Friends Gift Guide 2025 - Small Businesses Worth Knowing

Boston

Local Favorites

Rite Coffee & Tea

Coffee & Tea at Charles River Speedway

Breakfast, lunch, and coffee done right. Ginger marmalade toast, maple vanilla butter, beans on toast. Local ingredients, thoughtful prep. My go-to for beans and ritual.

Boston Coffee

Visit rite.bos

Newbery St Coffee Roasters

Popup Roastery

Pack is competing in Brewers Cup in January. His coffee on the Maats espresso tray is the ritual that starts every studio day. Consistent quality, thoughtful sourcing.

Boston Coffee

$18–22

Shop Online newberyst

Keeper

Chainstitch Embroidery Studio

Amelia Fitch and Sam Lee use vintage embroidery machines to create one-of-a-kind wearable art. From monograms to fully adorned jackets. Old school craft, modern sensibility.

Somerville Custom

Visit Website keeper.itsa

Formaggio Kitchen

Cheese & Specialty Foods

30+ years in Cambridge. 200+ cheese varieties. Cave tours, classes, the works. Named one of the 50 greatest food stores in the world. The selection justifies the reputation.

Cambridge Food

Visit Website

Wild Child

Culinary Events & Book Bar

Hard-to-find cookbooks, food memoir, culinary zines. Weekly wine classes, author events, winemaker visits. Where connections to food nourish connections to each other.

Somerville Books & Wine

Visit Website wildchildsomerville

Product Picks

Craighill

Best Wine Key

Ratcheted arm for incremental cork extraction. Precisely-angled foil knife. Collaboration with sommelier André Hueston Mack. Design that solves problems, not just looks good.

Design Tools

$98

Shop craighillcompany

Nanu Electrics

Nudge Counter

Mechanical counter in brass housing. Track habits, goals, rituals with satisfying clicks. Tactile alternative to screen-based tracking. Repairable, durable, delightful.

Electronics

$99

Shop Nudge nanuelectrics

Nanu Electrics

Arc Alarm Clock

Analog-style alarm clock with acoustic chime. Replace your smartphone for better sleep and more mindful mornings. Objects that respect your space.

Electronics

$205

Shop Arc nanuelectrics

Suri

2.0 Sustainable Electric Toothbrush

33,000 sonic vibrations at 50dB whisper-quiet. Aluminum housing, plant-based heads, wireless charging. Red Dot Design Award. A toothbrush that doesn't look medical.

Personal Care

$95

Shop

Yonder Coffee

Subscription

Caleb's roastery in Durham. We collaborated on the Maats espresso tray. Consistent quality, thoughtful sourcing. The coffee that fuels the studio.

Coffee

$16–20/bag

Shop yonder.coffee

Monsoon Pottery

Christmas Ornament

Danielle's handmade ceramics from Chicago. We collaborated on the Maats espresso cups. Hand-thrown, food-safe, made with care. Her ornaments are special.

Ceramics

$25–40

Shop monsoonpottery

CW&T

Herring Blade

Super low-profile utility knife with magnetic mechanism. No moving parts, single-handed operation. Titanium or aluminum. Available for lefties and righties. Studio tool that's actually beautiful.

Tools

$75–190

Shop charliewhiskeytango

Chicago

Curated by @monsoonpottery

Local Favorites

Monsoon Pottery

Handmade Ceramics

Hand-thrown, one-of-a-kind ceramics from Chicago. Food-safe pieces made with intention—the kind of tableware that makes your daily rituals feel special.

Chicago Ceramics

Shop monsoonpottery

Martha Mae

Creative Tools & Stationery

Outpost at the Center of Order and Experimentation. My go-to spot for Japanese papers, pens, pencils, and everything stationery. Ships worldwide.

Chicago Stationery

Visit Website marthamae.beautifulthings

Powell's Books Chicago

Book Store in Hyde Park

Powell's purchases what those in the book business call "remainders." You can get brand new art books for prices like $7 or $8. Purchase via AbeBooks for shipping worldwide.

Hyde Park Books

Visit Website Shop AbeBooks powellsbookschicago

Moreno's Liquors

Tequila & Mezcal Specialists

Moreno's has the largest selection of tequilas and mezcals in the city--maybe the country. Pro tip: grab a drink at Osito's after you grab your hippest friend a rare bottle.

Little Village Spirits

Visit Website morenosliquors

Sugoi Sweets

Specialty Chocolate & Matcha

My one-stop shop for bon-bons, matcha dusted white chocolate covered almonds, specialty chocolate bars, sencha, and matcha. Ships nationwide.

Chicago Sweets

Shop Online sugoi_sweets

Güdknife

Japanese Steel & Sharpening

Wonderful selection of Japanese steel--I can recommend the Hado knives. Don't forget to utilize their sharpening services before all your holiday cooking! Ships nationwide.

Chicago Kitchenware

Shop Online gudknife

Product Picks

A Favorite Design

Midwest Nice Pencil Set

For your favorite Midwesterner. Don't forget to browse their beautiful hand-letterpressed cards.

Stationery

Shop

Tsay Tea

Baozhong Oolong Tea

An amazingly aromatic Taiwanese oolong tea--drinks so beautiful it can almost be called romantic.

Tea

Shop tsay.tea

In Bocca al Lupo Studio

Finestra Conversation Cards

Other worldly conversation-starter cards that get you to go deep. I've been using them as journal prompts and tucking them into my snail mail.

Gifts

Shop finestra.conversation.cards

Third Season

Ester and Erik 16.5" Taper Candles

These taper candles come in the prettiest colors and even automatically extinguish 2-3 inches from the bottom. So pretty they might inspire a Monsoon Pottery candelabra in the future.

Home Goods

Shop thirdseasonchicago

Brooklyn & NYC

Curated by @camifromtheinternet

Local Favorites

This is Latin America

Latin American Crafts & Brands

Expertly curated boutique featuring the best of Latin American crafts and Latine owned emerging brands. Shares space with Carlota New York (Mexican florist) and Kent Collective (vintage finds).

Williamsburg Crafts

Visit Website thisislatinamerica

Greenwich Street Jewelers

Fine Jewelry Boutique

Puerto Rican owned fine jewelry boutique with strong progressive values. Sisters Jennifer and Christina Gandia curate their own lines plus showstopping pieces from designers around the world.

Tribeca Jewelry

Visit Website greenwichstjewelers

Consignment Brooklyn

Second-Hand Designer Finds

Well priced and expertly selected second-hand designer finds. Especially strong jewelry selection. Online store available for those not local to the area.

Atlantic Avenue Consignment

Visit Website consignmentbrooklyn

Fewer, Finer

Modern Fine Jewelry

Modern fine jewelry for everyday wear, housed in a beautiful Brooklyn Brownstone. Specializes in hand engraved pieces— perfect for one of a kind heirlooms. By appointment only, also shop online.

Williamsburg Jewelry

Visit Website fewerfiner

Tumbao

Latin American Fashion Archive

World's largest archive of contemporary Latin American fashion. Valentina, the founder, has an amazing eye for new talent—a fabulous store to discover emerging designers from across the region.

Lower East Side Fashion

Visit Website tumbao.world

Product Picks

Lavelaa

Hand-Poured Candles & Soaps

Guillermo makes delicious hand-poured candles, soaps, and perfumes inspired by the scents of Mexico. Made with coconut soy wax—nostalgia without toxic paraffin fumes. Palo Santo candle is a favorite.

Home Goods

Shop Online lavelaa.co

Cidra Beauty

Nontoxic Lip Balms

Sisters Cata and Cami started Cidra as an homage to their grandmother's work as a trailblazer in Colombia's beauty industry. Nontoxic lip balms in seven shades plus clear—nourishing with buildable color.

Beauty

Shop Online houseofcidra

Sicarú Moda Artesanal

Handmade Huipils

Huipils with added pockets in innovative colors and patterns. While there's no online store, you can purchase via Instagram DM or WhatsApp for these one-of-a-kind pieces.

Fashion

sicarumodaartesanal

VOLVERde

Nontoxic Home & Body Care

Chicago based, Mexican owned online shop full of nontoxic cleaning products, home decor, and natural bodycare to connect with Mexico's ancestral roots. Handblown carafes by the Ramirez Family are exceptional.

Home Goods

Shop Online _volverde_

Luiny

Shell Earrings & Jewelry

Puerto Rico born and NYC based jewelry designer creating playful pieces reminiscent of island life. Shell earrings are coveted favorites—many pieces are one of a kind.

Jewelry

Shop Online luiny

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Friends Gift Guide?

The Friends Gift Guide is a curated collection of small businesses and independent makers from Boston, Chicago, and Brooklyn. It's created by 3 friends who want to celebrate the local businesses and makers that make their communities special. This is not a sponsored list—just honest recommendations from people who care about supporting small over big.

Are these businesses paying to be featured?

No. This guide is completely unsponsored. Every business and maker featured here was chosen because our contributors genuinely love and support them. Community over commerce—that's our motto.

Can I visit these businesses in person?

Many of the businesses featured have physical locations you can visit in Boston, Chicago, or Brooklyn. Others operate online or through popup events. Check each business's website or Instagram for their current location and hours.

How do I support these small businesses?

Visit their websites, follow them on Instagram, shop their products, visit their locations, leave reviews, and most importantly—tell your friends about them. Word of mouth is the most valuable currency for small businesses.

Who created this guide?

This guide was created by Craig Wattrus (Founder of Maats, Boston), Danielle (Monsoon Pottery, Chicago), and Cami Perez Downey (Designer & Curator, Brooklyn). We're three friends from three cities who wanted to celebrate the makers and businesses that inspire us.

Will this guide be updated?

Yes! We plan to update this guide periodically as we discover new favorites and as businesses evolve. Follow @maatskappy on Instagram for updates.

About This Guide

Company → Friends. When Maatskappy became Maats in November 2025, we celebrated by asking 3 people from 3 cities to share the small businesses and makers they root for.

This isn't a sponsored list. These are real recommendations from real people who care about craft, community, and choosing small over big.

Danielle makes ceramics in Chicago. Cami curates design in Brooklyn. Craig builds lamps in Boston. Together, we're lifting up the makers who inspire us.

Learn more about Maats