Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Tomorrow marks the soft opening of The Community Boutique & Café, a community-driven market at 515 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
The founders are Soudavone Khamvongsa (above left) and Settareh Barakhshan.
Here's their mission via a recent Instagram post:
The Community Boutique is a unique retail and cafe space designed to uplift our community, local makers, and small businesses. Every visit offers a warm, personal shopping experience where you can connect with the stories behind your favorite handcrafted items. We're founded by two women of color, a Lao Refugee and an Iranian Immigrant.Our goal is to create an inclusive and vibrant gathering place for our community to connect, shop local, and enjoy a cup of tea and coffee in our cafe like you're meeting old friends.
The market will carry handmade goods including soaps, candles, and jewelry.
Here's more about the soft launch opening tomorrow (Friday) evening...
