson Street, Brooklyn
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.
MERCANTILE MAYHEM NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
Hello! I am still looking for one additional sponsor—individuals, businesses, organizations or foundations—who believe independent businesses in New York City need to survive. If you would like to know sponsorship rates and newsletter stats (open rates and such) please email me: ninarobertsnyc@gmail.com and I’ll send you the details. Please forward this newsletter to others!
OPPORTUNITIES
The Global Warming Mitigation Project is accepting applications for their 2025 Keeling Curve Prize awarded to startups, projects or initiatives that are working to create solutions to fight against climate change. Winners receive $50,000 each. Early submissions are encouraged, they will look at the first 500 acceptable applications. Deadline is January 15, 2025, apply here.
Very last minute, deadline is today! The Sephora Beauty Grant in conjunction with the Fifteen Percent Pledge will award $100,000 to a Black-owned beauty brand that meets their criteria. More information here, Apply here, deadline Friday, November 15, 2024, aka today.
The Aurora Tech Awards for women. This competition is open to female founders of tech startups all over the globe. Five winners are chosen, the first prize is $30,000, second $20,000, third $15,000 and fourth and fifth $10,000 each. Apply here, deadline in November 21, 2024.
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.
Nina has done it again - another newsletter packed with colorful, interesting information, tid bits of tasty products and coming events.