BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — If you ask any mom what they'd like for Mother's Day, some will come right out with specifics while others will say they just want some self-care time. But most will appreciate pretty much anything as long as the gift is thoughtful.
And in this trying year, there are a number of locally-owned shops that can help you find a thoughtful gift for your mom while helping other Western New York moms, too.
Many of those businesses, like Khari's Café, opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, in October 2020.
"To really launch something is already scary," said Khari's Cafe owner, Kartika Carr. "But then to be like, 'it literally could fail just because everything could shut down the next day?' That was the most difficult thing about becoming a business owner during a pandemic."
"I think the most fulfilling thing in the whole process was when she got to see the place for the first time."
The cafe, named for Carr's three-year-old daughter, is on the corner of Fargo Avenue and Jersey Street on Buffalo's Lower West Side.
"I explained it was named after her. Now she's taken it and told everyone she has a café which is fine," Carr said. "And to know that I've given her a blueprint of things that she can do is rewarding and fulfilling."
Carr's café is far from the only place you can go to get your mom a gift while supporting businesses owned by local moms.
To find them, there are resources like the WNY Women's Foundation's Women-Owned Business Directory.
"So many women owned businesses have been added. New Businesses are added every day," explained WNY Women's Foundation Board Chairwoman Andrea Vossler.
In fact, she says there are more than 200 businesses listed on the site, making it simple to search for the perfect gift for mom.
"It's been visited thousands of times and it makes it really easy for people to find a place that they can support which is helpful for the women in our community," said Vossler. "Generally women form the backbone of a lot of our small to mid-sized businesses in our communities and because of the challenges with the pandemic — particularly people staying at home, remote purchasing in particular — it's been very challenging for all businesses but for women in particular."
For more information on Khari's Café and other great women owned businesses, click here.
