When asked what his favorite thing about cannabis was, Maryjane General Manager Kepler's answer was simple: The impact. He recalls a time when two parents came to the Lenox Hill shop with their son, who had Attention-Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) Maryjane was able to provide them with a strain that would help. When the parents came back for a second dose, they quickly expressed this was the happiest and calmest they've seen their son.
Gasoline doesn't have a particularly high profit margin, which is partly why most gas stations double as convenience stores or offer fresh food. If chains like Buc-ee's and Sheetz can make more money by selling food, they can afford to lower their margins on gasoline.
Modern Bread and Bagel is a gluten-free shop that started in New York City and has expanded to Los Angeles with three locations. It was created by Orly Gottesman, who wanted her husband, with celiac disease, to enjoy high-quality gluten-free baked goods. The pastries are exceptional, with a large selection available daily, including unique items like crumb cake and chocolate zucchini bread.
Ibrahim reflected on their journey, stating, 'We took a leap of faith. We didn't know if this place was going to make it.' Their decision was influenced by friends who wanted a Middle Eastern restaurant in Silicon Valley.
Fresha, born Frescia Belmar, is nominally a jazz bassist, but her artistry transcends the form, moving effortlessly between jazz, rock, fusion, and R&B.
"What we didn't expect was the response - customers were coming by, messaging us, and sharing stories about what the restaurant meant to them. It made us realize this wasn't just a place to eat - it had become part of people's routines and memories."
Frieda's Branded Produce took off, and fresh produce changed forever. Caplan's early decision to go against the grain laid the foundation of non-negotiables that still guide how Frieda's operates.
Chef Violet Witchel, creator of the now-viral "dense bean salad," didn't build a 3 million strong social media following by chasing virality. She built it by solving a problem. At a time when protein goals were trending and food prices were rising, she noticed something simple: beans were affordable, high-protein, and meal-prep friendly.
The expense, return on investment, and volume of investors needed to make it a reality did not make sense. I thought, 'maybe it's time to do something new.' The amount of money you need to run a restaurant in Brooklyn or Manhattan at this point is so crazy. If you fail, the loss is massive. Here, we were able to do a major renovation, we have a 100 bottle wine list, and we can use the ingredients we want and serve them at a decent price point because our overhead is not as bad.
In a prime spot in Ardmore on Philadelphia's Main Line, the long, rectangular shop offers warmth through vertical wooden slats near the door, plus white oak paneling across a white stone-topped bar and the back wall behind the counter. At the far end of the room, blue mati pendants pop against a white wall, a bright nod to the owners' Greek heritage.
