Emily Girolamo
Many people don’t know that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is recognized as Small Business Saturday. It is a nationwide movement to celebrate small businesses and all that they do for their communities. In addition to providing vital employment opportunities, small businesses enhance our neighborhoods with unique creativity and character. For the holidays, TAWANI Property Management encourages everyone to shop small.
Small Chicago Businesses
Illinois is home to approximately 1.2 million small businesses and fortunately, many of them are located near our TAWANI Property Management homes. Here are some great places to shop small in Chicago this holiday season (and always!), including some favorite Rogers Park and Gold Coast businesses:
ChiTown Magpie:
This gift boutique is a small business gem in Rogers Park; It’s locally owned, supports local artisans, and features Chicago-themed items. Some of our favorites include a Rogers Park poster and an embroidered Rogers Park heart pillow. You can even commission custom gifts!
6443 N. Sheridan Road
Transit Tees:
Transit Tees is another Chicago-themed small business with some of the most unique gifts in town. Where else can you pick up a “Chicago Style Eats” shirt or screen print, a Chicago Loop puzzle, an “El the Chicago Transit Adventure” board game, or a Chicago Theatre LED Sign? The Andersonville-area business has an extensive array of more traditional gifts like Chicago glasses, towels, magnets, stationery, and artwork.
5226 N. Clark St
Heirloom Books:
Heirloom Books is a locally-owned bookstore with a poignant story of small business resilience. After founder Chelsea Carr Rectanus passed away suddenly in 2020, friends and family rallied to keep the bookshop operable and carry on her small business legacy. The store specializes in used, antique, and signed books – true to the Heirloom name.
6239 N. Clark St.
Big Shoulders Coffee:
Big Shoulders is an independent coffee shop with several Chicago-area locations, including a Gold Coast spot. The founders, Tim and Patricia Coonan, are a married couple who met in Chicago and strive to keep the small business feel even as they expand and grow across the city. The shop offers curated coffees from around the globe, gift items like apparel, and coffee subscriptions.
858 N. State St.
Third Coast Comics:
Third Coast Comics has an impressive collection of comics, graphic novels, and comic-inspired items for kids and adults of all ages. The owners say the store caters to everyone from “comic-book lifers to the graphic-novel curious.” The small business has lasted through 15 years of economic ups and downs, including the 2008 market crash and the 2020 pandemic, and is still going strong in its Loyola University-area location.
6443 N Sheridan Rd
Bonus: Rogers Park Business Alliance Shop Small Business Rebates: To support local small businesses, Rogers Park Business Alliance has launched a holiday shopping campaign that provides shoppers with up to $75 in rebates for the 2023 holiday season. Spend $150 or more to earn a $50 rebate or $200 or more to receive a $75 rebate. Simply show receipts from four different independently owned businesses in the Rogers Park area as proof of small business support! The campaign officially kicks off November 25th – this year’s Small Business Saturday.
Small businesses are the lifeblood of Chicago and we’re grateful for all they do for our city. Happy holiday shopping!
