After spending the day cooking traditional family recipes, telling stories about this last year, and falling asleep as football or a movie plays in the background, Thanksgiving marks the end of fall and the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
In years past, you may have spent the afternoon pouring over the newspaper and shopping guides, planning your “Black Friday” shopping route. You know where to go first and the victory breakfast once you’ve secured the treasures of the holidays for your loved ones.
Although “Black Friday” is when all retailers expect packed crowds and big deals, small retailers and family-owned businesses sometimes can be forgotten. These independent and often unique stores are the backbone of our communities and not only represent families who wanted to start a business but they wanted to provide a unique shopping experience for the community away from the crowds.
Although today is Black Friday, tomorrow marks Small Business Saturday, and we asked the REALTORS® and staff members at the Mike Brown Group to share some of their favorite local stores where they enjoy shopping and dining. This list is just a few of thousands of local retailers and restaurants that you can support today and over the weekend as you shop for unique gifts for your friends and family.
We’ve sorted the list by retail locations and dining so you can plan your route for shopping and then a delicious meal from one of our local restaurants.
Retail
Sweet Zola’s Candy Shop – Candy for Inclusion
7172 W. Fairview Ave
Boise, ID 83704
The Mike Brown Group’s Senior Marketing Analyst, Jarrod Galm, introduces us to Sweet Zola’s Candy Shop.
“Sweet Zola’s is an amazing shop that employs people with developmental disabilities,” says Jarrod. “The candy shop reminds me of old-time candy and soda shops I used to visit as a kid, providing a trip down memory lane. As a parent to a special needs child, the mission of Sweet Zola’s hits close to home and is a wonderful place to visit and support.”
I Beni Boutique – Women’s Boutique
2845 E. Overland Road, Suite 130
Meridian, ID 83642
Inspired by all things pretty, I Beni Boutique is a locally owned women’s boutique featuring clothing, accessories, home goods, décor, specialty beauty, gifts, and local artist designs.
Founded in 2017, the shop wants to “make sure every woman looks and feels like a TOTAL BABE.”
The Nest – Home Furnishings and More
Eagle Location
3210 E. Chinden Blvd.
Eagle, ID 83616
The Village Location
3540 Longwing #J-180
Meridian, ID 83646
REALTOR® Cindy Maier tells us about The Nest, a delightful locally owned home furnishings store. “The store has been in the valley for over 30 years and is owned by the original owners,” she says.
The Nest has two Treasure Valley locations that stock a variety of home décor and indoor and outdoor furniture. People who are looking for unique furnishings for their homes will surely find something special here.
Bungalow Home Furnishings
7500 W. Fairview Ave.
Boise, ID 83704
Continuing the home furnishings theme, we’re going to invite you to visit Bungalow Home Furnishings in Boise. Featuring a beautiful 10,000 square-foot showroom, Bungalow houses carefully curated pieces hand-selected by their in-house design team.
Roost Gift and Home Collection
664 S. Rivershore Lane, Suite 166
Eagle, ID 83616
Roost Gift and Home Collection is a boutique in Eagle that features an eclectic collection of uniquely selected gifts and décor. The store not only has a storefront they also have a robust online shopping experience.
Northwest Pets
https://www.northwestpets.com/
Eagle Location
3060 E. State Street
Eagle, ID 83616
Meridian Location
3036 N. Eagle Road
Meridian, ID 83646
Boise Location
10436 W. Overland Road
Boise, ID 83709
Northwest Pets is a locally owned pet outfitter with three Treasure Valley locations. Founded in Eagle in 2005, its vision is to offer a better selection of dog and cat products in a welcoming environment, staffed by a passionate team of knowledgeable and helpful folks who love pets as much as their owners do.
G. Willikers Toy Merchant
1508 N. 13th Street
Boise, ID 83702
Located in Boise’s historic Hyde Park community, G. Willikers is a locally owned toy store with toys for children of all ages. Unlike the cavernous, big-box retailers, G. Willikers has a friendly and knowledgeable staff and features various generational toys, games, and puzzles.
Check out some other great local toy stores in our Boise Area Toy Store Guide.
Boise OG
Two siblings founded Boise OG “to preserve, poke fun at, and celebrate the things, people, and businesses that make Boise so great.” The website has a variety of stickers, shirts, hats, etc., that pay homage to the history of Boise.
Restaurants / Dining
A’Tavola – Gourmet Marketplace and Cafe
1515 W. Grove Street
Boise, ID 83702
Managing Partner and REALTOR® Tonyah Lee introduces us to A’Tavlola:
“It’s a delicious high-end delicatessen and marketplace that features gifts from all over the world. Their premade take-home meals are wonderful. It’s my favorite spot to join my clients for coffee or lunch.”
A’Tavola also does catering for events of all sizes.
Holy Cow!
1226 1st Street South
Nampa, ID 83651
Holy Cow! bills itself as an “ode to our love, the burger.” Holy Cow! is a premier craft burger and beer restaurant that uses locally sourced ingredients to create its delicious menu. In addition to its burgers, Holy Cow! offers a selection of appetizers and sandwiches.
Western Collective Beer
https://westerncollective.beer/
111 W. 33rd Street
Garden City, ID 83714
Western Collective is a local brewery and taproom that serves beer, hard ciders, and slushes. 50% of their workforce is women, exceeding the industry average of 29% for female brewery workers. The brewery regularly gives back to the community through fundraisers and events.
And their slushes are not to be missed.
Bacon Boise
121 N. 9th Street
Boise, ID 83702
Boise’s renowned chef John Berryhill opened Bacon to satisfy the intense bacon cravings of Boiseans. Every dish, as you can imagine, features bacon. The MAC, voted best in the U.S. by Food and Wine Magazine, and the Bacon Bloody Mary are must-tries.
The restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast and brunch.
Non-Profits Need Support, too
As the holiday season brings a rush of gifts for loved ones, don’t forget this time of year is also important for other small non-profits who support our community and serve those in the Treasure Valley.
Tuesday, Nov. 30th is “Giving Tuesday” a chance to give back to those that serve the community. There are several non-profits you can choose to donate to but if you are looking for a non-profit that serves our community to help homeless families move into a home, then please consider Catch of Idaho. This organization is supported by The Mike Brown Group through the Together We Give Foundation, and gives these families the stability and services they need to move into a home so they can build a stable life.
SMALL BUSINESS: Big Impact!
Locally owned small businesses are full of treasure just waiting for you to explore to add under the tree or in a stocking with care. Whether you shop at one of these stores listed or you have a favorite small business where you enjoy shopping, choosing to spend your holiday dollars locally fosters the dreams of these small business owners and keeps them a vital part of our community.
If you have or find a small business you believe we should know about, let us know. We would love to add it to the list so you can find other hidden treasures in Boise and the Treasure Valley.
Want more local stores? Check out theseposts full of shopping guidesthat will help you enjoy the holidays with other locally-owned stores and activities waiting for you to explore.
