We’ve compiled a list of some of the city’s Black-owned restaurants, shops, fitness centers, arts studios and other businesses for you to shop, savor and support. Here’s to Raleigh’s Black community.
Shop, sweat, spruce up your style and get your self-care on with our retail picks for November.
Dope news! Hemp Generation, Raleigh’s newest hemp-wellness destination, opened its second location offering CBD tinctures, gummies and more—and weed recommend checking it out. 2402 Hillsborough St.
The Trophy Brewing team is back at it again with new concept Maywood Hall & Garden, a chic indoor-outdoor special event space that recently opened just a few doors down from the brewery’s production facility and taproom. Time to get the soiree started! 622 Maywood Ave.
A trio of new businesses has been announced for Smoky Hollow: group fitness and personal training studioHeat Studios; Wilmington-based craft brewery and taproom New Anthem Beer Project; and HUSH Hair Lash Brow, a salon started by two Raleigh creatives. Now you just gotta count down the days until they open… 421 N. Harrington St.
Calling all shopaholics! Casual clothing retailerFaherty will be joining the lineup at Fenton, among a slew of other shops. Inspired by the sun, this apparel shop touts comfort, sustainability and good vibes… and this will be its first proprietary location in NC (!). 855 Cary Towne Blvd., Cary
Got snark? Humorous local custom apparel brand House of Swank has vacated its DTR storefront and moved to Loading Dock – Beryl to host pop-ups through a yet-to-be announced date. 3915 Beryl Road
There’s snow place like the Calvert Holly Springs IcePlex! The state-of-the-art facility set in a 396-acre mixed-use development will feature competition venues with three NHL-regulation ice rinks (!), a boarding school and more. calverticesports.com
Looking to spruce up your next date night? Look no further than Date Night by Design’s custom date boxes, prepared based on couples’ preferences, potential theme and price point. Oh, we love that! @datenightbydesign
Knead to treat yo’self? Get pampered with a facial, spa treatment or body therapy service at the recently opened Synergy Face + Body. Keep calm and spa on. 105 SW Cary Parkway, Ste. 100, Cary
The month of March is for the girls. With Raleigh recently ranking the No. 3 largest U.S. metro for women-owned businesses, our city continues to situate itself as a hub for thriving female-owned enterprises.
In celebration of our local fab females, we’ve compiled a list of can’t-miss women-owned businesses in Raleigh across all sectors—from hospitality and retail to fitness, art and more.
Food & Bev
Ajja 209 Bickett Blvd. Check out our coverage on Ajja here.
*Have or know of a woman-owned small business in Raleigh that isn’t on the list? Good news! We update this list on a regular basis. Email [email protected].
WEB EXCLUSIVE If you think opening a business is hard on its own, try opening one during a pandemic.
Last November, Jimmy Fleck took the first steps in realizing his dream of opening a bottle shop, which he ultimately named Roshambo Beverage Co., in leasing a space just outside of downtown Raleigh. Construction started and things were going well until the coronavirus pandemic put the whole world on pause. Fleck and his wife, Jane Oslislo, who worked as Boxcar’s general manager until she was laid off on St. Patrick’s Day, continued to move forward with the project. But they faced delays.
Latte from The Optimist
“It was pretty difficult and [the opening process] has been very challenging,” Oslislo says. “To make sure the construction crew was safe, we put in a three-day buffer window between each different crew that came to work in the shop.” The couple was forced to push back their opening date to Monday, July 27, about seven months after they started work on the project.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses have had to pivot their operations in order to keep employees and customers safe while following rules put in place by Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration. Deciding whether or not to open a new business is a dilemma of its own, but when you’ve already put money into a space, hired employees and have rent to pay, you really have no choice but to keep moving forward.
“We just had to make it work, we had no other choice,” says Oslislo. “Once you commit to a space, you’re in it.”
Husband and wife team Robyn Buchholz and Andrew Ward found themselves in the same difficult position as Fleck and Oslislo when opening up their new coffee shop The Optimist. They found their location on Brookside Drive in January and planned to open in April, but, come March, the opening plan came to a screeching halt. They decided to postpone their opening until they had a clearer picture of how the coronavirus pandemic would play out.
Hemp2Heal’s opening weekend
While the pandemic certainly caught CBD store Hemp2Heal’s owner Matthew McDonald and his mother, Marcia, by surprise, they didn’t give a second thought to halting construction. They had started pre-COVID and pushed right through the opening process. Marcia says there were some delays in shipping, but their contractors, wholesalers and vendors made the process relatively stress-free. “I’m actually glad we didn’t allow the pandemic to stop us from moving forward with the opening of our retail space,” Marcia says.
After a few months stuck in a limbo of not knowing whether or not the status of the pandemic would improve anytime soon, The Optimist’s owners ultimately opened their takeout window on May 4.
“We decided we wanted to do our part in supporting local and being local,” says Buchholz. Like the rest of us, the only thing they can do is stay optimistic about the future–and support Raleigh’s independent businesses now, when they need it more than ever.
Back in our November issue, we featured a story on the recent hemp hype here in Raleigh, and explored the cannabis plant’s many debated uses and health benefits. This month, we’ve rounded up products from various hemp stores across the Triangle, in order to showcase the many ways CBD can be used, and to explain what it can do for you (and for your pets!).
For Your Health
Relief & Recovery Headache Roll
Roll-on headache relief? That’s something we can get behind. This essential oil is packed with CBD, and peppermint, rosemary and eucalyptus oils, to deliver instant relief from even the most stubborn headaches. HempKo, Apex; hempko.me
For Snacking
CBD Infused Watermelon Slices
Like Sour Patch Watermelon candy on, well, CBD, these sweet watermelon gummies are made from organic industrial hemp oil and are free of THC, making for a convenient and tasty way to snack. HempKo, Apex; hempko.me
For Drinking
Sträva Craft Coffee
CBD-infused coffee will take your mornings to a whole new level. Choose from Sträva Craft Coffee’s four different “Peace and Wellness” blends: Focus, Escape, Restore and Elevate, which contain 30 to 240 milligrams of CBD. Forever Hemp, Raleigh; facebook.com/pg/4everhemp
For Self Care
CBD Bath Bombs
Fill up the tub and drop in one of these CBD bath bombs for the most relaxing bath time experience ever. They come in great smelling aromas, such as lavender, eucalyptus and frankincense, and are 100 percent organic, non-GMO and vegan. The Hemp Farmacy, Raleigh; hempfarmacy.us
For Your Bod
CBD Sensitive Skin Salve
Slather yourself in CBD! This Raw Cocoa body moisturizer is made with organic Shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter and hemp seed oil, among other ingredients, to deliver ultra soft skin. The Hemp Farmacy, Raleigh; hempfarmacy.us
For Your Pet
Pet Tinctures
This hemp oil is a concentrated, cannabis-infused liquid that can be administered to your pet with a dropper under the tongue. Hemplucid carries several different flavors, including chicken and fish, safe for both cats and dogs. The Hemp Store NC, Raleigh; thehempstorenc.com
