Little Blue Local Guide: Pittsburgh

Pittsburg Guide: EJ Post

EJ Post from Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is our first Little Local Guide. EJ is an author who created Pittsburgh People Network to connect local, values-based, small businesses with fellow Pittsburghers.

EJ loves Pittsburgh because it’s a a unique city that is completely underrated. “The people here have that ‘midwest nice’ but are incredibly proud of the Steel City and its redemption arc. Also, the grocery store has a whole freezer section dedicated to pierogies, which never fails to make me laugh. Quirky is the vibe.”

Little Blue Cart is excited to welcome EJ for a local’s inside look at the best progressive owned small businesses and restaurants in Pittsburgh. But first, here’s some great advice from EJ about how and why it’s important to prioritize shopping small.

Why It’s Important to Shop Your Values

When you choose to shop small and local, you’re doing so much more than buying something — you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. Every dollar you spend at a local business stays in your community, cycling through to support local jobs, schools, events, and families. It’s the coffee shop that sponsors the girl scout troop, the bookstore that saved a novel in the back just for you, and the waitress that you leave an extra big tip because you know her kid’s birthday is next week.

Giant corporations don’t care if your neighborhood thrives. They optimize for scale, not soul — extracting resources, underpaying workers, and shipping goods across oceans just to shave off pennies. That kind of efficiency costs us our communities, our environment, and our sense of connection. Local businesses often source more responsibly, reduce transportation emissions, and actually give a damn about the people behind the purchase.

Shopping your values isn’t always the easiest or cheapest choice, but it is the most powerful. It’s how we build a resilient economy from the ground up — not trickle-down. It’s how we tell marginalized creators, queer business owners, immigrant restaurateurs: we see you, we believe in you, we’ve got you.

So yeah, maybe that candle costs a few bucks more, but it’s going to be worth it to me every single time to put my morals into action.

Advice to Switch to Small

Start with just one thing. If you go to Starbucks, swap out a trip to your local coffee shop instead. If you need an outfit, ask Threads for local recs. For any question I’ve asked, the community has a plethora of answers. There are so many people out there looking for that sense of community that we isolated and individualized,when the truth is that most people want the same thing–a happy and thriving home. Think about the community you want to live in, and if it doesn’t already exist, create it one step at a time.

Local Progressive Guide to Pittsburgh

I cannot tell you how difficult it was to narrow this down. It’s one of the things I love about this city; there are still SO many mom and pop shops. I travel a lot for my day job, and most cities just do not have the kind of small business community that exists here.”

One of my favorite “regulars” is Carnegie Coffee Company. They are loud and proud and hang their pride flag all year long. They’re constantly making improvements, increasing their offerings, and doing more community outreach and programs. It’s a real community space, and it’s located in an old post office, which just adds to the charm.  Think PO boxes under the counter. My favorite thing they offer is their seasonal girl scout cookie inspired lattes; I love a samoa cookie, but I also love that part of the proceeds go to a local charity or school fundraiser, depending on the season.

Trace Brewing is another favorite. It’s located in the Bloomfield neighborhood which is one of my favorite places to shop small. Great tacos, book stores–all the necessities. 

Trace is unique in its offerings, though.  They have a full service coffee bar inside the brewery, along with other NA options. I think it’s such a great spot for people who don’t drink to be able to feel really comfortable hanging out with friends that do. They also host community events constantly, along with delicious food trucks. And they’re dog friendly!

Amarah Boutique Fitness and Unique Fashion: This store is the definition of wonderful. Funny enough, I encountered them through Threads. I was asking the fashion girlies where plus sized women shop now, and if someone could (pretty please I’m so desperate) help me find a few cute outfits appropriate for my upcoming work retreat. Not only did the owner herself respond, but she pretty much became my personal shopper and hype woman. She helped me find a few items that fit like a glove, matched my personality, but were still business casual. As a plus sized woman, shopping can be so demoralizing, and this was probably the only time in my life I left a store thinking, “Wow, that was fun!”. They also host community events and have inclusive fitness classes in their space. They really do it all!

Blythe Books is a used bookstore and community hub. The owner, Lizzie, runs this place with heart (and a lot of nostalgia). She’s hosting a summer reading camp akin to the pizza promos most of us remember from our youth. She’s also a huge believer in indie authors, whereas most bookstores turn them away. She has a rotating section of local authors and hypes them up constantly. When I think of local small businesses, it’s places like Lizzie’s that come to mind. Warm, friendly, and truly a presence in the community. She even opens her store up in these hot summer months just to let people cool off, no purchase needed!

It was so hard to pick a restaurant in Pittsburgh (because we have so many awesome ones) but I’d love to highlight Community Kitchen in Hazelwood. Their motto is “cooking up opportunity” and they offer a culinary training program for anyone, regardless of social and financial barriers.  Think people with criminal records or those who didn’t graduate high school; they also make thousands of meals each week to fight hunger in our region.  On top of all of that, their food is bomb; if you’re ever in the area around fish fry season, it’s a must-eat.