From cafes and thrift stores to record shops and boutiques, Brookline houses a wide variety of small businesses. Two of these small businesses have quickly become local favorites.
Located right next to the Brookline Village train stop, Jamie’s Ice Cream Co. and Brothers & Sisters Co, both owned by Jamie Siracusa, offer a warm environment for employees and customers alike.
According to Siracusa, as a small business, they stand out compared to larger competitors.
“We’re women-owned, we’re not a chain, we interact with a lot of regulars [and] our staff sticks around for a while. So, we definitely have more of that local, independent small business feel.” Siracusa said.
Siracusa said that in her experience, the businesses have always been supported by the Brookline community and students.
“When I first took over the business, I was 23. I felt the community was supportive of a young woman running a business; the regulars genuinely wanted to see us succeed,” Siracusa said. “We’ve had some wonderful people from the community and Brookline High School. It’s been cool to see some people in their first job ever: they grow, they end up going on to college and they come back for [the] summer.”
Sophomore Nadia Ruberg said she returns to Brothers & Sisters and Jamie’s for their welcoming atmosphere.
“[Brothers & Sisters] is a really fun place to be; it’s very cozy. The sizes and portions are good, and [Jamie’s] ice cream is very flavorful and unique. [It] is one of our small cafes in Brookline Village, and I think it needs all the support it can get,” Ruberg said.
According to Julia Gervase, who has worked at Brothers & Sisters since September, employees have felt a sense of community, too.
“I’ve worked in a lot of shops; this is the only place that I’ve worked where I can genuinely say every single person on shift cares about doing a good job,” Gervase said. “That’s really evident in the creativity in our drinks, the quality of everything, the customer interactions we have. Everyone’s just unbelievably nice.”
Siracusa began a community fridge that sits right outside of the Brothers & Sisters cafe, which is restocked by not only her businesses, but also other Brookline residents. The fridge allows people in need to easily access food.
“We do community events [that] have really helped us get people in the door. I like to mention the community fridge outside just to bring more exposure to it. [It] sits right outside of our business,” Siracusa said.
Gervase said that she works to create a warm and enjoyable environment inside Brothers & Sisters.
“I worked really hard on my playlist. I hope people think the music’s good in here, other than the obvious good coffee, good food and good vibes,” Gervase said.
