On Monday the Merchant House family shared a very sad announcement. "Today was supposed to be a fantastic day of celebration! Today was to be the official opening day for The Merchant House, operated by our beloved mom, Patti Sharp, who after over 20 years of successfully owning The Station House in Haddon Heights, was so eager to take on this new and exciting dream. Tragically, our mom passed away suddenly from an undetected cancer a few days ago. The timing of her passing, just days before the grand opening, is truly the saddest part of this - as she was never able to realize this new dream. Our mom was loved by so many family and friends, old and new, and was thrilled to be part of the fabric of Merchantville, where she both lived and worked, even if for a short while. Thank you so much for all the immense support for this endeavor over the last many months of construction and then quarantine. Please stay tuned for any future updates." 

Courier-Post writer, Tammy Paolino, recently penned a piece on "A food geek's guide to best dishes in South Jersey, still available as takeout". The article shared local places to find incredible "drive-by" food while social distancing. And, it was no surprise to us that two of Merchantville's eateries, Charlies Crepes and Park Place Cafe & Restaurant, took the spotlight. Featured were Charlie's seasonal crepes with crispy potato croquettes or spicy deviled eggs and, ice cream flavors from Chef Manganaro that compliment his juicy burgers and celebrate the region, like the Cherry Bomb or Merchantville Mudslide. And, on June 8th, Tammy featured The Juice Bar owners, Seth Amoah and Kelli Mouzon, in her article about black business owners in SJ.  The cafe is touted as "a healthy oasis in the heart of Merchantville" offering fresh pressed juices, smoothies, salads, panini and vegan options. 

Early in 2019, Nicole Nurthen Photography collaborated with The Merchantville Business and Professional Association (MBPA) to promote, advocate for and educate local businesses through a series of featured video profiles. Since then she has created and published photo and videos narratives on social media highlighting the shops, restaurants and service providers in our town. Now, more than ever, her pictorial works have served as a constant reminder of the need to support small businesses. Her newest offering, "Come Back", is a 90 second video montage of Merchantville's business owners welcoming the community to support them as they ready to reopen. Stay up-to-date with our business community through the MBPA on Instagram @shopmerchantville and follow #shopmerchantville on Twitter.

Spirit to Sole Connection is bringing you it's first virtual shopping experience. Join Jeannie, Katrina and Amanda to shop our teas, loose herbs, and products from the comfort of your home or lawn chair. We will walk you through the store - and educate you on our products - giving you a personalized boutique experience. While shopping with us LIVE you will get to claim your products. There are currently limited quantities and seasonality means some things will be gone until this fall or winter. We have dry elderberry in stock in limited quantities. All online purchases are 15% Off. 

Curbside pick-up, virtual events and online shopping are just a few of the strategies Merchantville's small businesses are using to succeed during this pandemic. Owners of our new taquería - La Guadalupana Mexican Restaurant - Fausto and Francisca Medina, celebrated Cinco De Mayo by offering a traditional chicken recipe with fresh watermelon for take out. Jeannie Francis, owner of Spirit To Sole Connection, is still blending teas and making all natural body products for curb side pick up or online shipping. The Blue Monkey Tavern menu features regular favs plus wine, beer and cocktail kits to go. They expect to be prettier than ever when they reopen thanks to Merchantville’s own local artisans Dan Shotwell and Scott DiSimone - wait 'til you see!. Saleemah Smith, owner of A Milli Little Thing, creates all natural body products available for curbside pick-up or online shipping. And, Custom Travel Services owner, Georgiann Jaworskyj, invites you to take a virtual Caribbean vacation on May 7th at 7:00 p.m. to learn all about Sandals and Beaches Resorts. As Halil says, "Clear skies will be upon us soon, friends!" The following retail shops and restaurants are open for your business in Merchantville. 

Community Sports Shop, a fixture in town since 1959, provides competitively priced team uniforms, sports apparel, tee shirts and sports equipment to youth and adult athletic programs, schools and corporations and has been part of the Ladik family since 1981. The shop moved from 2 East Maple Avenue - after The Clip Joint fire in August 2013 - to their current location at 21 North Center Street. Although temporarily closed due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, they continue to show support for us on their storefront. Many of the Borough's other small businesses are still able to offer reduced services to residents of Merchantville and neighboring communities. Links to hours and available services in town.