Business

Fourth generation of Godnicks celebrate the milestone

Entrepreneur brings kitchen boutique and yoga to Castleton.

The event included museum exhibits, live demonstrations, and family fun.

Radio Bean, the popular music venue in Burlington, closed last week after more than 25 years.

Community flourishes with something as simple as a cup of tea.

Independent growers want a way to sell their product directly to consumers.

A traditional drink from the South Pacific creates community on Maple Street.

The summer league offers Chittenden County adults a chance to compete, connect and enjoy beer.

As passengers enjoy scenic views, the kitchen staff navigate tight quarters and a bumpy ride to serve up gourmet meals.

Vermont’s cannabis market has prioritized artisan growers, while Massachusetts has allowed large-scale operations.

How different vendors across the wedding industry are adapting their business practices to embrace sustainability.

Organizers forgo exchange rates to draw visitors from across the border.

Behind one local farmer’s decision to turn her goat-dairy into a sanctuary offering animal-assisted therapies.

England fans have flocked to the Slide In Pub, giving them a taste of their home country.

The shops provide space for role-playing games — and for players to be themselves.

Once a commercial auto stop, the bookstore has been a staple of the Lyndonville community.

A thriving vintage clothing culture in Burlington and beyond supports multiple small businesses.

Tuktu, an app designed to connect seniors with local care providers, launched in Vermont earlier this year.

H.740 would give the Agency of Natural Resources more authority to source data for its greenhouse gas inventory.

SCHIP Upscale Resale turns secondhand clothing into funding for local needs

Plant lovers piled into the market to enjoy greens, drinks and art.

Britta Johnson and Kristine Engstrom create bouquets that build beauty

The store includes a permanent exhibit with showcases more than 100 species of animals.

On a former farm, a new chapter of craft begins.

Alicia Starkweather is a recent college grad and a self-taught metalsmith. She’s been making jewelry since she was six years old, and now, she runs Starkweather Designs.

As sugaring season comes to a close, Eddy reflects on his first year as a sugarmaker and what brought him to his shack.

Genesis Meyer worked as a licensed respiratory care practitioner for almost 20 years before opening a tattoo business in Randolph.

S.278 would create a pilot program for licensed cannabis establishments to apply for event permits.

Jake Shattuck goes back to the basics as he takes over a storied sugaring operation.

There were once over 100 small ski areas around the state. What’s left of grassroots skiing?

Local skiers band together to ski 4 million vertical feet and raise $175,000 in the annual Rope-a-Thon.

Homecoming Seeds cultivates varieties to extend the state’s short growing season.

The eatery offers pizza, sandwiches, Southern barbecue and Italian favorites.

The Dragon’s Dojo is Vermont’s first and only rhythm arcade

At the fourth annual Curds and Curling event, traditional granite curling stones were swapped out for wheels of cheddar.

After nearly two decades at Espresso Bueno, Elizabeth Manriquez continues to invest in the downtown.

A look inside four Montpelier kitchens during Restaurant Week.

Shelburne store welcomes both bookworms and reluctant readers

Inside the Burlington winter farmers market

Two VTSU professors sat down to discuss the changing attitudes toward cannabis and its uses.

A conversation with Summer Cao, owner of Donwoori Korean

Creek House has faced challenges over the years, including a fire in 2018 and the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020.

Local mushroom growers are working toward a more sustainable food system, powered by a greener good.

H.713 would increase the minimum wage for fast food workers in Vermont, but some question whether it would hurt local businesses

Ballot measure helped level the playing field for local retailers

Allison Rowley recently founded Rowley Wrench, an organization that offers free car-care education workshops.

As solar grows, so does Vermont’s capacity for agrivoltaics — the dual use of land on solar farms for agriculture.

The World Cow mural in Bristol is a tribute to the life of Lauris Chamberlain

Brothers transform their family dairy into an organic distillery, crafting grain-to-glass whiskey on their Hardwick farm.

Grandson of the longtime owner of West Rutland’s iconic Mary’s Café keeps the business in the family.

Women share their business journeys in Vermont

The craft supply store opened in November, 2024, and functions similar to a standard thrift store, reusing donated materials.

Partizanfilm is a grassroots, member-run non-profit. And it’s opening a two-screen art-house cinema on College Street later this month.

Chepe Cuadra is an artist and a chef in St. Albans. For almost a decade, he’s been selling Nicaraguan and Spanish food at farmers markets across Vermont.

Ben Musty, the owner of Tilted Hat Motorsports in Bradford, brings new life to old cars.

Bin Force One is a new Rutland-based business that offers trash bin sanitization and exterior cleaning for homes and businesses.

Norbert Ender, an Austrian native, sees his recently opened vintage store as a community archive.

Vintage Market Days at the fairgrounds in Rutland saw streams of people hoping for the rare find or unique items for their collections and homes.

Winooski business owners and city workers weigh in on their experiences with the Main Street Revitalization Project that began in Spring 2024

New Italian restaurant in Rutland offers spins on old classics and is named after the owner’s grandmother’s hometown in Italy.

Chef Adam Monette launched his French-inspired restaurant, Café Monette, in August.

For the businesses that remain open, many said they’ve had to shift their operations to keep up with the disruptions. 

The biggest hurdle? Clearing passengers who board the train before they cross the border. 

“They were lying on top of the hay bales staring up at the sky, watching for shooting stars.”

Le Bon GoûT —  French for “the good taste” — began as a hobby in Essiba’s kitchen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a kid, Elena Gustavson would write letters for her mother, who was illiterate. Now, Gustavson hosts regular writing groups at her new stationary store, Magpie and Tiger.

“Operating a small business is like riding a roller coaster,” says owner Mike Proia.

The Tiny Acorn plans to close its doors on August 15.

Chocolate is one of Vermont’s top food exports. But cacao doesn’t grow here — and climate change has been disrupting the global supply chain.

The USPS delivers mail to everyone, regardless of location, at an affordable price. And many postal workers want to make sure it stays that way.

Vermont business owners and community members create opportunities for social spaces that aren’t centered around alcohol.

With post-flood renovations in the basement and upgrades to the theater’s upstairs, the Savoy crew is hitting back against the streaming surge. 

The goats’ milk is creamed into an increasingly popular treat in the U.S., velvety caramel.

The state’s agriculture industries are paying close attention to prices on products they use.

In Randolph and Rutland, bowling centers are keeping up the sport — and the camaraderie it inspires.

Voters will decide whether to provide $15,000.

Sister and brother restaurateurs just re-opened their business in the heart of Winooski.

A long-time West Rutland artist uses granite and marble for his sculptures that are widely known and respected.

A company with Rutland ties has developed a way to transform human urine into useable fertilizer in a process they refer to as “pee-cycling.”

Over the last two years, “persistently rainy conditions made many forested areas too wet to harvest,” a logging industry rep told legislators.

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The owner of the Rutland-based Funky Flies online store are creating wild skateboard decks and turning some into pet bowls featured on Chewy.com

A Richmond-based entrepreneur puts a local touch into each piece of her bespoke outdoor clothing.

The buildings in question are the NOAA building in Barre, the HUD building in Burlington and the Natural Resources Conservation Service building in St. Johnsbury

Native plants provide the preferred food source, habitat and host for native birds and pollinators, as well as prevent invasive species from moving in.

The two owners met playing softball and have been friends for around 30 years.

Steven Lulek has owned the Green Mountain Climbing Center in Rutland for more than two decades, but finding climbers these days is getting tougher, and he’s not sure why.

Poultney now has a space for residents and business to get work done or host meetings.

Guy Crosby collects plastic waste from farms and brings them to a landfill in New Hampshire, where they are compacted into a bale. 

The owners of Pine Grove organics cannabis dispensary are moving to downtown Brandon into a former restaurant space and expanding offerings.

A perfect storm — that’s how industry leaders describe the challenges Vermont developers face in 2025. 

For three decades, Special Effects salon in Castleton has been catering to locals, college students and Lake Bomoseen visitors.

Merchant’s Row in Rutland now has three thrift stores, offering thrifters lots of options.

Ted’s Pizza, a staple in Rutland for decades, has been sold to new owners after longtime owner Tony Romeo decided to retire.

“The access to fresh locally grown food is something that they’ll miss,” said a founder.

The yoga routine of a Fair Haven woman sparked a business, aided by some like-minded friends.

The U.S. Postal Service has offered little explanation for the gulf in pricing.

Rutland has a new restaurant offering dishes from Venezuela, where co-owner Paola Nunez Sarmiento is from. She said she is proud to be offering a taste of home to the Rutland area.

Young Vermonters often decide to leave their small hometowns for jobs elsewhere, but siblings Martin and Whitney VanBuren decided to stay put and make a difference in Poultney.

“We allow people to mix and match flower. It’s like a deli counter at the grocery store,” owner Mark Frier said.

Terry Bergen was a psychology professor at Castleton University for four decades, but those in Poultney may know him more for his dojo in town. He sat down to chat about life as a black belt professor.

A whimsical, Vermont-y twist on an old tradition

The Sparkle Barn, Wallingford’s artsy gift shop, has added an eye-popping “Bloom Room” event space and will soon be offering a mobile version.

Toad’s Burger Bar in Poultney has become a go-to eatery for locals and a magnet for those passing through. Owners Andrew Breting and Caden Capman have been blown away by the success.

Amy’s Armoire is more than just a thrift store.

A local business owner believes customization is a collaborative process.

A new bill would inventory state properties for potential for housing development.

Respecting a client’s autonomy includes knowledge of skin types, anatomy and how a tattoo will age, said one tattooist. It also means knowing your limitations as an artist.

About half the shares of Calabash Gardens are owned by family and friends, and 39% are owned by people of color.

The pair of co-owners started out with nine employees. Now, two years on, they have 22.

Dec. 11 was owner Dan Hock’s 38th birthday and Winooski Wheels’ second.

Bob Murray and his wife, Carlie, bought the 60-acre plot of land and planted their first tree in 1976.

“The one goal I’ve had since the beginning was to open up wine to everyone,” she said.

Her passion for inclusivity is apparent through her client closet, which has over 100 pieces ranging from XS to 6X for customers to try.

The change comes at what seems to be a significant time for regional co-ops as two other within 30 minutes have undergone significant changes in the last six years.

The bakery, opened by Bosnian couple Alma and Orhan Smailhodzic, opened this April right off the Winooski roundabout.

A judge in August sided with the cannabis and duck farmer, but his neighbors are pursuing an appeal of that decision.

The salon’s next gender-affirming haircut event is Oct. 6.

On a recent afternoon, entrepreneurs like Adriana Munch congregated in the warehouse, sinking their boots into disinfectant and slipping past each other as they hunkered down in kitchens.

More than 60 units are planned in total across the two towns. Both project planners say state brownfield grants have helped get the ball rolling.

The over $28 million project began in April and is slated to continue into 2026. Officials say it’s an investment for the city’s future.

Chick’s is Winooski’s open early, one-stop shop for groceries, meals and great conversation.

The Heritage Winooski Mill Museum, which organized the fair, brimmed with posters, quilts and blankets as exhibits traced the threads between modern Winooski and its wool manufacturing past. 

A number of Vermont vineyards and wineries practice regenerative agriculture — that goes beyond minimizing farming’s costs on land to instead help restore it.

The project was showcased as a success story for collaborations between municipalities and businesses coming together to spur economic development in Vermont’s small towns.

In early May, a salesman was telling customers they could buy a Tesla online and pick it up at the dealership only if they had their own financing.

The products, the Wisemans say, can boost immune systems, improve memory and energy and spur a range of other healthy body functions.

The event included music, costumes and an auction to raise money to help a 9-year-old diagnosed with cancer last year.

The couple formed the sanctuary in 2017, first in the town of Washington, then in 2019 they moved their setup to Tunbridge.

The venue hosts smaller gatherings as well as bigger parties that can rent out the whole building.

While these big wins sound alluring, very few sports bettors leave with any profit. The average sports bettor has lost around 8 cents for every dollar they spent since 2018, according to a review of sportsbooks’ earnings last year.

Some business owners have mixed feelings.

The city’s long-delayed Main Street Revitalization project began last month.

The bill seeks to ensure better legal protections for donors.

Many black artists and historians have gathered for the past five years at Clemmons farm to discuss Black history and culture in Vermont.

Vermont only has five medical cannabis dispensaries as opposed to at least 51 recreational businesses opening within the last two years.

It’s a scaled down version of the event from its high in 2022.

The bill would target shoplifters who steal multiple things in one county within a two-week period. If the combined value of the goods exceeds $900, an offender would face the same fines and imprisonment as the current felony.

The library plans on expanding next March to promote inclusivity in the state’s most diverse city.

Winooski’s population is roughly 60% renters, meaning the regulations could impact a lot of residents.

The bill says companies that distribute PCBs must pay for the testing and removal of the chemicals in Vermont’s schools.

As April 20 approaches, Autumn Records, like many independent vinyl stores across the country, prepares for one of its busiest days.

Under the bill, companies would be barred from the sale, lease, or disclosure of people’s biometric identification unless it is necessary for the service or the person gives consent. 

Over the past two years of partnering with farms, Farm Stand Together has provided over 250 families with access to organic food.

He can’t fly or shoot lasers out his eyes, but he can do what many dread and few understand: taxes.

The simultaneous eatery openings on Friday, March 22, set up something of a competition.

Two Vermont business owners realized they not only shared a love of crypto trading but also merchandise with trend-driven, street-inspired designs.

By meeting a slew of conditions, producers wouldn’t need inspections to sell raw chicken products from the farm, at farmers markets or to restaurants in Vermont.

‘It was a constant battle’ to keep JetBlue in the Green Mountain State — a conflict that started long before the airline pulled out in 2023.

The hotel would serve as a cornerstone of the city’s vision for economic growth downtown.

Washington district constituents approached their senator after they were turned away from a business because they only carried cash.

Andrew Breting graduated from Castleton University in 2017, but his love of the Castleton community inspired him to open multiple restaurants in the area.

Arwen Turner and Kara Hardman’s clothing brand, Thicket Adventure — featuring the plus-size Brecken hiking pant designed to fit all body shapes and sizes — recently hit its Kickstarter goal of $30,000 after only four days.

Several towns asked Vermonters to authorize cannabis retailers Tuesday during annual town meetings.

The gallery’s co-owner said the idea stems from noticing a bond between one of his past students and a colleague.

Management last year rolled out parking fees, carpooling incentives and bus service improvements — but it may not be doing enough. 

Deborah and Arthur Laiacona’s new restaurant thrives under their care.

McNeil & Reedy is a staple of downtown Rutland, and third-generation owner Casey McNeil is doing his best to maintain that legacy.

Laura Collins bakes and decorates cookies by hand for events like children’s birthday parties and bachelorette parties.

Connective Physical Therapy focuses on neurologic and pelvic health conditions in a state where generalized practices dominate.

The lead sponsor of the bill says the legislation is important for residents in areas likely to suffer flooding in the future.

Winooski residents approved the project six years ago, and after a series of delays, construction is set to begin in two months.

That money would make up what lawmakers are calling a climate superfund to help pay for natural disaster recovery in Vermont. 

The bill aims to prevent Vermont from becoming a place for puppy farms or mills — commercial dog breeding operations that raise animals in poor conditions.

About 75 cows died after a fire broke Jan. 20 and turned a 400-foot-long barn into a pile of rubble and ash. 

What started as a food truck has grown into the opening of a second cafe location.

Vermont State Police announced last week that troopers had finished an investigation into the incident and that no criminal charges would be filed. 

A year into its resurrection in South Burlington, Eastern Mountain Sports is geared up for the holiday shopping season and seeing a resurgence of customers.

The Sisterhood of the Dreaded Elevator Pitch is a free, interactive workshop for anyone who identifies as women to help them navigate some of the most intimidating aspects of running a business.

Last month, Freak Folk Bier brewery received a grant from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s wastewater management program that would pay for upgrades to keep its sludge out of the waste stream.

Despite a dreary sky overhead, the Bolton Valley Resort base lodge bustled with lively activity and eager skiers on the first day that ski lifts opened for the winter.

Wind turbines are popping up across Vermont and beyond to answer demands for a more sustainable energy system, but they also threaten some of the animal species that live and fly around them. Wildlife Imaging Systems, based in Hinesburg, is striving to temper risks.

The space in the commercial center of Hinesburg, off of Route 116, is DandyLion’s first store.

On the final night of the Palace 9 movie theater’s operation, the hottest ticket was for the three-hour Martin Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” costing only a dollar.

Sickles is the founder and owner of Standing Stone Wines, the newest business on the rotary, at 33 Main St., which plans to open this Wednesday, November 15.

The situation around Struthers, his weed and his ducks has evolved into yelling matches, lawsuits, letters to legislators and an Essex Junction neighborhood on edge.

Dan Snyder knew when he bought Cold Hollow Cider Mill in December 2022 that he’d have to manage major crowds come foliage season this year.

At a special meeting in August, the Vermont Board of Armory Commissioners decided it was time to address the fate of the Waterbury Armory. 

Thibault was at Burlington’s lakefront coworking space, Hula, on Oct. 21 for Tech Jam, an annual gathering of dozens of statewide tech companies to share their innovations, build networks and pitch job opportunities to talented prospects. 

“I’ve been wanting a place like this for like 10 years,” Kao said in a recent interview. “I grew up in a family business and a family restaurant.”

Open 24 hours a day, the gym serves as a convenient place for locals to cultivate their fitness journey without the hassle of a commute or a time restriction.

Oscar Green, a 2023 graduate of Colchester High School, was given the opportunity to make his own flexible pathway by starting his own business.

At the busy Creative MicroSystems table at the Tech Jam event Saturday in Burlington, a young girl stepped up from the crowd to try the Waitsfield company’s virtual reality headset.

Heller is the kind of employee that Physician’s Computer Company, or PCC, continues to pursue after 40 years of operation. He stood with colleagues at PCC’s table Saturday at Tech Jam, an annual job fair put on by Seven Days newspaper.

During the Tech Jam expo on Saturday, battery storage company Kore Power wanted those who stopped at its table to know one thing: Change is coming.

The expo is a hotspot for networking and career development that works to bridge the gap between career seekers and Vermont recruiters.

An outpouring of assistance followed the flood from volunteers within and outside of Waterbury.

“We rely on that water for training, and if those beaches are closed because of the quality of the water, that really impacts us,” said the Burlington diving center’s co-owner.

Step by step, the Craft Beer Cellar has gotten back on its feet after the July floods hit their just-opened shop’s basement, causing thousands in damage.

Beloved Winooski business Misery Loves Co. will be dropping its restaurant service and transitioning fully into a market on Wednesday.

In 2010, Alejandra Perez decided to build her own community by cooking and selling authentic Mexican food outside her home.

Waterbury’s newest cannabis dispensary has gotten off the runway with a store featuring big windows positioned to maximize natural light, four separate kiosks prepared for product browsing and sliding glass hatches covering fresh bud for fragrance testing.

Julian Hackney’s journey in becoming the founder of Young at Heart ginger beer has been pretty serendipitous.

Vermont’s recreational cannabis market has taken off this fall in the White River Valley, with more than 25 cultivators licensed by the state Cannabis Control Board in the region and more still pending.

The Dains are in their 19th year running the Waterbury shop

State tax credits will help fund nearly 50 redevelopment projects around Vermont including three sites in downtown Waterbury

Two dozen craft vendors, two food trucks and many more guests turned out for the first-ever Autumnal Market in Colchester.

The Shelburne Country Store has a new owner.

As locals celebrate the end of Mud Season and tourists flock to take in Vermont’s priceless nature, it is vital to know where to get the best cold treat on a hot summer day.