There are a lot of great ice cream places in town...I should know, as I frequent most of them! One of my favorites has always been Mason's Creamery. Not only is their ice cream delicious, but their shop/outdoor area is adorable and the owners are two of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet or interact with on social media. Despite summer being such a busy time for the shop, Helen and Jesse, the owners of Mason's Creamery, were kind enough to take the time to let us get to know a little bit more about them and their business. What gave you the idea to start Mason's Creamery? We'd … [Read more...] about Mason’s Creamery
businesses
Pick Up + Share
If you're anything like me, you've been ordering a lot of things through delivery services lately. And while the businesses I've been supporting are mainly local, the delivery services are not. But thanks to Pick Up + Share, I can not only shop from my favorite local businesses, but I can utilize a local delivery service too! Pick Up + Share delivers from any business right to your home. Simply schedule your pick-up through the business of your choice, then plug in the pick-up details in the Pick Up + Share app. One of Pick Up + Share's drivers will collect your order and delivery it … [Read more...] about Pick Up + Share
Yoga: A Community Where We Can Be Vulnerable
If you've been around these parts really at all, you know I'm a pretty committed yogi. A little over 8 years ago, I took my first class, mostly at the urging of Alicia. It was definitely not love at first down-dog, but I was at least willing to give it a try again. I've never been very athletic or coordinated and, up until yoga, had never really stuck with any one particular way of working out. But even in the beginning, something kept drawing me back to yoga. One of the things that I've always loved was the combination of physical activity with mental rest that yoga offers. I could find a … [Read more...] about Yoga: A Community Where We Can Be Vulnerable
Annie’s Signature Sweets
A few years ago, I met up with a lady who was launching a new business. We had been following each other on social media and decided to get to know each other in real life. Not only was I inspired by her passion for her business, but I also became quick friends with her, which was something awfully sweet. Annie's Signature Sweets is a small business started by Cleveland native Ann LoParo. Ann has grown her business exponentially, receiving local and even national press attention. Let's learn more about her sweet success in her own words... What gave you the idea to start Annie's Signature … [Read more...] about Annie’s Signature Sweets
Irie Jamaican Kitchen
In 2011, I went on vacation to Jamaica and fell in love with the flavorful cuisine. Thanks to Irie Jamaican Kitchen, I can experience authentic Jamaican food right here in Cleveland. With two locations (East and West) you can easily enjoy the delicious offerings no matter where you are. Omar McKay, the owner and executive chef of Irie, was kind enough to answer some questions so that you can get to know him and his business a bit better. Tell me about how your business first started and how it's grown since then. The physical brick and mortar business or the business I’ve had in … [Read more...] about Irie Jamaican Kitchen
3 Black-Owned Businesses I Love
While I want to use Authentically CLE to showcase more in-depth profiles of business owners, I also want to be able to timely respond to things happening around us. So, in that spirit, I plumbed some posts from the Why CLE? archives to share with you three of my favorite black-owned businesses in Cleveland, as well as three I'm dying to try soon (which means I'll be coming back here to share them with you once I do.) I'll also be working on more feature-style profiles of black-owned businesses (including the three on my must-visit list) in the weeks to come. Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant Since … [Read more...] about 3 Black-Owned Businesses I Love