Category Archives: Small Business

An Experimental Gift Shop in Flux

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Kiosk’s exhibits are constantly changing, and their current exhibit is called, “Ongoing”

A SoHo gift store packaged inside a two-story building is the home of the Canadian-made clothesline pulley setup for $62. It is home to the $90 powder-coated steel toolbox made in Osaka, Japan and the $6 aluminum hooks crafted in Portugal. Trinkets, heavy and light, collected from countries far and states near, create an “experimental retail” space between Mercer Street and Broadway on Spring Street. Its name is Kiosk.

Opened in 2005 by married couple, travel companions and business partners Alisa Grifo and Marco ter Haar Romeny, Kiosk houses trinkets – airing on the side of souvenirs-turned-gifts – on a legless table in the center of the loft-like space hanging from the ceiling, on shelf-lined walls, and artfully displayed in cubbies along the ground.

However warmly and meticulously curated, the second-floor store is in a state of dramatic transformation, and the four-to-six-person Kiosk team has been aware of the change for months: Kiosk is being evicted.

529 Broadway, built in 1936, is being torn down in early 2014. The building was bought in 2012 for $147.9 million. Plans began in July.

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Trinkets from Japan, Canada, Germany, and beyond are showcased at Kiosk

“We already knew the building had been bought,” said Honora Dunham of Kiosk. Dunham, 28, has worked with Kiosk for about a year. Dunham is one of two-four (depending on the time of year) Kiosk employees beside owners Grifo and ter Haar Romeny.

“We’re sad to leave, we’ve been here for eight years,” said Dunham of the eviction, “and it’s kind of all up in the air right now. We’re looking for another place now. We’re open to Manhattan and Brooklyn, it’s just a matter of finding the right space.”

Investors, including big-time broker Bobby Cayre of Aurora Capital Associates, plan to turn the building into a six-story retail space reminiscent of its predecessor: the 1853 hotel Prescott House, demolished during the Great Depression.

Ms. Dunham, in a baby blue shirt and wild brunette curls, mentioned her background in art and design. She received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and has since worked with various design firms. She lives in Williamsburg, working with Kiosk about four days a week. Dunham says the charm of the space will be difficult to recreate in another retail setting.

“It’s a unique, unorthodox space, with the stairwell, and being on the second floor,” said Dunham, “and it’s kind of what’s happening with SoHo. We’re sad that it seems impossible for [stores like Kiosk] without becoming a corporate endeavor.

She is referring to “the stairwell” that leads up to the second floor of the building entrance on Spring Street. Covered in colorful graffiti tags and complete with a handrail strung with festive lights, the stairwell is as elusive and colorful as the space it leads to. A neon pink arrow points downward to the stairwell, wedged in between Sabon, a luxury fragrance store, and Teno, a jeweler. “KIOSK” is painted in bright orange letters on the sidewalk on Spring Street guiding the public into the door, up the stairwell, to the right two steps, and into Kiosk.

Each item in Kiosk has either been hand-selected by the owners on their travels – “[Kiosk] is sort of like a travel story,” said Dunham – or rotated throughout different Kiosk-affiliated locations throughout the world, including Gravel and Gold in San Francisco and Postalco in Tokyo. The $21 natural cat toy made of matatabi, a silver vine grown in the Fukushima region of Japan, sits next to the $6 Indian copper and brass jewelry. Each item is carefully documented for customers: the dominant material of the item for sale, the price on a dime-sized black-and-white display, and a colorful description.

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Kiosk’s lighting is warm once patrons walk in the second-floor door, artwork and festive lights adorning the walls

Of a Yelp.com review that criticized Kiosk’s selling of marked-up “kitschy” foreign items to manipulate tourists and the clientele, Dunham was flip in return. “I’m sure this guy hasn’t even been here,” said Dunham, “and we wouldn’t call our things ‘kitschy.’”

Best-selling items in Kiosk include simpler ornaments that carry great visual appeal: a birdcall whistle, colorful fountain pens, fold-out scissors, and hotel key tags.

Dunham mentioned that for staying a small business in SoHo, it’s all about “staying afloat,” and Kiosk has taken up social media to keep up with their clientele, who Dunham include “many Japanese, European, and New York creative types.” Kiosk is fairly new to Instagram, having opened their account just this past August, but has a “great big mailing list.” “We’re not social media mavens,” Dunham joked.

Many loyal Kiosk customers have shown interest in following the store to their next location, and Honora Dunham has high hopes. “We’re sad to go, like I said,” said Dunham, “and it’s really all up in the air right now.”

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Carlton Laundromat: Dropping Off the Laundry

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Between 103rd and 106th Streets on Third Avenue at noon, a man walks with his laundry bag flung across his shoulders. The streets are full of interaction between the residents and the local business people. At the corner of 105th Street, he enters a small store to drop off his laundry.

The place isn’t particularly attractive in looks, and the space is not big enough to attract a significant number of customers, no matter what the time or date, yet Carlton Laundromat has managed to be around for a couple of years. It is run by a Mexican family who has worked hard to differentiate themselves from other laundromats by focusing on results rather than looks, by giving the customer a sense of trust and familiarity.

Carlton is open Monday through Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm, and operated by four women.  Leticia Valderamas has been working at the laundromat from day one and she has seen the customer loyalty rise at a satisfying rate. “When we first started, we were worried about creating a clientele,” she said.
“We worried that the space and the location would scare away potential customers, but we soon realized that was not where the biggest opportunity was.

According to the Coin Laundry Association (CLA), laundromats generate almost $5 billion in revenue. Most of the laundromats, in areas filled with residents who pay rent, generally do well. This is true of the Carlton Laundromat, which is surrounded by many residential apartments. The next closest laundromat for residents in the block is located on Second Avenue and 104th Street, about an eight to nine minute walk away. This eliminates a big problem in regards to attracting clientele.

There are several factors that prevent such a small business from prospering. For starters, many of the residential businesses in the area have their own self-service laundromats.  In addition, many local residents have small washers in their apartments and do their own laundry, and, of course, there are always other competing laundromats. So how does Carlton Laundromat keep up with this competition?

Eli Escobar, one of the workers at Carlton, believes that, “Our success is based on a couple of economic factors.  The first is that there isn’t another laundromat around for a good distance, so as long as we give good customer service, people will keep coming back to us because they don’t really have anywhere else to go.” Carlton Laundromat has about 20 driers and 10 washers; the store reasons that 10 great working washers are better than 25 inadequate ones.

Carlton laundromat, makes its biggest profit on the basis of drop-offs rather than customers coming in and doing their laundry themselves. “What other Laundromats around here don’t realize is that people look to spend less and less time in a laundromat. They would rather pay a few more dollars and have their clothes well tended.” When they realized this, they completely changed their approach and started making changes to give customers an incentive to drop off rather than come and do their own laundry

The laundry bags are weighted and the customer is looked up through the system for efficiency

The laundry bags are weighted and the customer is looked up through the system for efficiency

“The secret lies in the fact that people do not have time to go in and spend two hours to wash and fold their clothes, so instead they want to feel secure and safe,” Leticia said, “by safe and secure I mean that they can pay $15 to $25 every two weeks and know that their clothes wont be damaged, or that their socks won’t return with missing pairs or their white clothes dyed in every color of the rainbow.”

Over 60 percent of Carlton’s income comes from drop offs. Customer information is stored in a computer to quickly access it when they drop off their laundry, and the clothes are weighed and charged by the pound.

“We sort of figured out how to maximize the economics of the area,” Leticia said confidently. “Originally, households that have a full family would usually come in and do the laundry themselves, while couples or people who live with roommates, or by themselves will just drop it off and pay by the pound,” She said, “ Now more and more households drop their clothes off.”

Drop offs by a single customer on an early morning

Drop offs by a single customer on an early morning

The group of four women work diligently everyday and sometimes wish they had a little bit more space to operate because of the big pile of drop-offs. In addition, customers sometimes come in, and, “ demand that their clothes be ready in a few hours,” said Eli, “something that for the personnel we have and the space, is nearly impossible.”

All in all, they believe that the focus on drop offs has given them an advantage over the competition. “Running this place is not easy, but we feel like we dominate this area’s clientele the way we dominate these dirty clothes, and that’s all that matters,” said Leticia with a smile on her face.

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Outsourced Roti Becomes Staple for Indo-Caribbean Women

Trini style pepper roti, a mix of flour, masala, and other spices left to the imagination of the customer.

Trini style pepper roti, a mix of flour, masala, and other spices left to the imagination of the customer.

It’s almost 7pm on a weekday at Sandy’s Roti Shop in Richmond Hill and customers are still trickling in from a hard day of work. Steaming stainless steel tubs  are filled with an assortment of Caribbean delicacies: chicken curry, smoke herring, fried cabbage, ‘aloo’ potato curry, pepper shrimp fried rice, and chow-mein.

For added flavor–the buffet selection at ‘Trini Delite’ features a chili pepper in each curry dish.

But most customers are not there for the buffet style wonder. They are there to pick up some fresh, hot roti.

Roti, a common Indian and West Indian bread dish, doubles (a spongy sandwich of spicy chick peas) and dhal puri (a flaky bread embedded with split peas) are the restaurant’s best sellers.

The staff at Sandy’s is friendly, but they  know they are on a mission: to serve up all of the roti, dhal puri, and “buss up shut”— a Trinidadian variation of roti, to a mass of customers.

“You could say every five minutes,” said Mitra Jankie, a member of the shop’s staff, about the constant influx of customers coming in to order roti.

Sandy's Roti Shop is twenty-five years old, but still a walk-in store with a few tables but lots of orders.

Sandy’s Roti Shop is twenty-five years old, but still a walk-in store with a few tables but lots of orders.

He approximated that one out of every three customers  purchases roti or dhal puri on a daily basis.

Roti shops are popular destinations for Indo-Caribbean residents to purchase their homeland’s ethnic dishes. Time is valuable, and a growing trend, within these small businesses, is selling rotis for $2 a piece, quite a bargain for working mothers who no longer make the dish from home as they used to do in the Caribbean. Now, many outsource the job of making roti and dhal puri to the shops.

A woman dressed in a black sequined blouse and sporting fuschia-colored lipstick came into Sandy’s roti shop in the evening to pick up one dhal-puri for her dinner—including some leftover chicken curry she had cooked the night before. She said being able to purchase one dhal-puri for just $2 was a big help after she comes home from hours of taking care of the elderly as a home aide.

“It’s too stressful,” making the dish from scratch, said  Savitri Singh who emigrated from Guyana six years ago. She added that she works six days a week and that she has learned in this country, you need to work hard in order to have the lifestyle you want.

It's 3pm on a Sunday and the line at Singh's continues.

It’s 3pm on a Sunday and the line at Singh’s continues.

“People say when you come to this country it is paradise,” she said pointing out, “You’ve got to make it your paradise.” For her, purchasing dhal-puri makes her life just a little less stressful.

The cost of making roti? Time. The purchase of flour, a rolling pin, oil, and a griddle seem to be less of a feat. It is the number of steps from kneading the dough, rolling it, oiling it, placing it on a hot ‘towah’ , and ‘clapping’ the roti with bare hands for just the right flaky texture, all of which compare to a quick stop at the roti shop for ready-made batches of the staple.

Singh's Roti Shop has been a long-time hotspot for Trinidadian and West Indian dishes. It started with just five tables and now among a slew of customers, also features a vibrant nightlife of 'tassa' music for customers.

Singh’s Roti Shop has been a long-time hotspot for Trinidadian and West Indian dishes. It started with just five tables and now among a slew of customers, also features a vibrant nightlife of ‘tassa’ music for customers.

Back at the shop the staff prepare for a new set of customers. The trio wear red aprons and clear gloves behind the counter, occasionally coming out from the kitchen with batches of the flaky, round roti and widening spreads of dhal puri, cutting and packing them in brown paper bags. Instead of using a small griddle or ‘towah’ to make a single roti, a large griddle replaces it to cook several rotis all at once.

The shop uses two cooks and a three foot mill to grind split peas for the signature style of dhal-puri, a variation of the flaky roti bread eaten with an assortment of curries and fried vegetables dishes. Though the restaurant does offer these dishes to go with the store-bought roti, members of the staff mentioned that female customers often come in just for the roti because they have leftovers like chicken curry made at home.

Susan Persaud, a Trinidadian native and Manhattan nanny, picked up a stack of 10 rotis for her family of four and guests. Though she learned to make roti from her mother back home in south Trinidad when she was fifteen years old, she has found outsourcing the work to nearby roti shops most convenient upon moving to this country.

“It’s easy,” she said mentioning that her life could be quite stressful looking after children on a daily basis and coming home having to make a fresh batch of roti. “Back home all you have to do is look after your kids,” she said pointing out, “Here, everybody has to work.”

The owner of Anil's Roti Shop is related to the venerable Singh's Roti Shop. "We're all interconnected," said Seema Singh.

The owner of Anil’s Roti Shop is related to the venerable Singh’s Roti Shop. “We’re all interconnected,” said Seema Singh.

It’s a similar story with the owner of Ghee’s Roti Shop just a few miles away in South Ozone Park, Queens.

“From the time we open till the time we close, it’s roti all day long,” said Diane Itwaru the co-owner of Ghee’s, a family-owned roti shop she runs each day with her husband.

Just fifteen minutes away from John F. Kennedy airport, Ghee’s stands a good shot at maintaining a regular airport crowd from pilots, flight attendants, and workers. But still the majority of the shop’s customers are Indo-Caribbean.

Itwaru said her new roti shop, which opened in December, sells soft, layered roti which keep her customers coming back. She said sometimes she can sell up to 200 of the hot breads per day.

“When wives come home from work—that’s a hard thing to do,” she said commenting on the difficulty many Indo-Caribbean mothers face at balancing their families, jobs, and the complex steps of making roti when they come home from work.

For many Indo-Caribbean women, ‘sada’ roti can do the trick for some weeknights. Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse, a food blogger for “Inner-Gourmet: Culinary and Cultural Musings of Guyanese-American Girl,” reflected on the “labor intensive” process her mother went through to make traditional roti at home and she wrote that her mother would often make a quicker version of the ‘paratha roti’ she so enjoyed, called ‘sada’ roti — made without oil, simply flour, salt, and water.

“One particular memory that sticks out in my mind is the overwhelming feeling my mom felt when she had to make paratha, oil roti for dinner on a weeknight,” she wrote later delineating some do-it-yourself steps to achieve the quicker version of roti at home. Though she noted the quicker version was nothing like the traditional roti she loved.

For many, purchasing roti, rather than making it at home, seems like the best option, but there are challenges when outsourcing a dish, that was traditionally made at home. “After two days they said it has a funny scent,” Itwaru said of some of her customers at Ghee’s Roti Shop who complained that at other shops, the roti isn’t always so wonderful and can not be used as left overs.

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Small Business Final Paper

Just to remind you that your final small business story is to be uploaded to our class blog by noon on Sunday, October 27th. Please also bring in a copy of the final story on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s reading: Tiger Writing for Gish Jen’s Harman talk on Tuesday evening. See flyer below:

GishJenflyer

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Keeping the Records Selling in Harmony

Harmony Records Store is located at 1625 Unionport Rd in the Bronx.

Harmony Records is located at 1625 Unionport Rd in the Bronx.

Bruno Mars’s soulful vocals greet customers as they enter into Harmony Records on Unionport Road in the Bronx. Inside, a musical oasis waits. Shelves are filled with vinyl records, A-tracs, cassette tapes, and CDs. Genres including, but not limited to, Rap, Reggae, Reggaeton, Rock, and R&B whet patrons appetites before they are officially welcomed by store owner, Glenn Velger. For music lovers, the store is much like a museum, showcasing the evolution of music technology and musical styles.

Harmony records first opened in 1956. It is a historic gem to the Parkchester community. Small record stores are a rare find because of the birth of the MP3 and music piracy. Velger hopes to maintain the business despite a dwindling market.  “I am a music lover and have a passion for music; what you get here is great customer service and expertise,” said Velger.

His musical love affair began in the 1970s when he was about eight years old and used to frequent the store for the latest record. The original owner eventually offered him a job in 1985 after he graduated college. In 1997, Velger bought out the owner after a failed business venture with HMV records store. His love of music and his business savvy has kept Harmony Records afloat ever since. “I know my niche market and cater to those customers,” said Velger.

Glenn Velger has been the store owner since 1997.

Glenn Velger has been the store owner since 1997.

“How do I stay afloat? Three words old school music.” His niche market consists mainly of adults roughly 30 and up. “The new generation believes they are entitled to music and don’t understand the concept of really appreciating the music and wanting to own it and collect it,” said Velger. His deep understanding of the tastes of  music consumers keeps him highly selective about the music he carries. He gets his music from Alliance Entertainment. It has been his only distributor since he took over as owner.  The upkeep of his record collection is the biggest expense for Velger, outside of rent.

He is the sole operator of the store and a member of the National Entertainment Retailers Association (NERA). Harmony Records is one of two New York stores left that is involved with the organization,  which sets up promotional events for music artists. This alliance is part of his survival strategy. The way Velger prices his music catalog is another tactic he uses. He sells CDs at about $10-16. Vinyls sell between $20-80. The challenge lies in ordering records that will sell without having to return large quantities to his distributor for an additional fee.

To avoid returns, Velger carries classics at all times and places custom orders for clients looking for specific items. What impresses Juan Dejesus, a longtime customrer: “The originality of the store– everything is authentic and he still has vinyl that’s what intrigues me.” Dejus adds, “Digital music loses its authenticity. There is something about the original that is special –you feel connected.”

“When the CD came out, the industry was telling distributors to stop selling vinyl. I never did because I knew the true music lover would always make room for vinyl,” said Velger. According to Nielsen Sound Scan, vinyl sales were up 18 percent, selling roughly 316 million records and bringing the sales number back to a peak not seen since 1998.

Vinyl makes up about five percent of overall record sales for the music industry. Record labels have been releasing more vinyl over the past five years which accounts for some of the sales increase. According to Velger, the resurgence of vinyl will never return to

Velger used to do artist release signings. He found out the most people would come to see the artist and not buy the album.

Velger used to do artist release signings. He found out most people would come to see the artist and not buy the album.

what it was. “The internet showed up and killed everything,” said Velger. “The young people for the most part are not buying vinyl. I’m selling more of the old stuff that’s been around 30, 40, 50 years than I am the new stuff.”

His attention to the market and his customers is part of Velger’s business genius. He is very aware of the economic climate and knows people have less money to spend than they did in the 1980s and 1990s. “The reason you see so many empty stores around is because one it’s harder to get business loans and rent is so high for businesses,” said Velger.

Parkchester currently has six empty commercial spaces each representing a failed small business. More mainstream stores are set to slowly replace the old businesses. Despite this trend, Velger plans to stand his ground. “It’s okay now, but the problem is trying to get the younger generation to buy music. Once the older generation stops buying, there is going to be no one to replace them,” said Velger.

"Vinyl has a warmer sound with more highs and lows. It is more ambient than a CD," said Velger.

“Vinyl has a warmer sound with more highs and lows. It is more ambient than a CD,” said Velger.

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Andry Gift Shop

Customers order products not available in the store from the AVON catalogs.

Customers order products not available in the store from the AVON catalogs.

Just when you think the day is over, an elderly    woman  walks in two minutes before closing time and decides to ask about the all products available,” said Shantel Ramirez a former Andry Gift Shop employee.

 

Andry Gift Shop is a variety store In East Williamsburg. The business is owned by a Dominican married couple, Osvaldo and Ventura Rosa. Opened ten years ago in Bushwick, a nearby neighborhood in Brooklyn, it didn’t last long there because it was too small. Currently, Andry Gift Shop is located on a busy commercial strip on Graham Avenue. “The area is good but it is not like before,” Osvaldo said, “more people used to come to this area.”

Joselyn helps customer decide what face cream to purchase.

Joselyn helps customer decide what face cream to purchase.

Ventura started off as a AVON representative and her clients would order products from the catalogs with the products sold, changing during every Avon campaign. By opening an AVON store, Ms. and Mr. Osvaldo gave their customers the opportunity to shop for their AVON products and eliminate the waiting process that came with making orders.

Most customers in the store are Hispanics, not surprisingly because Graham Avenue is known as the Avenue of Puerto Rico. Customers also include non-Hispanic local residents.
Osvaldo manages the products that are delivered to the store and Ventura works in the store selling, alongside her current employee, Joselyn Sanchez, one of six million AVON representatives. The store is open for business from 10:00 am until 7:30 pm, Monday through Saturday. The store is closed on Sundays, due to their responsibilities as pastors of a Pentecostal church in Williamsburg, El Camino Crucificado.

The products sold in the store are mostly for women; the products that men come to buy are deodorants and colognes. 90 % of the merchandise sold in the store consists of AVON products;

the remaining 10%Classic name brand perfumes available for customers.

Classic name brand perfumes available for customers.

consists of name brand variety products.

Andry Gift Shop sells many perfumes including Calvin Klein, Red Door, White Diamond and Perry Ellis. “People come for the classics,” said Shantel.

The most expensive products in the store are girdles, which range from $45-$125. The most popular and cheapest products sold are deodorants which sell for six for $5.00 “People buy them by the boxes,” Shantel said. An average of 20 cases of deodorants are sold, each case holds 160 deodorants.

The shelves of deodorants are constantly refilled throughout the day.

The shelves of deodorants are constantly refilled throughout the day.

Ventura also sells gift baskets that she designs. Customers buy the basket when they don’t know what to buy a family member or friend, for their birthday or holidays like Mother’s Day. Gift baskets start at $13 and go up to $30. “The baskets make good gifts because it puts all the essential together, “ said customer Thereza Leon, ”lip gloss, lotion, body spray, nail polish–it’s all there.”

On average, the store brings in a range of $500-$700 in revenue on week days. During the weekend and national holidays, revenue can go up to $1,500.
The gift shop was not easy to start up but it has turned into a business that both Osvaldo and Ventura are proud of. When thinking of the future, they both agreed that they are, “Just going to keep on working.”

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Sullivan Tea & Spice Co. – Business Made Simple

By Jennifer Ross

The Genovese mob family once ruled the area, with organized crime and gambling.

The Genovese mob family once ruled the area, with organized crime and gambling.

Since the mid-1960’s, 208 Sullivan Street was associated with infamous mobsters, known for organizing illegal gambling, extortion and murder. Called the Triangle Social Club, the blacked-out front windows hid business dealings of the Genovese crime family, led by mafia boss Vincent “the Chin” Gigante. In March 2011, another family took over. Armed with a hammer, cleaners, teas and spices, the Greenberg family converted the store into Sullivan Tea & Spice Co. and rubbed out mafia history. However, some things remained the same. Like the Genovese crime family, when it came to business dealings, the Greenbergs kept it in the family, kept it local and kept it small.

In 2004, siblings Jenny and Mark Greenberg started their business venture together by opening Grounded, an organic coffee and teahouse located at 28 Jane Street in the West Village. Although coffee was their top seller, they noticed a trend in rising tea sales during the colder months. As the tea trend continued over the years, the Greenbergs decided to expand the coffee shop in a complimenting direction. “[Tea sales] peaked our interest in having a general retail store where you could buy loose tea leaves of the drinks we made at Grounded,” said Greenberg. “And, of course, spices go so well with tea.”

Customers frequent the teashop, looking for original tea blends served at Grounded, a West Village coffee house.

Customers frequent the teashop, looking for original tea blends served at Grounded, a West Village coffee house.

Greenberg wanted keep the two stores near each other and found the old mafia club location in Greenwich Village during the fall of 2010. Understanding the rich history and debris that lay inside, he had much renovation work in finish. To not completely erase the location’s mafia history, he left a few things original, such as the decorative tin ceiling, mosaic tile flooring and the Italian-landscape mural from 1965.

Due to the mobster history, Sullivan Tea & Spice Co.’s grand opening received a welcoming reception from local media and neighbors. The siblings had lucked out, given that not much start-up money was reserved for store promotion. Instead, their plan was to greet the neighborhood with mouth-watering aromas, such as Masala Chai,  Coconut RooibosAssamMauritius Vanilla, Ancient Jasmine Emperor, Ghost PepperBlack Truffle SaltHimalayan Salt and Saffron.  “We had no advertising budget to speak of,” said Greenberg. “The hope was people would like what they saw and tell their friends, the old fashion way.”

Specialty items can be found here for a unique gift.

Specialty items can be found here for a unique gift.

In the short amount of time the teashop was open, its word-of-mouth reputation quickly grew.  What started out as curiosity from the older well-established neighbors, tourists and NYU students grew into solid sales from restaurateurs, bartenders, pastry chefs and creators of essential oils, purchasing unique ingredients to use in their creations. “I know a lot of perfumists that come in for our spices,” said Noah Rinsky, a store clerk and media blogger for both teashop and coffee house. “A lot of pastry chefs use our vanilla beans. There was this bartender from Dutch Restaurant that used to come in and buy large bags of only lavender and rose petals.” As local businesses became regulars, this created a family-type atmosphere in the store.

Striving to stay in business as a local specialty shop, the Greenbergs paid-it-forward by offering many one-of-a-kind gifts and local products. One such item they carry is a honey used in a latte at Grounded and sold bottled at the Sullivan Tea store. Unprocessed, the blueberry-flavored raw honey is made by beekeepers in southern New Jersey. “One of our best selling lattes is the Honey Bee Latte,” said Greenberg. “People love it and can now make it at home as well.”

Other specialty items the teashop offers are natural soaps and candles, herb and bonsai tree growing kits or naturally created rocks, cut and polished into serving plates. The method in product selection is as unique as the product itself. “What we like to do is bring in products that accentuate the tea company. The soaps and candles are made with teas leaves or with spices,” said Greenberg. “Our growing herb kits come in recycled wine bottles that were cut in half.”

Foods of NY Tours loves the attention to detail given by teashop owners, Jenny and Mark Greenberg.

Foods of NY Tours loves the attention to detail given by teashop owners, Jenny and Mark Greenberg.

The mindset of keeping it unique and local with quality products was a main factor the teashop has kept its popularity up; so much so that a local tour guide company, Foods of NY Tours, has incorporated the teashop into their Central Village/Soho Food and Culture Tour. “We regularly look for around for shops that do one particular food group very well, with love and attention to detail,” said Amy Bandolik, Director of Operations at Foods of NY Tours. “The store is very well received [by customers].”

Through all this continued growth and variety, the Greenberg family wishes to keep the teashop unchanged in one important way – its physical size. Not wanting to loose its essence of a small-store feeling and locally known reputation, Greenberg has no future plans to further expand the business. “I just can’t imagine opening multiple [teashop] locations because I think it loses the essence of what you started with,” said Greenberg. “Growing the Internet side of business; that’s where I’d rather see the growth.”

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Abandoning Textbooks and Tuition, For World Travel and Running a Business

Kiunte Watkins editing a recently shot music video

Kiunte Watkins editing a recently shot music video.

Fresh off of a flight from Dubai, 22 year old Kiunte Watkins barely realized what he’s accomplished after a year of launching his video production start up. A kid from Queens has just experienced international business travel, armed with his DSLR camera, Apple laptop, and his creative talent.

Successfully transitioning from college student to business owner didn’t register as a definite possibility just a few months back. At that point, still a student of NYU’s film production program, Watkins found himself at a forked road. He had the option to take out student-loans to continue following the traditional college route, or he could take a shot in the dark and build a business from the ground up. “College got too expensive forcing me to take a semester off,” said Watkins. Stuck between the choice of continuing with the perceived “safety net” of academia or following his passion for photography without submitting to the academic machine, Watkins chose the latter, and is thankful he did.

According to a recent Georgetown University study, “Unemployment rates are generally higher in non-technical majors, such as the Arts (11.1 percent).” However, incurring debt that may not have had a substantial return on investment was now just as much a risk for Watkins as leaving school to start a film career from scratch.

Watkins’s company Exit 91 Productions technically began as an unpaid hobby.  “My freshman year of college, I purchased a DSLR camera to shoot music videos for me and my friends.” said Watkins. “Word got around that I did videos, and from there, I got a large number of inquiries. It just so happened to pick up when college got too expensive forcing me to take a semester off.”

The trials and tribulations of going from hobbyist to professional can factor in much joy, but also much doubt and the inevitable hurdles of failure. The ability to push through failure is one of the entrepreneurial qualities Watkins possessed at a time it was much needed. “My camera fell out off my bag while traveling. It was tough because I had so many plans and inquiries.” said Watkins. “People constantly asked when was I getting my camera back, so I took it as a sign to continue.”

When building a business, any sign of failure can be soul crushing. The broken camera situation crept up on Watkins, but turned out to be an indicator of potential success. Once he viewed failure as an inevitable hurdle on the path to success, there was an incentive to push through that specific tough time. Not letting a broken camera end his brand new career as a film producer–afforded Watkins the opportunity to not only work in different parts of the States, but also different parts of the globe.

Photographing in different environments can have an effect on the direction of a photographer’s creativity. Working in New York may provide different artistic inspiration than working in Asia. Watkins  has worked in both. “Anywhere I go scenery is key. The vibe, the smell, the idea of interest, what kind of people reside there. all of these things play into the awareness of one’s surroundings.”

The opportunity to be a 22-year-old entrepreneur with a network of reference experience and professional connections in different parts of the world is positive reinforcement to continue working. No longer is a Master’s degree in Fine Arts needed to build a business surrounded by a fine art, all thanks to the connective possibilities of the internet.

A closer look at the editing work of Kiunte

A close look at Kiunte’s production editing.

Networking has become easier through the medium of the internet and more specifically, social media. We’re in a digital age where someone from China can scroll through someone from the US’s social networking page.,” said Watkins. The perceived branding that being a New York photographer provides can be exploited through social media at the click of a button, and Watkins certainly takes advantage of that fact every day.

Abandoning college textbooks, and putting his all into the art of entrepreneurship has certainly paid off for Kiunte Watkins, at least so far.

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Cooking with Jerry at Our Town Grille

Our Town Grille located on Hempstead Avenue in Malverne

Our Town Grille located on Hempstead Avenue in Malverne

Walking through the doors of Malverne’s Our Town Grille, transports patrons back to the 1950’s. Sitting at a booth or the bar, with its pink and green pastel colors, the songs of Motown’s greatest hits playing, can take the youngest visitor on a journey to the past. For over 13 years partners Jerry Carter and Richard Fischello have owned and operated Our Town Grille, which has become a staple on Hempstead Avenue. “This is the third restaurant we have owned and because of its location and patrons it is one of our favorites,” said owner and head chef Carter.

Residing in Massapequa, NY, Carter and Fischello were surprised to witness the small town feel when they first visited Malverne. “Many residents refer to this village as Mayberry from The Andy Griffith’s Show,” joked Carter. He explained that once they opened their business the entire community was supportive.

Opened six days a week, customers anticipate a wait to be seated on any day. “During the weekends, we are at our busiest and have a line out the door, but most people wait to be seated,” said Carter.

They were previously open seven days a week, however the workload became too much for Carter and he felt he deserved a day to rest. “We decided to close on Tuesdays for a while, but then noticed that profits were decreasing drastically and we needed to do something,” he said. With the presence of other eateries on Hempstead Avenue, the owners had to think of something to keep the business open.

Aiming to recoup the money from being closed on Tuesdays, they decided to open on Friday nights to serve dinner. “It took a while for people to find out we are open for dinner, but it is a success now. Looking at the totals of last month and this month so far we are up 35% in profit,” he noted.

Even though there are other restaurants in Malverne, patrons remain loyal to Our Town Grille. “There is the Malverne Diner up the block but I went there once and the service is not the same and the food is not as good,” remarked Edward Rumbelowe, a decade-long patron of the luncheonette.

Throughout the volatile economy, Carter noticed a difference in the ordering habits of his clientele. “We used to have a couple come in and they would order two sodas, two deluxe cheeseburgers and have dessert. However, instead they order one soda and cheeseburger and share it,” said Carter. He noted that this is a similar pattern and it has changed how the business functions. On the bottom of the menus there is sharing charge for customers wanting to share the meal, so the restaurant can make a small profit.

Establishing a catering service including in-house and out, has become popular for any type of parties. “That service goes up and down; we are busy during the spring and winter and slower during summer and fall,” said Carter.

Even though the doors close at 2 p.m., Carter stays in the kitchen till early evening preparing all the food for the next day. “All the food is homemade and made from scratch,” said Carter. He believes that is one of the reasons why residents enjoy visiting. “We do not rush or patrons and let them enjoy every moment of their stay here,” he continued.

Chef and Co-Owner Jerry Carter

Chef and Co-Owner Jerry Carter

Near the kitchen, Our Town Grille’s slogan is painted for everyone to see: “Your Place…Our Pleasure,” signifying, that even though it is a business, the staff of six makes all visitors feels part of a family and wants them to feel at home.

During their 13 years in Malverne, Carter has witnessed different generations in the village and he explains that Our Town Grille has become part of many families. “I have seen parents bring their babies in for breakfast or lunch when we first opened,” he said. “Now I get phone calls from those same parents wanting me to watch their children when they come with friends and make sure they do not cause trouble,” Carter jokingly said.

The friendly atmosphere is not the only reason why people routinely come back; the award-winning food draws people to visit again. Our Town Grille is known for their pancakes and was voted best within the area courtesy of the local community newspaper. “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Our Town is their amazing pancakes,” said Victoria Pupura, a patron of the luncheonette. “I’ve been to numerous local diners and none have come close to how Jerry makes them here,” she continued.

“I just love how when I walk into Our Town I feel that it is a happy, bright environment.  It automatically put a smile on my face,” Pupura said. “My mood completely changes and I feel so happy,” she added.

 

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