Since its inception in 1973, Ambassador Wines &amp; Spirits has become Midtown East’s one-stop-shop for specialty spirits, brunch booze, and late-night liquor runs. On the corner of 2nd and 54th, you’ll meet Lenny, a biochemist turned business owner, who took over the family-operated, upscale establishment. With his grandmother as founder and his father preceding him in leadership, he claimed his spot as successor back in 1994, and has since then filled the two-story shop with over 4,000 selections, proving that small businesses can provide quality and quantity. In addition to his walk-in sake fridge, wine cellar, and famously friendly staff (with nothing but rave reviews), Lenny offered an array of tastings and classes pre-pandemic. Since COVID hit, however, Ambassador lost about 60% of its clientele, putting it at risk of closing and losing a family legacy spanning 5 decades. There are 300 liquor stores in Manhattan, but this family-owned gem is yours, and the neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without it.

Ambassador Wines & Spirits

When the hair salon at which Vera had spent 15 years working was about to close, her father asked, “Why not buy it, yourself?” Despite initial hesitation and in honor of his passing shortly after, she took his advice, opening VB Studio NYC right before the onset of COVID. An entrepreneur twice over, Vera already knew plenty about running a shop because she previously had done so back in her home country, Albania, for 5 years. But operating one during a pandemic was a whole new challenge— one that she refused to fail. The tomboy-turned-beauty-school-graduate is an exemplary leader, never afraid to get her hands dirty, and always striving for employee betterment and customer satisfaction. It’s no wonder that VB is a 5-star establishment. But keeping the doors open and stylists at chairs has become increasingly difficult, and while the mercy of a landlord and loyalty of a few customers has been greatly appreciated, neither is sustainable for much longer. VB Studio provides the best balayage on the block, but another shutdown could leave tons of customers with quarantine bedhead—again.

VB Studio NYC

Culinary hotspot, MáLà Project, was the product of 4 co-founders noticing a lack of adequate representation for Chinese restaurants. Culinary Institute of America grad, Amelie, and her 3 partners wanted to create a space that was “more than just food”; they wanted to cultivate ambiance, noteworthy service, workplace diversity, and a community—along with affordable prices.After the opening of the first location in 2015, the MáLà Project staff grew in size and skill just as the business did. Another location popped up in 2018, and construction began on a third in 2019. But in March of 2020, business stopped seemingly overnight, delaying the opening and forcing them to downsize.Because of their incredibly supportive community, solidarity with other Asian restaurant owners, devoted employees, and a few loans and grants, the MáLà Project’s third location is back on track to open. Still, COVID’s aftermath, including the rise in anti-Asian hate, leaves some financial gaps to fill and a lot of amazing chefs and service workers to support. They’ve always prioritized our safety, so now we need to do the same for them.

MáLà Project

Based in Brooklyn, Hunky Dory seeks to brighten up the bar and restaurant scene. Owner, cocktail aficionado, and restaurant sustainability educator, Claire, has run a neighborhood-oriented, eco-friendly space for 2 years— having celebrated the first anniversary just 1 month before COVID closures. Hunky Dory is more than just a place to eat. It hosts fundraisers, cultural and recreational events, and community gardening, all while teaching diners and employees about sustainability, which informs their business practices. The Yelp acclaimed spot prides itself on such, buying Indigenous-grown ingredients and maintaining notably low water usage. Many of their activities and initiatives were put on hold during the period of social distancing, but adjustments were made with the flipping of their indoor dining space into a retail space called Hunky Depot, and the allowance of outdoor dining. As they try to resume business as “normal” and pay workers gratuity-free wages, the team at Hunky Dory has no doubt that all the support they’ve shown their community will be returned by the city they educate and serve— the city that you share.

Hunky Dory

After 35 years in the corporate world and 9 as an entrepreneur, Geralynn, owner of the luxe and lavish Madonna &amp; Co., was thrown for quite a loop: COVID. With trade shows on pause, she’s had to make a savvy switch, focusing more on the e-commerce side of the business just to remain open. And despite being hailed as a curly-haired girl’s dream and home of Jessica Scott aka The Curl Whisperer, Madonna &amp; Co. has suffered a steep drop in patronage.Yet and still, Geralynn’s passion for beauty and fashion and love for her “fabulous” city persist, motivating her to create new economic channels to keep her store running and connect with other business owners in the neighborhood to offer support.“The closed stores are devastating,” she says of the boarded up buildings lining city streets. But in true New Yorker fashion, she speaks of the future— one where everyone does their part to pitch in— with optimism: “New York has been, and will be again, the best city in the world.”

Madonna & Co.

Lana came to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1989 as a nurse, but was on track to have a career in cosmetology. Unable to attend school because of the language barrier, she decided to get licensed for waxing, nails, and other cosmetic services she had previously done on the side. Eventually, she and her partner, who’s an esthetician, decided to open a full-service spot by the name of Allure Day Spa— though they’d laugh at the common name choice in the future. 30 years and 33 employees later, COVID brought their booming business to a halt, forcing them to lay off their staff in order to qualify for unemployment. Since reopening, they’ve had no problem rehiring. “I am a good person so they stay,” Lana says of her loyal employees. Having recently outgrown their current space, Allure seeks to open a new location, which has proven to be difficult while paying their personnel. And while their team is optimistic about expansion, the financial restraints caused by the pandemic continue to be a concern.

Allure Day Spa

After 12 years and 3 locations, Roberto Caporuscio and the Kesté Pizza &amp; Vino staff had to suffer COVID-induced downsizing. With the closing of one storefront, relocation of most employees, and the loss of a few, the owner spent eight months making deliveries himself.Roberto isn’t new to the DIY life, though, having been a farmer and cheesemaker back in Italy. A trip to America to study English became an extended stay, and after two years of cross-country travels, he landed in NYC during what he believes was a pizza “explosion.” Seeing the growing popularity of the dish, he decided to put his cheese and pizza-making skills to use and open the first Napoli pizza spot in the city. Despite financial hardships during the pandemic, Kesté continued to show love to its community, donating pizza to the nearby hospital to feed frontline workers. To keep things running, they’ve had to sell frozen pizza and lessen employee pay. Still, the company culture and service have kept both employees and customers loyal. With a slice of the donation money, Roberto hopes to raise wages and use the rest to pour back into the community. This pizzeria is a piece of New York’s culinary legacy, and without it, your Friday night feasts just wouldn’t be the same.

Kesté Pizza & Vino

Most people know how badly COVID impacted the food industry, but few know how hard the entertainment industry was hit—not on-screen, but on-stage. The last 11 years have been “quite a ride” for artistic director and founder Kirk Gostkowski and the artists of Chain Theater—but COVID’s been the bumpiest part, by far.Producing dramas, comedies, and even movie parodies, they’ve launched the careers of actors and playwrights alike. They’ve even hosted film festivals (virtually in 2020) and continued to offer affordable space rental for creatives across the city throughout the pandemic. As a nonprofit organization and in the absence of live theater performances for over a year, they’ve been surviving on tax-deductible donations and online programming. While the risk of closing looms over the company, it doesn’t cloud their creativity nor positivity. Kirk urges the city known ‘round the world for its theater community to keep the curtains open through financial support. “If we come out the other side we really believe that this company can grow into something big.” And what better place to chase big dreams than in the Big City?

Chain Theater

Despite all of COVID’s closings, the pandemic has caused a surprising rise in entrepreneurship. Take life and business partners, Ronnie Pichson and Stefon Davis, for example. After years of working in apparel, both faced abrupt layoffs last spring, and noticing the number of empty warehouses in relation to the growing need for bike storage, they planned to “build a boutique hotel for motorcycles”.Having previously made their livings in luxury, it was only fitting that they elevate the essential service in terms of style and hospitality. This members-only motorcycle garage, called Gotham Depot Moto, is more than just a place to park. It’s both a premium rider experience and “a place to come together” with its state-of-the-art security, stylish sky lounge, charity rides, member BBQs, and more.The owners of this Greenpoint gem are constantly asked where and when another location will open, but funding the expansion of their current spot has been a huge task on its own. However, Ronnie and Stefon are hopeful that their city—that your city— will ride for them, like New Yorkers always do for each other.

Gotham Depot Moto

Established on the Lower East Side in 1908, Russo&#x27;s Mozzarella and Pasta has been serving up Italian fare for over a century! Since its opening, the family-owned business has sprouted locations in Brooklyn. Manhattan, and the East Village. The current owner, Jack Russo, took over back in 1986 after leaving his previous job as a Wall Street broker.From gentrification to pandemic, Russo’s has survived it all, and according to Jack himself, that’s only possible because of the neighborhoods that surround each storefront. “We supported the community and the community supported us...We were very fortunate to be able to stay open [during the pandemic],” he said of the steady streams of customers committed to supporting local small businesses.With the downsizing of staff, particularly the higher risk employees, Jack cited hiring as their biggest problem. The family pitches in to help whenever they can, but they have yet to fully staff all of their locations post-COVID and see raising prices as the only solution—unless people like you, who value that authentic Italian taste, step up to help out.

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