The Saturday after Black Friday is reserved for small businesses.  The Shop Small Saturday tradition, amazingly enough, was started by American Express in 2010.  This year the credit card company has even set up a twitter feed where you can share your favorite local stores.  I will be adding three of my favorite businesses to the feed this morning.  With 52% of what you spend staying in your community, the act of purchasing from these type of stores is a no-brainer.  It’s a win for you, the local merchant and the community you love.

I am placing today’s post under Music Lines because two of the businesses I am highlighting are my go-to spots for music off the beaten path.  The third business offers a first class meal to go along with the music I enjoy.  Here are the three small businesses I will be celebrating today:

     Edward McKay Greensboro NC

I can remember when Ed McKay’s was truly small.  My home town’s used book store was a hole in the wall that stacked books like a teetering Jenga puzzle.  I spent many teenage years finding books teachers did not want me to read and used CDs I could not afford to buy new.  Today, Ed McKay’s commitment to quality trade and customer service has led to a thriving business that now serves multiple locations (Greensboro, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem).   I still drive up to Greensboro on occasion to walk the store aisles looking for books by my favorite authors.   In addition to the best used book selection I have ever come across, Ed McKay trades/ sales used DVDs, music CDs, video games, video game consoles, eReaders and other electronics.

     Lunchbox Records Chralotte NC

It took me some time to find the last truly independent record store in Charlotte.  Growing up in Greensboro, I enjoyed shopping at the now long gone Record Exchange and School Kids Records and Tapes.  I thought that experience was lost forever.  Fortunately I was wrong.  The Lunchbox is the quintessential record store and offers a variety of music that is not available at big box retailers.  Last year, I went to the Lunchbox and bought my wife the new She & Him Christmas album.  To my surprise, the record came with its own wrapping paper, stickers and special Christmas pen.  From that point forward, I have tried to make the drive downtown anytime I was looking for a special CD and the packaging that comes with it.  My last purchase, Bob Dylan’s Another Self-Portrait, did not disappoint.

     Fat Ninja Truck Charleston SC

The last small business I would like to highlight belongs to a life long friend.  His food truck is approaching its first year anniversary and has become a popular destination for Charleston residents and tourists.  The Fat Ninja Food Truck focuses on modern Vietnamese food with a blend of Korean, Thai and Chinese.  Each dish’s presentation represents a modern interpretation of my best friend’s family recipes.   Needless to say, an ever-changing contrast of flavors, temperatures and textures is present in each delicious bite.  If you find yourself in Charleston, I urge you to check them out.  Our crew of Boone Goons (Appalachian State grads) will be doing just that when we travel down to celebrate the wedding of our fellow alum’s brother in December.  You can find the Fat Ninja Food Truck by checking their calendar on the Events page or by referring to a Charleston area map on their Driving Directions page.

Best Lines:  Small Business Saturday fosters mom-and-pop shopping (Jeff Ayers)