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<\/a>When asked what makes Small Business Saturday so different from Black Friday, Faulconer said it gives San Diegans an opportunity to help business owners thrive and give back to the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall businesses are the back bone for the local economy,\u201d Faulconer said.<\/p>\n
Local artist Haydee Yanez, a merchant at Simply Local, said she was very honored to see some of her paintings being sold there.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a long time coming, and today is a tremendous breakthrough for me,\u201d Yanez said.<\/p>\n
Her work consists of paintings by Mexican icons, such as Frida Kahlo and luchador actor El Santo, with colors inspired by Mexican cinema from the 1940s and \u201950s. She also describes her work as using a minimalist style with a pop twist. One of her most popular items is her Frida Kahlo graphic icon painting.<\/p>\n
Beevers said it\u2019s important to build a network of local artisans and crafters to help sustain the economy, and one of the ways to do so is to encourage residents to shop small.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy supporting our local merchants, we are helping them to grow their businesses and give back to the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n When asked why shoppers should be motivated to shop small, Gloria \u2014 who represents North Park on the City Council \u2014 said these are the folks who run their own businesses, and that kind of social and civic engagement goes a long way for our communities, and for the economy.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness owners help employ San Diegans and keep our neighborhoods vital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Also participating in Small Business Saturday was Ms. Vintage, a boutique clothing store focusing on the styles of the 1950s through the \u201980s. The many shoppers browsing through racks of vintage trends had owner Michele Gonzalez smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cI love that the store is able to bring life back out to the customers when they can find something they like,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As shopper Kari Ellis browsed through accessories, she said she\u2019s not quite sure what she\u2019s looking for, but that there\u2019s always something unique here that you wouldn\u2019t be able to find at a traditional retail store.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the fact that I am able to help independent stores like Ms. Vintage contribute back to the community and to the economy,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cPlus, there\u2019s always something unique and rare to find here.\u201d<\/p>\n Just down the street, Bottlecraft, a craft beer shop and tasting room, also rode the wave of small-business shoppers on Thanksgiving weekend. Owner Brian Jensen was inspired to open a boutique beer shop after the influx of microbreweries and craft beer bars in North Park. Jensen also recently partnered with Venissimo Cheese, which opened within Bottlecraft earlier this year.<\/p>\n \u201cVenissimo Cheese shop is a collaborative project, which we partnered with, was added to our store about six months ago,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n Cheese monger Emily Norton works behind the Venissimo cheese stand, and allowed shoppers to sample cheeses throughout the day as they browsed the ale-filled aisles.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cheese samplings are another great way to help educate our customers in choosing the right cheese paired with the right craft beers in our store for the holiday season,\u201d Norton said.<\/p>\n Local shopper Dean Bostrom said he enjoys visiting Bottlecraft because of the diverse selection. He said it\u2019s always easy to find a new beer to try when shopping for himself and his friends.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to assist our beer aficionados in any way possible,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n For more information about North Park businesses, visit Northparkmainstreet.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n