When neighborliness becomes good business.
Stories by Nate Paige
Photographs by Angelo Merendino
Hammath Aw, owner of Africa Art & Clothes
Being neighborly is a term most often used when referring to residential relationships, but it can also apply in the business world. The owners of three Chagrin Boulevard businesses – Maridah Akram of Faithfully Fit Fitness, Makya Murray of Reclamation, and Hammath Aw of Africa Art & Clothes – are literal business neighbors located right next to each other along Chagrin Boulevard.
In a move to market their relatively new shops, and all that they offer, these three business owners decided to work together to create a Vendor’s Market last October, and invited other neighborhood merchants to participate. The event was a success and has helped to draw increased foot traffic to all three establishments, and others, along Chagrin.
After attending the Vendor’s Market, Shaker Life caught up with the owners of these three businesses to learn more about their inspiration for starting a business and why they chose to set up shop in Shaker.
Cultural Richness Abounds at Africa Art & Clothes
Africa Art is hard to miss. From its storefront windows bursting with color and pattern, passersby know immediately that more treasures and discoveries await inside the door.
Longtime businessman Hammath Aw, the owner of Africa Art & Clothes at 16700 Chagrin Boulevard is a native of upper West Africa – a region on the border between Senegal and Mauritania. He moved to the United States in 1995, a few years after a two-year border war between the two countries. He brought with him the richness and warmth his country is known for.
“I’ve been involved with business since 1983,” Aw says. “While in Africa, I ran a grocery store, but prior to that, I was a goat herder. My family had herds of goats and cows.”
Aw’s pivot to retail is impressive. His bountiful, colorful shop is unique in Shaker and well beyond, judging from his customers. Over the years, they have come from Youngstown, Akron, Kent, and Warren, and as far away as Detroit, Chicago, and Buffalo.
“My Shaker customers brought me here, urging me to open a store in the area.”
Among the store’s many offerings are African wood carvings and artwork, handbags, a wide variety of clothing boasting vivid prints and bold colors, and accessories. Shea butter and black soap are currently two of his most popular items. Shea butter comes from the African Shea tree nut and is used in cosmetics. Black soap contains ground plantain skin and/or palm leaves that serve as a natural exfoliant.
Africa Art & Clothes opened in Shaker in 2018. Before that, Aw managed locations in the East 185th/ Lakeshore area, as well as Richmond Town Square, where his inventory included rugs and furniture. The only remaining location is here in Shaker.
“Basically, my Shaker customers brought me here, urging me to open a store in the area,” says Aw. “My Shaker customers have been very helpful to me over the years. I’m happy to be here.”
Aw would like to expand again at some point in the future, but he’s still mapping out plans on how he wants to proceed.
“Of the stores I have been involved in since being in the States, Shaker has been the best location; it allows me to thrive.”
For more information, call 216-269-7421.
Thrifting as an Art
Makya Murray, owner of Reclamation
Thrifting can very well be considered an art of sorts – just ask Makya Murray, owner of Reclamation, a resale/consignment shop at 16704 Chagrin. Murray’s primary interests include theater and costume design – and thrifting. Her keen eye and passion for unique finds are reflected in Reclamation’s carefully curated and endlessly interesting inventory, which includes clothing, shoes, furniture, purses, drinkware, and more.
“I’ve always been a huge thrifter,” says Murray. “I love to travel and find unique pieces of furniture and antiques. I’m also into high fashion, but I can’t afford it. I would always find pieces at thrift stores and remake them to resemble runway fashion. That became something I was really into. Also, I recently found out how sustainable thrifting is and how it’s really good for the planet. It can be a better option than buying new clothes.”
Previous work experience in resale shops helped prepare her for her business. “I worked in a few resale stores, and I managed a thrift store for a while, but I’ve always had my own ideas for a space. One day my mom said, ‘You have great ideas, why don’t you think about opening your own space?’ She invested in me and helped me open this business.”
Murray’s focus and business acumen are acute, considering she’s only 20 years old. She chose Shaker Heights as the location for the business because “I really love the space, and I’ve always viewed Shaker as a really trendy area.”
The majority of Reclamation’s inventory comes from donations. Consignment contracts are drawn up for high-end pieces. To date, Murray’s most popular items are women’s tops and jackets. She is currently trying to expand her inventory of winter coats. As a relatively new businesswoman, her clientele comes mostly from friends and family, and former co-workers, and increasingly from passersby, too.
In the short time the shop has been open, Murray has also received visits from the owners of other local businesses including Master Marr’s Taekwon-Do and Picnic Hill Market Caf , as well as from members of the Shaker Arts Council’s “Imagine Chagrin” storefront art initiative. This is in addition to interacting with her immediate neighbors – Faithfully Fit Fitness and Africa Art & Clothes – in last October’s Vendor’s Market event.
“I’m really excited about the future of the store and where it’s going, and I want to constantly change and improve. I want this space to become a staple to find cool stuff; really unique furniture pieces, and awesome, curated thrifting pieces.”
For more information, call 216-999-7508.
The Second Time is the Charm
Maridah Akram, owner of Faithfully Fit Fitness
Maridah Akram is one of many others who learned that a global pandemic can obliterate the best laid plans, but true to form, Akram powered through the setbacks with her eyes firmly fixed on her goal.
Akram opened her workout facility, Faithfully Fit Fitness at 16706 Chagrin, in September 2021 – nearly two years later than she originally planned, and in a different location.
“I think it was destiny to open my business in Shaker. Several times I drove by the space with my daughter, and I would tell her to write down the phone number in the window and she would say ‘Mom, it’s already in your phone. Just call it.’”
A resident of Shaker Heights since 2009, Akram had had a lengthy career as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner at University Hospitals and The Cleveland Clinic.
“I started on this fitness journey after having my third child and gaining weight,” says Akram. “Being a nurse, I taught people about diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. I had to take classes so I could train other nurses, and as I read the material, I thought to myself ‘how can you talk the talk and not walk the walk?’ I started a healthier lifestyle and began to lose weight, which made me feel better. And then I got involved in running marathons.”
As she continued to explore her newfound passion for running, other runners would ask her questions about its health benefits. This led her to think about health and fitness as a business endeavor.
“I decided I wanted to open my own gym. So, in 2019, I left my job and found a location in Cleveland. I fixed up the place and was ready to open – and then the pandemic hit, and all gyms were forced to shut down. In late 2020, I went to get my occupancy permit through the City of Cleveland and was denied. That was another devastating blow.”
At that point, Akram realized she needed an alternate plan.
“My choices were to return to the hospital or pursue my dream,” says Akram. “I had to really think about it. I finally called the manager of this building and everything took off from there. Everyone in Shaker – the inspectors, those involved with the Storefront Program, the economic developers – was extremely helpful in getting my business going.”
Faithfully Fit Fitness is open seven days a week and offers a variety of classes: step, trap spin, deep stretch, cardio hip-hop, and toning. There’s also a course titled Pretty Curvy that consists of a high-energy workout while dancing, and occasionally adding weights.
Akram stresses the necessity of spirit, body, and mind to accomplish fitness goals.
“We know working out requires physical strength, but it also requires mental and spiritual strength, to some degree,” she says. “When I ran a full marathon, it took more than just being physically fit. So, even if I have a hard time during this lifelong journey of health and wellness, I will remain faithful to the process.”
For more information, call 216-256-3972.
