Icons & Ones to Watch

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes?  Most of the social media is still me! I have an intern helping with the more time-consuming reels, but I set the strategy for each post (is it a single photo, a carousel, or a reel?) and I write the captions. People keep ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia When did you open (month & year)? October 2025. Describe your business in three words. Fresh. Local. Live. What’s something your business does differently than anyone else? Our attention to detail and storytelling in everything from our sound system to the bands we book and our menu curation. What’s one thing people often say when ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? The teachers and I meticulously curate the Spotify playlist that plays throughout the common areas of the school. We’re a music school after all, so of course we need to have great tunes playing! If you weren’t doing this, what would you be ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? We cup the teas and coffees beforehand, which means tasting each delivery, particularly the coffees; they're not always the same from season to season. What’s something you do that seems small but makes a huge difference? We dial in the coffee recipes with ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? I am constantly reading new medical updates, often diving into a "rabbit hole" to see how they tie into other aspects of medicine, such as nutrition and longevity. I then work on applying new management options to real patient situations and often call ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? We love to put up birdhouses and bat boxes all around the farm. Our customers might not be able to see it, but the nursery is home to many different species of birds, owls and bats. What’s something you do that seems small ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? We make “in-house” salad dressings from our recipes: chili ranch, blue cheese, 1000 Island, Parmesan peppercorn. And, of course, we make our cream of tomato bacon soup. What’s something you do that seems small but makes a huge difference?  We donate to local ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day? Countless hours of mowing, from the orchards, to the Christmas trees, and around the fields.  Also trying out new ideas and recipes for tasty treats in the bakery. What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? Only picking ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is one thing you do that seems small but makes a huge difference? The approach towards the customers. I always try to be generous and open to our customers. I greet them, smile when they come in and treat them as best as I can. If you weren't doing this, what would you be ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? Most people don't realize that we have two young grandsons (ages 2 & 4) that keep us busy when we're not at work. What’s the best advice you ever received? Success isn't always measured by how much you make, but by how many ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What's something you do that seems small but makes a huge difference?  We change products based on the seasons. It may be earlier than someone would think, but then they say, "Oh, it's time to get that.” When did you open?   The business itself has been open since 1887. Describe your business in three ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? We spend a lot of time researching and testing toys before they ever make it onto our shelves. We want everything we carry to spark imagination, last through real play, and feel truly special—so a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes “work” looks like grown-ups ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes?  I think one thing my customers may not know that I do behind the scenes is curate and design our Katonah merchandise—hats, bags, mugs, t-shirts. I would love to do more of this type of work but it's hard to find the time ...

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is something that you do behind the scenes that people probably don't know? We make all fresh pasta here, like lemon spaghetti pasta, which we’ve had for a few years. It’s very popular.  Is there something small you do that makes a big difference? We try to use fresh and local products, especially in ...