Building a successful brick-and-mortar business starts with an idea – one that is unique, distinct and impactful. The business should be set up in such a way that its initiatives promote internal growth while nurturing the specific needs of the community.
From a board game cafe to a do-it-yourself motorcycle garage, the small businesses, below, have mastered the formula, becoming staples of their respective neighborhoods. Through employee-first environments and fresh customer-centric ideas, they’ve ignited a thriving community. Here’s how they’ve designed their companies to flourish.
Here are some of the most unique businesses in the US
Customers can feel good about
supporting these small businesses.
Though spanning different industries and markets, all of these companies have one thing in common: they use Square to run their business. Square’s tools can help streamline your business, so you can focus on what matters most — building something unique and meaningful. Visit squareup.com today to learn how you can get your big idea off the ground.
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Mozzeria
Mozzeria is a San Francisco-based pizzeria with a distinct social-enterprise flavor. The
company aims to provide an exceptional dining experience for customers, and employment opportunities for deaf workers, who make up the restaurant’s entire staff. Patrons visiting the establishment can place orders and communicate with servers via visual methods such as American Sign Language, gestures and writing.
“Deaf people experience discrimination in all sorts of industries, and we wanted to pursue our passion of opening a restaurant while creating opportunities for social change that positively impact the deaf community,” said Amy Salter, the director of project and operations management for Mozzeria. “Many of our employees have been with us for years. For more than half of them, it is their first job ever. For others, it’s their longest job.”
The company, which was originally founded by Russ and Melody Stein, a deaf husband and wife duo, has found additional support from the Communication Service for the Deaf’s Social Venture Fund, an organization that invests directly in deaf-owned businesses. The partnership is enabling Mozzeria to expand its footprint to other cities around the country.
“We’ll soon open our second location in (Washington, D.C.), and we hope to open in eight to 12 other cities across the US in the coming years,” said Salter. “Our hope is to build a new class of skilled food service workers, managers and hospitality staff.”
Mozzeria serves traditional and imaginative wood-fired pizzas to the Bay Area. (credit: Square Inc.)
Atlanta’s Brother Moto describes itself as a community-based DIY motorcycle garage, coffee shop and lifestyle brand. The business’s goal is to allow people of all skill levels to work on and customize their own motorcycles for a low monthly membership cost; it’s one part DIY tinkerer’s paradise, one part coffee bar.
“A unique byproduct of this shared space has been an amazing community of all ages and walks of life that find a common ground in motorcycles,” said Brother Moto co-owner Jared Erickson. “We provide a lifestyle retail experience and coffee program to encourage the general public and ‘moto-curious’ to come into our space. ... We believe in thoughtful design, branding and exploring creative outlets.”
Erickson noted that this ethos has attracted artists across a variety of mediums who find inspiration and make connections at the garage and cafe. The space provides a foundation for strong — and sometimes unexpected — bonds.
“Some of our favorite success stories are the members that move to Atlanta from across the country and are immediately immersed into a community of people with common interests,” Erickson said. “Overall, we want to be the friendly face that inspires you to get on two wheels. But if motorcycles aren’t your thing, you will still find a good cup of coffee and some new pals to hang out with.”
Brother Moto
Brother Moto doubles as a motorcycle garage and coffee shop. (credit: Square Inc.)
Daily Bread is a Pittsburgh-based retailer that designs, creates and sells streetwear inspired by city life, sneaker culture, hip-hop, art and graffiti. Co-owner Bill Niels has collaborated with some of the scene’s greats to draw inspiration for the brand’s collections.
Today, the apparel and accessories that adorn Daily Bread’s walls and website are all designed and sourced in-house. “We work with local artists and graphic designers to produce all of our products,” explained co-owner Sean Devine.
In addition to clothing sales, Daily Bread taps into Pittsburgh’s underground hip-hop culture by inviting local, up-and-coming, and established musicians to its shared brick-and-mortar space. The store becomes a platform for artists’ voices to be heard, as well as a space for fan meet-and-greets, clothing and sneaker drops, and listening parties.
“This connection with music and the Pittsburgh community is one of our biggest contributions to the local scene,” co-owner Baldwin Dawkins said.
Devine went on to say that there’s an extremely tight-knit company culture at Daily Bread, which is part of the reason why the business has prospered.
“We’re a small circle of friends that work together to create, design and produce quality streetwear clothing and present it to the world,” he said. “We have been blessed to grow while maintaining this vision and staying true to our grassroots beginnings.”
Daily Bread
Daily Bread brings streetwear to the Steel City. (credit: Square Inc.)
At the corner of Walnut Street and West Church Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, passersby can find more than just a place to get a darn good falafel sandwich. They can also find a sanctuary. To many people, Yassin’s Falafel House is both.
“Since day one, our goal has been not only (to make) money and (be successful) with numbers; we want to be a bridge between our communities and provide a place where everyone can feel safe and welcomed,” said Yassin Terou, the business’s founder and namesake — a Syrian refugee who left his home in 2011.
Terou touts the company’s inclusive hiring practices as one of its biggest strengths — the foundation of the community he’s built from the ground up. The unique environment includes an eclectic mix of workers who have had difficulties finding employment due to personal hardships such as domestic violence, homelessness, refugee status or intellectual disabilities.
“One of the unique things we are very proud of is having employees and customers who have really different beliefs and faiths and opinions,” Terou said. “We can still work and build our business together.”
In 2018, the company won the Reader’s Digest Nicest Place in America award.
“Seeing (all of our employees) building their lives in the community is one of the greatest things you can ever see,” Terou said.
Yassin’s Falafel House
Knoxville falafel joint hires people from all different backgrounds. (credit: Yassin Falafel House)
In a world where a number of people think of their smartphone as an appendage, three St. Louis locals saw a niche opportunity. They sought to create a family-friendly space where people actually want to put down their phones. Thus, Pieces was born. Here, staff members — known as Game Navigators — suggest and teach customers how to play a variety of board games while serving up food and beverages.
A fundamental part of customer satisfaction, co-owner Laura Leister said, is job satisfaction among employees.
“Internally, it’s the Pieces mission to create a culture where the employees are a family, all the way from ownership to management to staff,” she said. “We provide a retirement plan, health insurance, and organize regular out-of-work activities to foster a close-knit
environment. The bonding and respect staff have for each other elevates job satisfaction and allows us to provide authentic service.”
This mentality is exemplified by the personal relationships that Game Navigators and customers often forge.
“Because of the high level of attention and time we spend with our guests, we learn about the causes that matter to them, and oftentimes we use the business as a venue to support those causes,” Leister said.
She cited a collaboration with a Pieces regular who volunteers at the Animal Protection Agency: The company worked with the customer to launch a monthly “Paws at Pieces” night, during which the agency brings in adoptable puppies and kittens. The event also includes a special happy hour that raises money for the rescue of homeless animals.
“We have organized similar fundraisers for the Down Syndrome Association, the
Alzheimer’s Association and Safe Connections, among many others,” Leister said.
Pieces: The Original St. Louis Board Game Bar & Café
St. Louis café serves delicious food with a side of board games. (credit: Square Inc.)