Business

By Ginger DeShaney When you see Marisa Carlini in the neighborhood, she will likely have a smile on her face.  Whether in her shop (LUXE home interiors), coaching on the softball field or basketball court, or teaching at Miss Linda’s School of Dance, it’s important for Marisa to give back. “I care about kids; I love teaching them,” she said. “You walk out happy.”   Marisa played basketball and softball and was a dancer herself. So it was natural for her to help out in the community. Her kids, Chloe, 12, and Sadie, 13, have been going to Miss Linda’s forever. To give back, Marisa teaches 4- and 5-year-old dancers.  Her kids go to South Boston Catholic Academy and she coaches basketball there. She’s also involved [...]

By Ginger DeShaney Rich Rowland wants you to rebel against the things that are bringing you down. Rich created Rebel Athletic Club “because I wanted people to rebel against a lot of the things that sort of either oppressed them in their minds or their ideas or what they see fitness as being.” His fitness philosophy is unique. “I think for a lot of people, they think of aesthetics: I need to lose weight. I want to look good. But the reality is, and the thing that I enjoy the most, is when people are working out, they're getting huge mental benefits from it, too. So to me, mental health equals physical health.” Rich believes that engaging in consistent workouts has a huge positive impact [...]

By Ginger DeShaney The Point Clothing Lounge is a slam dunk for Brendan Carter, a son of South Boston and a former college basketball player and coach. The recently opened shop at 135 Emerson St. carries high-quality men’s clothing and accessories, but it’s so much more than that. “We want it to be an experience,” said Brendan, the founder and CEO. “It's very homey,” said the son of Jean and Paul Carter, who have lived on East Sixth Street (in City Point, thus the store’s name) for 46 years. “You feel like you're in someone's apartment; that’s the vibe we’re trying to give off.” While neighborhood shops cater mostly to women, Brendan created a one-stop shop for men, offering clothes, accessories, skincare products, even wireless [...]

By Ginger DeShaney A visit to Tenerife in 2019 sparked a dream that Nicole Jankowski and Anxhelo Taho have now brought to life in South Boston.  “We had the best time and we were only there for three days, but it was so much fun,” Nicole said. On the last day, they found a juice cafe right on the water. “It was just beautiful,” Anxhelo added. “The atmosphere was great.” Nicole, who was 19 years old at the time, knew right then: “We need to take this home because I don't know of any place like that.”  Bamboo Beach Juice Bar opened Thursday, Jan. 26, at 687 E. Second St. in South Boston. The shop features juices, smoothies, acai bowls, wellness shots, and three types [...]

By Ginger DeShaney Becca McGovern makes little things that inspire big feelings. Maker / Scholar, her South Boston small business, is guided by this mission. And so is Becca. “My family has a special tradition of making even the everyday ordinary things a holiday, and I've tried to bring that mentality into my small business,” said Becca McGovern, the artist behind Maker / Scholar. By day, Becca is a senior product marketing manager for Upside, a tech company. By night and weekends, Becca creates greeting cards, custom art, and accessories for her small business. “I was taught very early just to make things special … a random day could be a holiday or celebration,” Becca said. Her grandma lived with Becca’s family in Weymouth for [...]

By Ginger DeShaney A photo of vintage beer cans started Devon McGinty on a creative journey that now provides her with a therapeutic outlet. “These are really cool looking,” Devon said about the beer cans in the photo she saw on SOWA’s Instagram page in 2020. She has always liked vintage and retro things. So she went and bought the cans, not knowing what she would do with them.  “I was brainstorming and I just came up with the idea of making candles out of that,” she said. “I like retro vintage mixed with modern and I just think it's a really cool way to keep things modern but also pay tribute to older things.” The only thing was, she’d never made a candle. So [...]

By Ginger DeShaney Fresh Boston, at 232 Old Colony Ave., brings something unique to the neighborhood.  It’s a deli, a liquor store, a bar, a dinner spot, a brunch stop, a caterer, and more. “We want people to come in here and have a different experience. We want to change the way people eat and drink,” said owner Charlie Merritt. “This unique concept has everything you need with a vibe.”  When Charlie had the opportunity to expand on his Fresh Nantucket shop, he wanted to go where people knew the brand. “It’s a good time for us to be in this area,” said Charlie, who lives in South Boston. “It’s something Southie needed. We just want to be part of the neighborhood.” The shop has [...]