As a way to encourage people across the country to support small, local businesses, and starting a holiday shopping tradition, American Express in 2010 launched Small Business Saturday.
With the hustle and bustle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is designed to encourage people to shop at small businesses throughout their communities on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Excited to participate in the Nov. 29 event, the owners of Third Day Soaps and Garden, Living Juicy Organic Raw Café and Dana’s Bakery are preparing for the day. “I’m combining my activities by hosting a customer appreciation day and have plans for it to be an annual activity,” says Cynthia Hill of Third Day Soaps and Garden. This is all three businesses first time participating in the promotional event.
Sisters Sidney Harper and Kelly Protho and their mother Ella Rawlings-Young, the newest of the trio of businesses plan to use the day as a way to introduce their Shadyside business to the public. Recognizing that Living Juicy is not geared toward everyone they describe their customers experience at the café as a life style.
In the same location, 720 N. Homewood Ave. for 36 years, Joseph Simmons owner of Dana’s Bakery is well known in the community. He knows some of his customers by first names and by their order and they in return reward his customer service and sweet treats with a smile.
Hill describes Third Day Soaps and Garden as a Mini Spa-tique where therapeutic herbal bath and body products, soaps, lotions, creams, body scrubs, facial products, organic towels, pillows and candles are sold. She grows her own herbs, flowers and plants that are used in the different soaps, shampoos and beauty and bath products and pledges not to use any chemicals in her products. She also uses gel-organic gift boxes and biodegradable tissue paper to package her items.
On Nov. 29 from noon to 5 p.m. her Small Business Saturday activities at 105 Overland St. in West Mifflin will include an open house featuring her natural made products. Also taking part will be a representative from Thirty-One Gifts, Erica and Diane Turner from Wine and Words will share their specially made libations and complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be supplied by Ola’s Apetit. The first 31 people will receive goodie tote bags and Hill highly recommends calling 412-290-0611 to confirm participation.
In business since June, Living Juicy Organic Raw Cafe at 5892 Ellsworth Ave. supplies its customers with raw pressed juices and smoothies, salads and raw snacks. New to the business but not to the life style the ladies look forward to offering ten percent off of all purchases that day. With all three of the owners being educators, they say their goal Saturday as it always has been is to educate their customers on the benefits of eating healthy. “Incorporating raw foods to your diet is definitely healthy for you,” said Harper who has been a vegetarian for a number of years. “We are inspired to share what makes us feel great with others. We have learned from experience to create recipes that are great-tasting, satisfying, organic and raw.”
One of the few businesses in Pittsburgh supplying vegans and health cautious people a place to purchase organic raw dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks the threesome identify their marinated kale salad as a popular item. Most of their products are freshly made to order.
Dana’s Bakery is the place to purchase freshly baked sweet potato, apple, peach or cherry pies on Saturday for $7.50. But while there try the other fresh baked goods like cakes, cookies, donuts or dinner rolls. Open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Dana’s is one of a few full-service neighborhood bakeries remaining in the city. “We make everything fresh including wedding cakes,” says Simmons. His day starts at 2:30 a.m., baking.
Knowing at an early age that he wanted to own his own bakery he says through his God ordered steps the 36 years in Homewood he always strived to provide fresh products and good service.
“The community has been good to me,” he confessed. While making the point happily, a customer entered the story saying, “Great you are still here! I just relocated back to Homewood from Florida. They only have big box store bakeries there. I grew up on Susquehanna Street and remember coming here as a little girl.”
Supported all throughout the United States, since its inception in 2010 Small Business Saturday is being celebrated by hundreds more small businesses and patrons each year. “Small Business Saturday is becoming a movement,” said Hill. “A movement I am happy to be a part of.”
