Mom-and-Pop Shops: A New Face for the Old School

OCTOBER 28, 2008

Classic mom-and-pop shops are moving on or modernizing to stay in business

In the battle for customers, traditional "mom and pop" stores and restaurants have an especially tough time defending their hard-won turf. In a city flooded with chain stores—a recent survey counted 341 Dunkin' Donuts, 235 Starbucks and 216 Duane Reade stores in the 5 boroughs—and with retail rents going through the roof, most mom-and-pop shops have had to close their doors. But a handful of businesses are choosing to adapt and upgrade in an attempt to stay afloat.

New technology can be part of the answer. Record- and bookstores face more competition from internet behemoths than local chains. Some, like new-music standard-bearers Other Music in Soho have been able to keep their customers by doing their business online as well. In some cases the quality of goods and attention to service beats the one-size-fits all chain-store model. Brownstone Books in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood prides itself on its focus on African-American and Caribbean titles. Neighbors know the staff will know their stuff and they'll find what they're looking for without having to cast a wider net.

Another way to dig in for the long run is to invest in a new look. Kellogg's Diner, the sprawling 1950s-style coffee spot on a prominent corner of Williamsburg, Brooklyn is the latest example of the neighborhood-classic-gets-a-new-face trend. Some regulars are skeptical, but on a busy night in the neighborhood, Kellogg's doesn't look as if they'll be leaving the block anytime soon.

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Mom-and-Pop Shops: A New Face for the Old School

OCTOBER 28, 2008

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