The Local Flavors Shoppe, More than Local

In opening The Local Flavors Shoppe, Jason Levine fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening a store that featured locally made products. He set up shop in Painesville, Ohio and personally invited over 100+ artisans to become part of his store. Pat's Granola became part of the shop in February, and despite the pandemic, we continue to be a vital collaborative partner in the business. 

Painesville is located 30 miles northeast of Cleveland, two miles from the shores of Lake Erie. It's a small town in Lake County and I enjoy the drive there from Cleveland. I first met Jason and his wife on a cold February morning when he asked me to deliver Pat's Granola to the shop. We became fast friends and talked nonstop for over an hour. Jason and Laura are adventurers and have traveled extensively to discover little known products, made by real people. 

Here's the website description of Local Flavors. We are a retail grocery shop specializing in local, small batch, artisanal goods. All of our products are made within 150 miles of Painesville. It's more than that. Jason knows all his artisans on a first name basis. He can tell you how they started and their history (impressive). Jason is a strong advocate for small business and in promoting the downtown retail district in Painesville, as well as the surrounding area.

Through him I learned about La Casita, a local Mexican restaurant and grocery store. It's become a family favorite for takeout these past few months (love the homemade tortillas). I've also shopped in Joughin Hardware (a truly old fashioned hardware store that dates back to 1877), Gartman Model Bakery (family owned and operated since 1917) and the Sidewalk Cafe, which is right next door to the shop.

There is no better time to give local products to your friends and family this holiday season. If you are looking for gift basket or stocking stuffer goodies look no further.

With the holiday season in full swing Local Flavors is your destination for all your gift giving needs.