March 29th is "National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day"

March 29th is a day to celebrate and recognize the Mom and Pop business owners, the loyal folks who run, operate and create so many favorite places to visit, love and enjoy. They're our local icons and landmarks; the history and familiar faces that weave color into the fabric of our communities.

Matthews Market March 2015

In a small town along Virginia's eastern shore, approval for the THIRD Dollar General in 14 miles passes. A long-time community icon - one of the few remaining independent grocery stores - stands to be the one most affected. Indie grocers are fading and yet they are the ones that for so long have supplied residents with quality foods. How can the owners compete with the slick chains and seemingly endless offerings of a dollar store chain...can they survive and will they last?
Visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/matthewsmarket1991

A local icon forced out? General's Kitchen in Ocean City, Maryland

This is appalling. After so many years to have the landlord do something like this is absolutely disgusting. I'm aware that they own the building and can do what they wish and around here it does happen often that small businesses are displaced. But to invest so much for so long and then be tossed out is beyond insulting. Read the article here.

the Death of Small Businesses: Don't Let This Happen to your Town

So you take me for a ride, through your town, just to see;
And it hurts to read "For Rent" -
Where downtown used to be.

       

Halftime in America (2012)

Does anyone remember this? Despite it being a commercial for a giant company I felt the words mattered; that they said something important. I took it to mean all of us - our people, independent businesses, small mom and pop stores - working towards a better community.