In June we celebrate Pride; a month that honors countless folks who paved the way for the lives of LGBTQ folks today: Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Stormé DeLarverie to name a few. The physical celebration of Pride takes place over a couple days at the end of June, but there are so many ways to show love and honor what LGBTQ folks bring to our community.
One way is finding small, local and queer-owned businesses to support. A&E rounded up five different businesses you can check out this month — and every other month — from a Tarot reader, Curly Hair Salon to a delicious pie shop.
Curl Power Salon – IG: @curlpowersalon
5015 Ewing Ave S, Minneapolis & 8 East Franklin Ave, Minneapolis
Curl Power Salon is a salon with an emphasis on cultivating self love and confidence. Owned and founded by Rosie Jablonksy in 2016, Jablonsky has a team of curl specialists that provide customized cuts, colors, styling and curl coaching sessions working with all ages.
Along with the fully functioning salons, Jablonsky operates a Curl Camp, which is a “hands on workshop for parents and caregivers to learn how to cultivate strong healthy self-care routines for curly, coils and wavy haired children.” In her Ewing location in 2020, Jablonksy added the plant and art shop Here We Grow for the purpose of “continuing to create more ways to engage with the communities around me and my businesses and build in ways to foster joy.”
Blue Collar Supper Club – IG: @bluecollarsupperclub
A pop-up dining experience — follow IG for upcoming event details!
Julian Korger grew up in a very conservative and Catholic household, “where queer and trans identities were not an option to explore, understand or even have language to describe,” they said. It was only through being a part of a queer community as they got older, that Korger said they found permission to love, value and be themself.
Because of this, they wanted to open a space where others could feel the same sense of belonging.
Ever since their first event — a horror-themed supper club hosted in 2015 — Blue Collar Supper Club (BCSC), Kroger’s underground gem, has thrown over 25 clubs and created over 90 unique dishes (fan favorites include their pineapple smoked ham or their strawberry cheesecake “fruit pizza” ice cream). BCSC strives to create an environment that welcomes new people and supplements a space to authentically create bonds with new people and create strong relationships.
Pie & Mighty – IG: @pieandmightymsp
3553 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis
Pie & Mighty, a small pie shop with the tagline “putting pie into the hands of people who need it” because they believe everyone needs pie, has been operating since 2017 but didn’t open their physical location on Chicago Ave until March 14 2020 — yes, two days before the whole state was told to stay home.
Co-owned by partners Rachel Swan and Karen “Ratchet” Mattison, the pie shop has garnered a subscription-based pie-loving community with their tiny, but mighty kitchen! Customers can now go into the shop for slices and other treats when they are open Thursday through Saturday. With a high pie demand and their radically small team, the owners have implemented the Pie Loop lottery, where you’re able to submit a pie request, and hopefully, by the grace of the pie gods, receive a pie. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll receive the Apple Cranberry Pecan Crumble, Swan’s personal favorite, which she said is, “just sweet enough to be dessert — also totally appropriate for breakfast.”
Big Mouth Tarot – IG: @bigmouthtarot
Look to Instagram and their website for bookings!
Nicole Mayefske is a Minneapolis-based tarot reader and Reiki II practitioner (Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative therapy and medicine that focuses on the transfer of energy from the practitioner’s hands to the palms of the patient). Nearly seven years ago, Mayefske picked up a tarot deck on a whim from a metaphysical shop in Appleton, Wisconsin and went into the practice recreationally. She performed readings on family and friends and received such positive feedback from them that she decided to turn it into her own business. Her focus is a “you do you” approach to tarot, she said. She not only gives readings, but teaches tarot reading classes as well.
Scout – IG: @scout.stp
327 7th St W, St Paul & 3925 Market St, Edina
Scout, co-owned by partners John and Ben Thompson, is an apparel and gift shop with a planet positive focus. The St. Paul location opened in August of 2018, and they recently opened an Edina location this past April.
Scout carries an array of planet positive brands and instills an overall focus on using environmentally conscious materials, manufacturers and contributers. Scout prides themselves on being a queer-friendly space that “welcomes anyone who is interested in having a handsome style” explains the Thompsons.
