When things felt heavy in the world, Amma and Cherron built something light — a space filled with green life, calm energy and community care. Today, Plant and People is still growing strong, offering comfort, connection and a place to breathe. This mother-daughter-owned plant shop includes a wellness cafe and hosts workshops that celebrate all things plants and people, supporting mental health and personal growth.

Since 2015, mother-daughter duo Shawna and Shadeerah have been serving up more than just desserts; they’ve built a joyful, welcoming space rooted in family and community. Banana Mousse is best known for its signature treat of the same name, but you’ll also be tempted to indulge in their aesthetically pleasing milkshakes and allergen-friendly offerings.

For over half a century, Paul Beale’s Florist has been the go-to florist for every occasion from proms and weddings to illness and sympathy bouquets. Altermese Beale and her late husband Paul opened the flower shop in 1971 and now their daughters, grandson and great-grandson are at the helm. This family-owned business takes care of all aspects of the floral arrangement process, from ordering the flowers to the floral design.

One of the country’s oldest Black-owned bookstores — now an official historic site — resides at the same West Philly address where Dawud Hakim founded it more than 60 years ago. Historic, welcoming, old-school and family-friendly, the shop now belongs to Hakim’s daughter, Yvonne Blake. Hakim’s Bookstore has a rich tradition of stocking rare books you can’t find elsewhere, and continues that tradition with books on African American studies, philosophy, history, memoirs and children’s books. They also ship books to prisons to support incarcerated readers.

Sharaine and Sharla Brown’s introduction to coffee came in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, where the sisters would help their grandmother pick coffee cherries. Fast forward to 2021, when the Browns opened Arterial Coffee, a cozy establishment in the city’s Mantua/Powelton Village neighborhood that specializes in locally sourced coffees, teas and small bites. The spacious and bright cafe is an ideal study spot for nearby college students and the salmon avocado toast is a game-changer. It’s the kind of place you could spend an entire day with a book (or your laptop).