Small Business Roundup: 6 Small Businesses to support this summer
We know how important it is to support small businesses and support local, so today we’re rounding up 6 small businesses to support this summer!
Note: Since these are all small businesses, some will have smaller reach than others, so some may be easily accessible online to purchase from and others will likely be more targeted to specific areas!
Brantford Apparel
Brantford Apparel offers screen printing and embroidery services in Brantford, Ontario! They recently won gold in the Brantford 2023 Community Votes for Best Printer AND they won the Community Builder Award 2023 at the 2023 Brantford-Brant Business Excellence Awards - so that should tell you something about their level of service! Not only are they good at what they do, they are heavily invested in lifting up the Black community within Brantford through their work with Unite Against Hate! Whether it’s through the Brantford Black Owned Business List or the work they do to highlight the city’s Black History, they truly find ways to celebrate Black excellence.
Want to check out some of their work? Click here!
Steve's Tea
Here’s the tea: Steve’s Tea is a tea company and tearoom located in Brantford. They also have an online shop if you’re not close, but you want to try some of their delicious product. They are a four inter-generational business - how amazing is that?! They offer a whopping 300 luxury loose leaf teas and 150 custom blends! They’re organic, fair trade, and ethically sourced, so you can feel good while sipping some good tea!
Lana was recently awarded the Enterprise Brant Entrepreneur of the Year award at the 2023 Brantford-Brant Business Excellence Awards. She has done so much to build the business up, but not only that she acts as a connection among other business owners within the community.
Homestead Artisan Bakery & Cafe
Homestead is a small artisan bakery and cafe located in downtown Barrie, Ontario. Their weekly bread menu offers fresh baked breads, particularly sourdough breads, like 6-grain and country blonde, to carmelized onion, herb and cheddar, and much more - all made from scratch! You can also pick up other baked goods like croissants and more, and they have a selection of goods from other local small businesses.
Homestead is also a cafe and my family has been loving their sandwiches, like their breakfast sandy and their featured sandy of the month!
They often have live music and even have an upcoming drag show!
Imagine Cinemas
Don’t get me wrong I have LOVED going to Cineplex’s VIP theatres in the past, but there’s something special about Imagine Cinemas.
Imagine Cinemas is a small but growing chain of theatres in Ontario and B.C.
I recently opted to head there instead of the often busy bigger chains and I didn’t regret it! The theatre I went to definitely had a smaller feel but it was great! They had deliciouspopcorn, great service, clean bathrooms and THE SEATS. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the seats. Great seats at a theatre are always a plus and many locations at Imagine Cinemas offer luxury recliner seats. That means you can put your legs up, sit back, and get comfy while you watch your movie.
After purchasing tickets online and making our first visit, I received a follow up email that included a free popcorn next time as a thank-you for choosing them - which I appreciated! It also highlighted that Imagine Cinemas is an independent and woman-led business and I love that!
The Cookie Loop
Need a side for that cup of tea?
We definitely have a sweet tooth, so we love a good cookie - and The Cookie Loop has GREAT cookies! The Cookie Loop is a home-based cookie shop that specialises in gourmet cookies. You can often spot Winnie (the owner and baker) at local markets in Simcoe County, but she also offers custom orders!
Bella Lovelee Beads
We found Bella Lovelee Beads on TikTok before a local market and we’re so glad we did! The owner, Jennifer, creates beautiful handmade Indigenous jewellery (as well as beading supplies). You can find Bella Lovelee Beads on Instagram and at local markets in and around Bradford, Ontario/Treaty 18.
If you’re looking for some small businesses to check out and support this summer, don’t forget to check out these 6 businesses!
Do you have any favourite small businesses? Let us know in the comments!