It was Jennifer Kpolu’s twentieth birthday and she wanted a pixie haircut. She went from salon to salon but only got bad news. “They were either fully booked or they just didn’t know how to cut Black hair,” she says. After several dead ends, she found a salon at Park Lane Mall that agreed to […]
Shoptalk
Local shopping, small business & consumer news
Posted inNews + Opinion
Alexa Pope closes its doors
Seven years ago, Marianne Thomson and Lauren Wambolt launched their online store Alexa Pope, making waves in the Halifax fashion scene with a minimalistic and chic aesthetic. Later, the store would get an IRL footprint at 1477 Lower Water Street, eventually expanding in 2019 to serve even more looks inside its airy space. Along the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax is losing one of its last antique shops
After 25 years in business, McLellan Antiques & Restoration on Agricola Street is closing its doors to customers. Owner Jim McLellan will still spend his semi-retired days restoring furniture, but only on a part-time basis. “My restoration will continue on a smaller scale. I won’t be doing pianos, dining sets, I won’t have employees — it’ll just […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Zero waste Tare Shop to expand to Dartmouth this fall
When Kate Pepler opened the Tare Shop in October 2018, it was the first independent zero waste store in Halifax. Inside the Cornwallis Street shop, walls are lined with clear containers of oats, dried mango, basmati rice and cleaning supplies. Since those early days, Pepler has always dreamed of expanding, as many small business owners […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Cape and Cowl creates a space for queer, nerdy youth to flourish
Pride comes around only once a year, but Cape & Cowl Comics & Collectibles in Lower Sackville is a safe place for all genders, all year long. “I like to wear my heart on my sleeve, I wear my activism on my sleeve, so my business is very much a social enterprise,” says owner Jay […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Coeur Clothing’s unisex designs put Pride front and centre
When Anisa Francoeur first started Coeur Clothing, it was based on a principle one of her professors told her during a short stint in NSCAD’s design program. “I had a design teacher that always told me don’t create just to create, create for something. So I feel like it’s a big responsibility as a designer […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Queer-run Outlaw Tattoo breaks the mould
Whether it was drawing, writing, or playing an instrument, Gabe “Squalor” David has been expressing herself creatively for a long time. With a passion for art spanning more than a decade, David and her art finally found a permanent place—literally—to call home at Outlaw Country Tattoo Co. in October 2018. Despite being open for less […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Hop Scotch has a new home
Pop up restaurant Hop Scotch Dinner Club is taking over Chives Canadian Bistro’s 19-year-old location at 1537 Barrington St. Co-owners Stephanie Ogilvie and Brock Unger say owning a restaurant is a dream come true. “It’s been both of our dreams for a really long time to have our own restaurant,” Ogilvie says. “It’s actually really […]
Posted inFood + Drink
New cone on the block
Saints Supreme Soft Serve is a new pop-up from the folks at Apartment 3 Coffee in Lower Sackville (833 Sackville Drive). Co-owners Alex and Heather Stephen had been churning over the ice cream idea for a while, but the pandemic convinced them it was finally time to make it a reality. “Because of all this […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Get your fix of frozen treats
Now that you’ve indulged in the cotton-candy-coated cones at Saints Supreme Soft Serve, check out all the other cool places in town you can get brain freeze this summer. Fun & Shakes 1365 Hollis Street Head to this new spot for extra AF ice cream treats while you’re down on the waterfront. Booza Emessa 819 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Shop local swimwear, whatever your style
The hunt for the perfect suit meets its match with Simone Prisenberg’s splurge-worthy swimwear. As owner and operator of Martinique Swim, Prisenberg’s cute suits are available at several stores or directly from martiniqueswim.com. Head to the showroom in Cow Bay (by appointment only) for a personalized fitting and consultation, or pick one up at Biscuit […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Feed your soul at R&B Kitchen
R&B Kitchen Order via Instagram @rnbkitchen902, 760 a Main Street, Dartmouth The simple idea of “let’s sell plates” is what’s behind R&B Kitchen, a soul food restaurant in Dartmouth with just one main dish per day. “The main thing we focus on is one, that we love R&B music and two, that we love food […]
