By bbr

by Kelly Lucas, marketing and social media manager

As we have for the last two years, we are once again encouraging our readers, clients and colleagues to support your local small businesses by participating in Small Business Saturday. For the third year in a row, American Express is promoting shopping the shelves of local mom-and-pop shops versus those of larger mass retailers.

As a small business, we are advocates for supporting local entrepreneurs and business people. We love frequenting the smaller shops and eateries all around metro Atlanta. In doing so, we’ve discovered unique gifts, great food and even better fr

iends in the owners and workers of these establishments. It’s these small businesses that often help set the tone and create the personality of a community.

And if supporting great people and businesses wasn’t reason enough, American Express will be providing a $10 statement credit to AMEX card users to use in-store at one of their local small businesses. Who doesn’t like free money?

So while the crazies are out at the large stores on Friday morning, beating each other up over a mass-produced toy, you’ll be warm and snuggled in your bed, resting comfortably knowing you’ll be venturing out on Saturday to get the perfect gift that no one else will have, all thanks to the small business down the street.

As we’ve done each year, we’d like to give a special shout-out to some of our favorites small businesses (in no particular order). If you’ve got a favorite, leave the name and website in our comments so we can all enjoy it too!

• Squiggly Doodles
• Le Petite Marche
• Eagle Eye Book Shop
• Siam Thai Restaurant
• Thinking Man Tavern
• Kirkwood Feed & Seed
• J’s Cigars
• Delia’s Chicken Sausage Shack
• Homegrown
• La Grotta
• Jazmin Spa
• Betsy White Stationery Boutique
• Bubble Boutique & Gifts (Tulsa)
• The Beehive Atlanta
• Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium
• Evans Fine Foods
• Bhojanic
• The Spotted Trotter
• Adore Hair Studio (ask for Ashley Williams)
• The Mercantile
• Taps Craft Beers
• K Squared Meals
• Kavarna Coffee
• Ten Thousand Villages
• Sole Shoes & Accessories
• Big Peach Running Co.
• Ever After Entertainment