Embracing the Heart and Soul of Small Businesses in Our Neighborhoods
We live in a time where many of our neighborhoods are dominated by big-box retailers.
Yet, the essence of local communities are our small businesses that line our streets.
What do Brooklyn, NY and New Bern, NC have in common?
Hey, it’s Patty. When I was growing up, my maternal grandparents lived in Brooklyn, NY. They lived in a 3-room flat from the day they were married until they day passed. There was a car wash across the street (still there!) and their building was on a corner next to an elevated train.
Many an Italian Sunday dinner was spent in that 3-room apartment. My grandmother didn’t drive as she didn’t need to. She could walk around the corner to the bakery, around the other corner to pick up fresh ravioli and you could see the A&P grocery story from her kitchen window. If they needed to go into Manhattan, they took a train. When they came out to visit us on Long Island, they took a train.
When I would spend a weekend, we would walk 3 blocks over to 18th Avenue, which is where she did pretty much all of her other shopping. 18th Avenue was ALL independently owned mom and pop stores, from clothing boutiques to cafes, appliances, restaurants and pharmacies, many of which were owned by men, but ran by women.
I haven’t been to Brooklyn since my grandmother passed in 1999, so I have no idea what 18th Avenue is like today, but back then, chain stores and restaurants were non-existent on 18th Avenue.
Those businesses and their clients were built on neighborhood relationships.
And then there’s New Bern, NC
553 miles south of Brooklyn, NY is New Bern, NC.
What do these two places have in common?
In early November, 2021, I visited New Bern, NC for the first time. It’s situated on the Neuse River, so not directly on the Atlantic Coast, which makes it great for boating and Atlantic Beach is a short 55-minute drive.
I immediately fell in love with this adorable town. It’s small, but not too small, yet big enough to have its own commercial airport with multiple airlines flying in and out. That makes it much simpler than driving the 2 hours to Raleigh-Durham International.
What Makes Downtown New Bern So Special?
New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. I did not know that before I visited there. It is also the very first capital of North Carolina. Downtown New Bern is walkable and there is not a single chain store, coffee shop or restaurant to be found in the entire downtown area.
There are boutiques shops, antique shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. that are all independently owned and run. Just a short walk from downtown New Bern is the waterfront, making this one of the most quaint towns I have ever visited.
Like 18th Avenue in Brooklyn from long ago, the businesses and their customers in downtown New Bern are built on relationships.
In Episode 4 of the Continuity Conversations podcast, Keith and I dive into this in more depth. We stress the significance of these relationships and how small businesses can outshine and excel in this area. This is where small businesses have the advantage… in influencing every customer encounter and how employees' reactions can reflect the atmosphere of your company, the level of trust and communication.
Have a listen…
P.S. Before you go: If you’re an independent coffee shop leader ready to have confidence and financial peace of mind when unexpected disruptions knock on your door, you’re in the right place. Subscribe to our newsletter, French Roast and get a free copy of PLAN. PIVOT. THRIVE. the operational resilience checklist for independent coffee shops.
