Shop Small Crawl

AsiaTown is joining the national movement to support small businesses, but not just on Small Business Saturday. Do the Shop Small Crawl year-round to support AsiaTown small businesses.

Join us for the #ShopSmallCrawl!

Did you know? AsiaTown is home to 22 restaurants, 5 local grocery stores, 9 retail shops, pharmacies, and herbalists, 4 salons, art galleries, and a laundromat, all of which are small, family-owned businesses. When you choose to shop small in AsiaTown, you support a family, often the person behind the counter.

For November 2020, participants who completed at least six challenges were entered to win an AsiaTown Gift Pack! This bundle included at least $100 worth of snacks and goodies from small businesses in AsiaTown and MidTown.

Ways to Shop Local

Your participation in #ShopSmallCrawl helps the MidTown and AsiaTown neighborhoods continue to grow and thrive, given that for every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S., approximately 67 cents stays in the local community. Furthermore, each dollar spent spurs an additional 50 cents in local business activity. Supporting small and local businesses is the best way to support our vibrant communities. So grab your friends, family, and co-workers and go #ShopSmallCrawl! Here are some tips for your shop local adventure.

• Fuel up! Order takeout, dine in, or grab a snack for your trip. You can find dim sum, coffee, Korean BBQ, pho, bubble tea, pad thai, and so much more in AsiaTown!
• Explore specialty grocers. Homemade kimchi, roast duck, bulk herbs, and lots of snacks!
• Gift now for pampering later. Purchase gift certificates for restaurants, shops, or facials. The perfect stocking stuffer!
• Share the love online. Write reviews on Google, Yelp, or Facebook, and post photos to local shops and restaurants. Leave shopping tips for future customers.

Business Map

Toggle map layers between EAT & DRINK and SHOP & SEE!

Restaurant Guide

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These restaurants offer gift certificates – just ask!
Dagu Rice Noodle, Emperor’s Palace, Koko Bakery, LJ Shanghai, Map of Thailand, Pho Lee’s, Siam Cafe, Superior Pho, Wonton Gourmet

Shops, Salons, Grocery Stores

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Blueprint Shop | Vintage and street style clothing and footwear

Flower City Gift Shop | Incense, glassware, jewelry, tea sets

He Loves Curves | Women’s clothing and jewelry with in-house makeup and manicurist

R&R Gifts | Sanrio products (Hello Kitty and friends), medicine, Asian weaponry

Sisters Gift Shop | Clothing, jade figurines, lanterns, chopstick sets

Asia Plaza Pharmacy | Full service pharmacy, bulk herbs, tea sets

Tak Yuen Tong | Herbal consultations and remedies, acupuncture services

A9 Salon 克城中国理发店 | Haircare and cuts for men and women

Anna Beauty Center | Shiseido products, facial, skincare

Luxury Nail Supply | Nail care and products for salons and licensed professionals

Sun Hair Salon | Full service salon for haircare, cuts, and styling

Asia Food Co. | Nori, rice, tea, Tiger Sugar boba ice cream

Good Harvest Food Market | Roast duck, bbq roast pork, shrimp chips

Kim’s Korean Market | Kimchi, face masks, soju, snacks

Park to Shop | Ramen, noodles, produce, home goods

Tink Holl Food Market | Seafood, sauces, mochi, dumplings, ceramics

Negative Space Gallery | Music, art, and gatherings

Zygote Press | Fine art prints, printmaking classes, studio time

Why Shop Small?

The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports 28 million small businesses operating in the U.S. and those small businesses have generated 66% of all new jobs in the United States since 1996. Small businesses are a BIG deal. 

Small Business Saturday is a great way to support local small business owners. Small Business Saturday attracted more than 88 million people to “shop small” in 2019 by encouraging holiday shoppers to support local businesses rather than big box brands or online-only conglomerates.

The “Shop Small” initiative not only supports your local economy and promotes vibrant, diverse communities, but has become a catalyst for encouraging local shopping in our everyday routines.

There are so many reasons to shop locally every day. Why should you intentionally shop small all year long?

1) Small businesses give back to your community

When you spend money in your community, your sales tax stays directly in your neighborhood. Those taxes help fund public education, parks, street improvements, essential services, infrastructure, and more!

2) Local stores create local jobs

The SBA reports that local businesses added 8 million jobs since 1990 while the expansion of large chain retailers reduced jobs by 4 million.

3) Local owners buy local services

Many local businesses support other local small businesses for services they need, including architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction, accountants and lawyers and other B2B services. Working together supports the local economy and creates connections between businesses.

4) Customer service & connections

Do you love knowing the owner of a store and helping neighbors and friends succeed? Small businesses aim to provide their customers with a one-of-a-kind service. If we appreciate this experience as customers, we need to make it a priority to visit more than once or twice a year. If we aren’t there for them consistently throughout the year, they won’t be there for us when we need them.

5) Small businesses create a sense of community

We seek connections with those with whom we share our neighborhoods. The American Independent Business Alliance says: “The disappearance of local businesses leaves a social and economic void that is palpable and real — even when it goes unmeasured. A community’s quality of life changes in ways that macroeconomics is slow to measure, or ignores completely.”

We hope that the #ShopSmallCrawl helped you to discover new local treasures, revisit your old favorites, and inspired you to shop small all year long! Grab takeout, order online or buy in-store safely. It’s good for your holiday shopping and good for our community’s bottom line. When you tip well or buy a gift certificate, it fuels business recovery. When you spread the word with friends, it can help multiply the impact on our community.

Keep these tips in mind and make an effort to shop locally year-round. When you’re visiting those businesses, make sure to thank the owner for keeping his or her doors open. After all, small businesses are what built America, one neighborhood at a time.