While some children have fond memories of going to the candy shop or the toy store, Greg Richard’s memories are of trips to the local pharmacy. “When I was growing up, I remember going to the pharmacy. Maybe that’s a weird thing but I remember it, and I remember being just so impressed with this […]
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Local shopping, small business & consumer news
Posted inNews + Opinion
First look at Fiends Collective’s new digs
After just over a year on Agricola Street, spiritual store Fiends Collective has moved to Dartmouth, opening today, March 3, in its new location at 104 Portland Street. Check out the slideshow below for a look inside. Co-owners Forest Greenwell and Amanda Baiocco say the new space is three times larger than the old, and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Fantastic at saving plastic
The Tare Shop was dubbed Halifax’s first fully zero-waste store when it opened in October 2018. Everything at its 5539 Cornwallis Street location–from rice to shampoo to spices–is available in bulk, with the option to purchase an upcycled container or bring your own. The shop recently did a calculation of just how much waste it […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
First look at Black Sheep’s new home
After six months of renovations, the cozy brunch and classy cocktail destination Black Sheep Restaurant is set to open this Friday, February 26, in its new Brewery Market location (1496 Lower Water Street). When COVID’s second wave forced a November restaurant shutdown, Black Sheep co-owners John House and David Woodley decided not to re-open the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Shop This: Rocks From My Bra’s crystal art
Niambi Tree first discovered the power of crystals during a counselling session. “I was given a rose quartz, at the time I didn’t know what it was,” she tells The Coast in a phone call. The therapist used crystals as a fidget object to distract patients while talking, but Tree says she felt an immediate […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Fumes is re-establishing Black ownership in the cannabis industry
Josh Creighton and Treno Morton are over a decade younger than their brother Tyler Morton, but the trio all have a few things in common: ambition, drive and determination to create something. “We’ve been meaning to start a business for a while and we’ve been talking and ideating and discussing what could be beneficial, what […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Small retail stores still struggling to stay open while navigating COVID-19 restrictions
COVID-19 restrictions have plagued industries in Nova Scotia for the better part of a year. Some businesses have had forced shut-downs, modified regulations around opening hours and clear capacity guidelines. But for the retail store industry, restrictions have been less specific. “Retail is different from restaurants, gyms and beauty salons in the sense that we […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Meet the entrepreneur passing her skills along to other Black women
In 2013 when she first had thoughts of opening a cleaning business, nobody would give Tia Upshaw a business loan. “It was a hard road,” she says. “A lot of not-for-profits just didn’t believe in what I was doing, they said there wasn’t a market for a cleaning company or there’s too many cleaning companies.” […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Jagger’s Cafe is always fresh with made-to-order donuts
The “donut robot” at Jagger’s Cafe can churn out over 700 donuts an hour. “On a busy day the machine doesn’t stop,” says Jagger Winterbourne, co-owner and namesake of the Bayer’s Lake spot that first opened in March of last year. Batter gets poured into the top of the small but mighty donut machine, which then […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax dance studio struggling after third renoviction
Since first opening in Halifax in 2011, Serpentine Studios has moved to three different locations. Now, the dance studio is once again a nomad in the rental landscape of HRM, searching for a permanent space that fits all its needs. “We need a space that’s large, a good amount of square footage for dance. We […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Chain restaurants received an estimated $1.7 million of Nova Scotia’s ‘small business grants’
According to data released in December by the Nova Scotia government, the province gave out a total of $8.4 million to restaurants who applied for the first two rounds of Covid aid funding. The two grants given out by the province were the Small Business Impact Grant, which was first announced in April 2020, and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
7 Peppers Grill to return to Quinpool Road
When Hekmat Ani and her husband Abdul Jabi brought a Syrian restaurant to Halifax over a decade ago, they started on Quinpool Road. Four locations later, and they’re back, just a block down from their original location. “We have a lot of customer history, since the first branch, since 2008 they are in Halifax, and […]
