They have infiltrated American consumer culture – Walmart, Target, and Costco. They are the mega-chains. Stores that carry anything and everything found in almost every community across the country. Many towns have gone to court to stop stores like Walmart from setting up shop, fearing a loss of local businesses and community charm.

Now in a Brooklyn, New York neighborhood, a new phenomenon is starting to take root. The local chain. They’re small businesses linked by a common theme and – unlike their big chain rivals – are located in close proximity to each other. “We’re not cloning one thing and putting it somewhere else,” says Patrick Watson. “We’re trying to target a neighborhood that we know and love incredibly well, and fill the gaps in.”

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