Economy
What Big Cities Lose When They Lose Their Small Businesses
An East Village food shop owner discusses the post-recession difficulties facing Mom-and-Pops.
A few weeks ago Jeremiah Clancy announced the sudden closing of Mama's Food Shop, a quaint spot in New York's East Village that had been serving comfort food to the neighborhood for about 15 years. Before shutting down, Clancy posted a thoughtful note on Mama's website about the increasing hardships of owning a small business in a big city. The farewell gesture caught the attention of New York magazine, Felix Salmon of Reuters, and others.
"I owed it to my patrons and I owed it to the neighborhood," says Clancy of his decision to write the note. "I would have never shut the doors and just disappeared. I find that more odd than taking the time to write something."