Sustaining Support for Small Businesses

Article by Becky Fillinger

August was #NationalBlackBusinessMonth. Mill City Times recognized a series of black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Facebook postings. Before we say goodbye to the month-long recognition campaign, let’s recap the entrepreneurs and businesses for our newsletter readers. All of the establishments are worth a visit - virtually and in person. 

Wendy Puckett, Owner, Wendy’s House of SOUL. A menu to feed your soul!

Tish Watson, Owner, weRow – Indoor Fitness Rowing. Shake up your routine!

Kate Hertzog, Owner, House of Talents - Connecting talented artisans in developing countries to consumers worldwide.

Nicole Jennings, Owner, Queen Anna House of Fashion - Stylish, original designs and curated collections.

The Allen Family, Owners, El Norte Kitchen - Pop-up kitchen offering the best of Southwestern style comfort food.

Sammy McDowell, Owner, Sammy’s Avenue Eatery Great food and generous host of a Ghost Kitchen for black-owned restaurants.

The Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition, organized by Mayor Frey, is deploying strategies that prioritize BIPOC/minority-owned businesses. Many of these businesses were struggling before the pandemic and were further harmed after the unrest following George Floyd’s death. Meet Minneapolis partnered with Carmichael Lynch to launch the #WeNeedUs! campaign. We Need Us is Phase Three of their recovery plan for small local businesses. Their strategy is to encourage support of local businesses by our local community as they determine the appropriate time to resume normal regional, national and international sales and marketing initiatives.

Billboard photos: Carmichael Lynch

We can all help out by supporting the places we love so they’ll be there for us tomorrow. Put together your own list of favorite small businesses. Share the list with us at Mill City Times and with your friends. Wear a mask and visit in person, grab some takeout or buy a gift card. Friends, we can do this!

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.