Shop Philly

Culinary power couple Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate have racked up impressive accolades over the years, but it’s their commitment to creating a positive community impact while always remembering their roots that has delivered their greatest success to date: Honeysuckle Provisions . This critically acclaimed venture is a lauded food concept and a leading philosophy for the future of food thought in America. (More on Honeysuckle below.)

Originally praised in New York City for his wildly popular dining series (Honeysuckle), Omar came home to West Philadelphia when COVID-19 hit in March 2020. During that time, he met his now-wife, Haitian-American chef Cybille St.Aude, was named Esquire ’s “Chef of the Year” for 2020 and landed a spot on the TIME100 “Next 2021” list . Not a shabby way to spend the pandemic, huh?

Cybille was busy making her mark too. She published children’s books, appeared on the TV show Chopped and cooked at the James Beard House and at the Haitian Embassy.

Today, the dynamic duo uses their combined talents to inspire each other personally and professionally — work that led to the creation of Honeysuckle Provisions in October 2022.

Though Honeysuckle was originally envisioned as a fine-dining experience, the pair’s social beliefs coupled with the pandemic helped them to reimagine it. Today, it’s an Afrocentric grocery and café in West Philly, featuring predominantly Black-made, -owned and -grown foods. And in the next few years, the couple plans to open a second, much larger community center.

Browse their curated collection here filled with essentials from many African American- and  women-owned shops (an ode to both Black History Month and Women’s History Month) that will nourish the body and soul (an ancestor altar box, tea and honey sets, books, coffee, cheese, socks and soaps, for starters.) Flowers, jewelry and food also made the list, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Originally from Alabama, Philadelphia Eagles first-year Cornerback James Bradberry is spending his first year in Philadelphia helping his team to loads of victories and exploring his new hometown, especially our vast and delicious cheesesteak scene.

For winter 2022/2023, James curated a collection exclusively on Black- and Brown-owned businesses. Though items in his collection will appeal to people with varying budgets and all sorts of interests — everything from stocking stuffers (a $7 bar of soap) to lavish gifts (a $325 pair of shoes, for example) — we’re pretty sure his relaxation picks (teas, incense, salt soaks and specialty soaps) might actually be on his own wish list for post-game recovery.

At 29 years old, Bradberry has diverse interests off the field. He’s a foodie who offers private cooking lessons to friends and family (check out his hot sauce and seasoning gift ideas), an avid reader (you’ll see multiple books in his collection), a proud dad (see his picks for kids) and a philanthropist.

Known most recently for directing the hit-movie Hustle , a “love letter to the city of Philadelphia” starring Adam Sandler, Jeremiah Zagar has made a name for himself far beyond his South Street roots. Now living in Brooklyn, New York, the filmmaker’s documentaries, narratives and movies have screened at film festivals all over the U.S., scored Emmy nominations and been broadcasted on HBO, Hulu and more.

Whether Zagar’s inspiration comes from his genealogy (he’s the son of prolific mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, and Julia Zagar, owner of Latin American craft shop Eye’s Gallery) or his geographic good fortune to grow up on South Street and experience Philly’s creativity and diversity first hand, one thing’s for sure: There’s a piece of Philly in whatever Zagar does.

In Visit Philly’s second edition of Shop Philly in fall 2022, Zagar, a huge basketball fan and “a bit of a sneakerhead,” offered up his hand-picked selections from small and minority-owned businesses throughout Philly. We’re talking everything from Sixers gear to handmade mugs, sophisticated cufflinks and, you guessed it, a pair of sneakers (Vejas from Boyd’s to be specific).

Fashion designer turned lifestyle-and-design guru, Maldonado is the founder and creative director of YOWIE , a popular Queen Village home and life shop showcasing and selling the creations of friends, independent artists and designers. This hands-on shopkeeper picks out every item she sells and in doing so pays homage to Philly’s thriving creative scene — just as the Shop Philly collection she curated for us aims to do.

Maldonado began her retail career with a pop-up shop, followed by an online store and then a storefront, and now she’s expanding her footprint to include a shoppable boutique hotel, cafe and even larger retail space set to open on South Street this fall.

Maldonado assembled the Shop Philly collection for spring and summer 2022, shining a bright spotlight on Philly’s small and minority-owned businesses.