Storefront: A Century of Small Businesses

Fleischmann’s Vienna Model Bakery, Broadway and 10th Street, 1898.
Sometime after 1876, Louis Fleischmann built his bakery on Broadway, in the shadow on James Renwick’s Grace Church (left). The bakery, which sold a popular “new dough” style of bread made with yeast, also operated a restaurant and rented storefront space to other vendors.

New York City’s small businesses have always reflected the personality of our neighborhoods, serving the needs of their neighbors, near and far. From bakeries and bars to grocery stores and pharmacies, they showcase the vital role that local retail plays in creating a livable city. Behind each storefront is a story of family and immigrant-owned business, an unsung workforce, and generations of love for the city. While we are being asked to limit our trips out of the house, let’s take a look back at the small businesses that have kept New York City humming through good times and bad. #NoSmallBizNoNY