By Melissa Stanger and Melia Robinson, Business Insider
The Fojol Bros. serve Indian- and Ethiopian-style food from their truck, which drives around D.C.
This year we found the coolest small businesses in New York, Austin, New Orleans, Detroit, Seattle, and D.C., but small businesses in many other American cities are continuing to innovate like never before.
These up-and-comers—like a floating island restaurant, a vegan strip club, and a pirate supply shop— are shaking up the food and retail industries.
Here’s our year-end roundup of the 50 hottest small businesses around the U.S.
Bearded Bastard
Bearded Bastard
Online, based in Austin, Tex.
What it is: A new brand of mustache wax.
What makes it cool: The man known as Jeremiah Newton, who also sports an impressive face full of hair, started Bearded Bastard to help soften the burliest of beards and tame the unruliest of mustaches.
Products include the Woodsman mustache wax, Woodsman beard oil, and a natural shave oil, but the new Austin-based company is developing many new man-inspired oils and tonics, which will be available soon.
Big Gay Ice Cream
Big Gay Ice Cream
125 E. 7th Street and 61 Grove Street, New York, N.Y.
What it is: A gay ice cream parlor.
What makes it cool: Big Gay Ice Cream started in 2009 as the Big Gay Ice Cream truck—a concept that became so popular that the founders put down permanent roots in both the East and West Village.
BGIC, which is known for its soft-serve and shakes, whips up cool flavor combos with ingredients like crushed Nilla wafers, pumpkin butter, and key lime curd, but even cooler are the names they give their concoctions. Nothing’s more fun than ordering a “Mexican Affo’gay’to” with extra whip.
Blacksmith
Blacksmith
1018 Westheimer Road, Houston, Tex.
What it is: A renegade coffeehouse.
What makes it cool: Blacksmith is a coffeehouse with a rock star attitude. It pays homage to Queen, and has a photo of lead singer Freddie Mercury on the wall. Any time a Queen song plays in the shop, the first customer in line gets their drink for free. As they say, “When Queen plays, Freddie pays!”
Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-in
Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-in
70 NW 29th Street, Miami, Fla.
What it is: A drive-in movie theater right in the middle of a city.
What makes it cool: Blue Starlite isn’t located in a giant field with 300 car spots. It’s right in the middle of Miami, with just 18 car slots available per showing. Despite the lack of space, it still delivers an intimate, traditional drive-in experience, even converting an old 1950s Ford pick-up truck into the movie projector.
It also serves some really cool movie snacks, like Gummi Bear “flights” and cotton candy dotted with Pop Rocks.
Booty’s Street Food
Booty’s Street Food
800 Louisa Street, New Orleans, La.
What it is: An international street food restaurant with a hidden art gallery.
What makes it cool: Co-owners Nick Vivion and Kevin Farrell bring the concept of eating your way around the world to life. Inspired by their travels around the world, Vivion and Farrell designed a menu that features classic street cart dishes like frites from Belgium, banh mi from Vietnam, and empanadas from Venezuela.
And if that weren’t enough, Booty’s is also home to a secret art gallery (spoiler alert: it’s in the bathroom!).
Brightside Boutique & Tattoo
Brightside Boutique & Tattoo
1133 South Charles Street, Baltimore, Md.
What it is: A fashion boutique and tattoo parlor.
What makes it cool: Passersby recognize Brightside by its sunny, good-morning-Baltimore yellow shopfront. Named Baltimore’s best boutique by Baltimore Magazine, Brightside sells edgy, fashion-forward clothing, shoes, and accessories. Partners Christie Griffiths and Kike (pronounced “Kee-Kay”) Castillo run the operation together, with Griffiths focusing on the fashion and Castillo on the tats.
Read the full article by Melissa Stanger and Melia Robinson from Business Insider.
