Lakewood Bar Owner Assembles List of Female Owned Businesses

LAKEWOOD, OH - The National Day Without a Woman strike is Wednesday, March 8. For some cities across the nation, that has meant being forced to close school districts for lack of teachers, parents scrambling to find childcare services, and protest events. Cleveland has been a more subdued region for the national event, but women are still actively looking to broadcast their importance to the fabric of all communities.

In Lakewood, for instance, one bar owner has put together a growing list of female- and minority-owned local businesses. She hopes that possible customers will use the list as a guide of where to spend their money on March 8. It's a way of voicing support with dollars.

Kelly Rae Griffith, owner of the Side Quest in Lakewood, says she knows firsthand that not all women are able to participate in the strike by not working. As the proprietor of a newish bar, she's not able to miss a day of work. Similarly, women in poverty situations are also unable to miss work. Yet, Griffith still wanted to show her support for the movement.

(You can catch up on all the national Day Without a Woman strikes and happenings here.)

When the strike was first announced, women were being asked to not spend a single dollar that day, as a way of demonstrating their massive economic influence nationwide. However, it became clear that female-owned small businesses would be damaged by an entire day of lost revenue. So the strike organizers rejiggered their plan and told women not to spend a dollar on March 8...unless they were spending that money at a female- or minority-owned business.

"Coming from the perspective that striking is not open to all women, especially minorities and women of color, the effort is also to draw attention to women who are out there and working hard and who cannot strike," Griffith told Patch.

To help supporters of the movement know where to direct their money, Griffith has been organizing a list of women-owned businesses in the City of Lakewood. While the list is not yet comprehensive, it is expansive and open to public update. So far, 95 businesses of all types have been added to the list. You can find the full list, including addresses, website information, and some owner information, by clicking here.

For Griffith, one of the everyday struggles against subtle and overt sexism that she fights involves her industry. The bar industry is overwhelmingly male dominated in Lakewood, she says, and when dealing with potential vendors or business partners, representatives will frequently turn away from Griffith and speak instead to her husband and business partner.

While she couldn't personally take the day off, Griffith did let her female employees know that they would not be penalized for taking March 8 off.

"We’re very active politically," she said of her bar. "And we’re out there doing stuff. I knew the strike was coming from the beginning and the more I talked to employees and other friends….the more this idea of putting together a list came naturally."

Here's Griffith's list of female-owned businesses in Lakewood, as of March 8:

• The Side Quest
• Lakewood Village Tavern
• Griffin Cider House & Gin Bar
• Flower Power Skin Studio
• Tease hair + body parlor
• Revelations Salon and Spa
• Raw Esthetics
• Reiki Room
• Stella and Shay Beauty Bar
• Dramatics Hair Salon
• Selah Salon
• Lakewood Massotherapy
• Sacred Hour Wellness Spa
• Sydney's Nail Salon
• Cuttin' Loose Salon
• The Willow Room
• Folicle (a salon)
• Carol Lynn's Salon Plus
• The Reagle Beagle Salon for Men
• Mahall's
• Artists Uncork'd
• The Movement Factory
• Pink Lotus Yoga
• Puma Yoga
• Birdtown CrossFit
• The Korean Karate Center
• Source Energy Yoga Studio
• Ride + Workout
• Achieve Fitness Studio
• Fear's Confections
• Ice Cream Joy
• Thai Thai
• Salt+
• Borderline Cafe
• Blackbird Baking Co.
• Sweet Designs Chocolatier
• Thai Kitchen Lakewood
• Root Cafe
• The Tea Lab
• Cleveland Vegan
• Taco Tontos
• The Sweet Spot
• Taste of Europe
• Breadsmith
• Kings Kitchen
• Lala Custom Cake
• KB Confections of Lakewood
• The Little Lakewood Pasta Company
• Lakewood Community Kitchen
• Elmwood Bakery
• A'Venue Fine Pastries
• Gatherings Kitchen
• The Good Goat Gallery
• Gina DeSantis Ceramics
• Lauren Herzak-Bauman Ceramics
• Foot & Ankle Clinic of Premier Physicians
• Hanson Services
• Norris Family Chiropratic
• Circle of Life Birth Services
• Merry Go Hound
• Waggs n' Whiskers Pet Grooming
• Laksy Costello, LLC
• Lakewood Music Academy
• Victoria Stanbridge Photography
• Too Much Awesomeness
• Brownstone Day School
• Regency Construction Services
• Art Forum Framing
• The Shinn Law Firm
• Shameless Promotion
• Jen Foren Photography
• Compassionate Collaborations
• Convey360
• Design Mojo LLC
• Lakewood Travel Bureau, Inc.
• Studio Chartreuse
• Godess Blessed
• Lion and Blue
• Re/Dress
• Heck's Revival
• Retro Rosie
• Lisa's Loft
• Googie Style
• Paisley Monkey
• Future No Future
• The Salvaged Boutique
• The Mummy and the Mummy's Thrift Crypt
• River Colors Studio
• Mayfaire Creations
• The Designer Consignor
• Indigo Perfumery
• MerchGirl Band Merchandise
• Fred and Daisy's
• Lakewood Luxury Consignment
• Moon and Back Bridal

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch