Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have a legendary rivalry when it comes to football, but Matt McMonagle and his wife, Lisa, are taking that rivalry to the condiment arena. As supporters of locally-owned businesses, Matt and Lisa noticed that everyone in Cleveland was serving Pittsburgh-based Heinz ketchup. “We saw a lot of [local] mustard, hot sauces, and barbeque sauces," says Matt. "But why are we buying ketchup from a Pittsburgh company?” 

Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.

When Hotcards CEO John Gadd moved his company to the former Futon Factory at 2400 Superior Ave.—and subsequently bought the building in 2015—he didn’t know what he wanted to do with the 22,000-square-foot warehouse. But soon after moving in, the idea of converting the warehouse into an upscale urban event center came to Gadd, and Red Space was born.

Raffaele Di Lallo may work as a chemical engineer for a top specialty chemicals and coatings company, but his true passion is caring for tropical houseplants and sharing his knowledge. So, two years ago, the Clevelander starred Ohio Tropics—a daily blog focused on teaching readers how to grow and nurture their houseplants.

It’s never easy when a loved one is hospitalized—often, the family caregivers forget to care for themselves. With more than 2,000 Orthodox Jewish families living in the Cleveland area—the majority of whom live in Cleveland Heights, University Heights, and the Green Road area of Beachwood—the tenets of their faith can make a hospital stay particularly hard. The new Bikur Cholim room at MetroHealth's Cleveland Heights campus is helping to make the experience easier for all. 

When Julia Gramenz and Abbey Markiewitz started Fetch & Co. boutique in October 2017 in Markiewitz’ basement with just a couple of clothing racks and a fitting room, they had one mission in mind: To offer unique clothing in a range of sizes that would fit every woman.

Cleveland is a spooky place, and not just around Halloween. No one knows that better than Jessica Oktober and Marleigh McVeigh, co-founders of the Cleveland Area Paranormal Society (CAPS).Together the two lead a team of experts in serving up everything paranormal—from Haunted History Tours around Cleveland to cryptid crafts to tarot card and tea readings.

With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.

The Cleveland Amateur Boating and Boatbuilders Society now has a permanent workspace instead of PHASTAR, near the Foundry and the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. It's part of a larger community boating center that PHASTAR is putting together that will house other groups—each with a unique tie to boating, the river, or Lake Erie, according to CABBS President Ed Neal.
 

Pablo Lopez and Farris Khouri just completed their college degrees last year, but they're already making waves in the business world with Ohio’s first farm-to-cup coffee company, Mocina Coffee.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is known by all for his work in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Many people in Cleveland, however, may not be aware of how often King came through Cleveland in the 1960s—and the lasting influence he had on the city. From civil rights and Christianity to politics and school sit-ins, King was a well-known presence in Cleveland.

Jeff King believes in doing things right the first time. That philosophy may have put him and his business partner, Brad Poe, more than a year behind schedule in opening the new Kensington Pub (2260 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights), but King says they are finally ready to open.

Ground has already been broken on the $60 million mixed-use development Church + State by the collaborative development team of Hemingway Development, GRAMMAR Properties, and Brent Zimmerman, but the group will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday, January 24, to kick off the newest addition to the Hingetown neighborhood.

After nearly 12 years of vacancy, the former Cleveland Athletic Club (CAC) at 1118 Euclid Ave. will soon come alive again as the Athlon at the Cleveland Athletic Club Building. The building will feature 163 luxury apartments, offices, and commercial retail space—all paying homage to a facility loved by Clevelanders since the CAC first opened its doors in 1911, then abruptly closed in 2007.

For Scott Robertson, every flower he uses in his creations is a work of art reflecting his own personal spin on design. “I think what we do here is really floral art, because we don’t just throw things in a vase,” he says of his new Stems Fleur floral and gift boutique in Cleveland Heights. “We mix traditional and really clean, modern looks, and people are starting to recognize our work.”
 

After 18 years in the restaurant catering and food contracting industry, Lindsay Smith decided it was time to debunk some of the myths surrounding fine wines. Namely, Smith wants to correct the perceptions that wine is expensive, intimidating, and highbrow—and she's doing so at the new Flight Cleveland wine bar in the Gordon Square Arts District.
 

As retailers start opening their doors in Shaker Heights’ new Van Aken District, the emphasis is on local and regional makers. But there is also a strong female influence at the District, with more than 15 women-owned small businesses anchoring the 80,000 square feet of retail in the first phase of the $97 million mixed-use development project.

When fire ripped through the roof of Fernway Elementary School in Shaker Heights on July 10, 2018, it not only devastated the approximately 300 students, teachers, and staff housed in the almost century-old building, it devastated the community. Now the Fernway Forward fundraising campaign is poised to help it rebuild even better than before.

The holiday season is all about giving and getting together with friends and family. Mia Sakai and Lindsey Neidus, co-founders of SEA (Spaces, Experiences, Activations), have taken those holiday sentiments a step further by melding the two to create a pop-up holiday cocktail spot: Lake Effects Bar, located in the renovated historic 1901 Kimpton Schofield Hotel.