Penn Home & Design Co.

I love visiting locally-owned specialty shops, because you’re sure to find something that’s unique and one of a kind. A new place that I’ve discovered is Penn Home & Design Co, a candle brand and gift shop located in Chickasaw Oaks. In addition to the gift shop and candle pouring workshop component, owner Christan Penn is also an interior designer and offers design services to those looking to create a beautiful space in their home.

Grit and Grind is a mantra here. Across the city, passionate Memphians are working hard to showcase their skills and abilities through small business ventures. Here’s an ever growing list of local services and products to support.

This guide is meant to reflect the smaller unknown businesses, the pop-up creatives or Instagram stores. If you fall under that category, send us an email at [email protected] to be added to this list.

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Have you ever dreamed of exploring coral reefs, shipwrecks, and underwater caverns? With an Open Water Scuba Diving Certification, that dream can become reality.

The process of obtaining your certification may seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance and preparation, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a certified diver for life. Paying a visit to The Dive Shop in Memphis is the perfect place to start.

Paradox at PeCo

Shop a Collection of "Oddities, Lagniappes, Curiosities, and Rarities..."

If you’ve been in search of a gift shop that offers unique wares while also sparking your curiosity around all things mystic, plan a visit to Paradox at PeCo, a new retail concept opened by mother-daughter duo Robbie and Fannie Weinberg. If their name sounds familiar, you may have met Robbie next door at their other business Eclectic Eye, the go-to spot in Memphis for trendy, stylish frames. 

I live for a vanilla latte and lavender macaron, and there’s nothing quite like grabbing one from 17 Berkshire. Inspired by watching her mother sew and bake while growing up, owner Nuha Abuduhair started 17 Berkshire out of her home in 2015 before opening her own business in Overton Square the Summer of 2018. The patisserie’s bright aesthetic, with marble table tops and wainscotting on the wall, is an instagrammer’s dream. 

Memphis is overflowing with talented, creative artisans, and one of my favorites to visit is Brit McDaniel, founder and owner of Paper & Clay. Founded in 2013, Paper & Clay is both a modern, handmade ceramics brand, and a cute brick & mortar gift shop located downtown at 535 S. Main Street.

In addition to her own handmade wares, Brit has curated a beautiful gift shop filled with indie brands and products that compliment her Scandinavian + Mid-Century design aesthetic.

When I first met Shelby Jewel Tucker, the owner of Shelby Jewel, her namesake boutique, she was still a part of the blogging world. I loved her dry sense of humor and her classic, timeless style, so I was excited when she announced that she was launching her own brand.

*Editor's note: Primas Bakery + Boutique moved locations to East Memphis. You can find them at 734 Mt Moriah Rd with all the same beloved treats and goodies.

Midtown is hiding a secret toy store pulled straight from another galaxy

The rumors have been spreading for a while now, orange stickers on light posts and street signs from Summer Avenue to South Main. Here and there, vigilant Memphians could see signs of something mysterious, something new—The Lost Cantina.

Ever one to seek out the lost, dusty corners of our city that somehow fall off of the tour maps, I set out in search of this fabled establishment on a recent autumn afternoon. 

What I found was no bar.