Small businesses are the heart and backbone to nearly all counties, cities and towns, and Loudoun is not exempt from that. However, that brings the question as to what a small business is. A small business is an independently owned and operated business that’s not typically a chain, but it can be on occasion. Examples of these can be found all over the country, and Leesburg has a wide span of them. They range from cafes to souvenir shops and even candy shops. One great example of a locally owned small business is Sunflower Shack, which not only has old fashioned candy and soda pops, but also has crafts made locally and home decor! It’s owned by Peggy Arnone, and it’s known as Historic Downtown Leesburg’s only old fashioned candy and soda pop shop.
Rust & Feathers is another locally owned shop located north of Leesburg. Rust & Feathers is a multi-deal business that repurposes vintage finds. There are an assortment of different dealers that all bring their own ideas and styles to the shop, giving it a unique atmosphere and even more unique finds that wouldn’t be available anywhere else! This shop is owned by Sydney Figert, whose style features industrial and refurbished furniture and vintage objects. They have six core dealers, L Gifts and Home Furnishings, My Two Monkeys, Dulcis Home, The Princely Peasant, Cathy Haskell, and Urban Cottage. In addition to that, they have cosigners including David Seekford, who makes hand crafted metal art, along with Barb Watters and Liz Stalker, who both make pottery.
Another locally owned store is Ketterman’s Jewelers serving Leesburg since 1988. They have the core philosophy of offering friendly services and fair prices to their customers, which has helped the business grow significantly. In 2020, they moved their business to their own building in Catoctin Circle, which took nearly 3 years of renovations. They offer a range of different jewelry options and other high-end items including wedding rings, engagement rings, earrings, picture frames, belts, bracelets, sunglasses, candles, and much more. The store has been family run for many generations by both Dan and Tammi Ketterman and their daughters. All six of their daughters have worked at the store at one time or another, and four of them have chosen it as their profession. For many years, Ketterman’s Jewelers has been chosen as Loudoun’s Favorite Jewelers and Best of Virginia Jewelers.
In addition to shops like Ketterman’s Jewelers, there are also local dessert shops! Creamus Dessert Shop is a local business that serves a variety of desserts and drinks, including croyaki, which is a modern combination of a traditional Japanese fish-shaped cake, croissants, ice cream, warm apple cider, brewed coffee, fatcarons, which are a Creamus specialty similar to macarons featuring a crisp and chewy shell and a fluffy filling, and a selection of other items. Their ice cream menu includes flavors like morello cherry, peppermint, and pure milk. Currently, their ‘special sundaes’ offered are Sunday in Dubai, which is a truffle soft serve with a pistachio drizzle, toasted kadaif, and crushed pistachio. Other sundaes offered are strawberry shortcake, and affogato, which is pure milk soft serve with a shot of espresso. This dessert shop is attached to a Japanese BBQ and located in the Lansdowne Town Center.
However, if you’re looking for something savory instead of sweet, Sushi Queen is an all you can eat Japanese buffet located in Sterling, Virginia. They offer a diverse menu of different types of sushi, fried rice and other foods too. Their most popular dish is, as expected, sushi. Their prices are reasonable for an all you can eat restaurant that serves sushi, especially when you take the regular price of sushi into account. In addition to their exceptional sushi, their hibachi and fried rice is also exemplary. While this restaurant could be considered expensive if you don’t usually eat $25.99 worth of sushi or the other foods they offer, it’s great for people who love the cuisine.
While these are some of the local small businesses in the area, it’s certainly not all of them. There are a variety of different ways to discover businesses, such as local markets like flea, artisan, street and farmer markets, which is a great way to find new shops or businesses near you. Another way to find out about local businesses on social media such as TikTok, Instagram, and similar apps. It’s important to support small businesses in your area as it can create jobs and add to the character of the community!
