Small Business Saturday 2025 In Evanston: See Sales, Deals

EVANSTON, IL — Saturday, Nov. 29, is a crucial day for independently owned local businesses in Evanston. It’s Small Business Saturday, the kickoff to “shop small” events that emphasize the power of dollars spent in local communities.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between the major Black Friday retail shopping holiday, which tends to favor national brands, and Cyber Monday, an online shopping event that this year takes place on Dec. 1.

The stakes for small businesses are higher than ever this holiday shopping season. They have faced increased operating costs, supply chain disruptions and overall market uncertainty. Unlike large big box retailers, they often lack the financial resources and operational flexibility to easily absorb increased costs.

About 100 local Evanston businesses are participating in this year's event, including:

• Backlot Coffee - 2006 Central St.
• Bennison Bakeries - 1000 Davis St.
• D D Finer Foods - 825 Noyes St.
• Foodstuffs - 2106 Central St.
• Eve J Alfie Gallery -623 Grv St.
• Guzman Y Gomez Restaurant - 1706 Sherman Ave
• Tapas Barcelona - 1615 Chicago Ave.
• Philz Coffee - 1030 Davis St. Ste 101
• Pono Ono Righteous Poke - 1630 Chicago Ave.
• Bat 17 - 1709 Benson Ave
• The Basement - 1717 Sherman Ave
• Koi Chinese and Sushi - 624 Davis St.
• Ovo Frito Cafe - 1936 Maple Ave.
• Bookends Beginnings - 1620 Orrington Ave.
• Coffe Lab Roaster - 910 Noyes St.
• Habibi In Mediterranean Grill - 825 Church St.
• Lao Tian Dumplings House - 1115 Emerson St.
• Picnic - 1619b Chicago Ave.
• Todoroki - 526 Davis St.
• Manufacturers News - 1633 Central St.
• Campus Gear - 1722 Sherman Ave.
• Shinsen Restaurant - 1322 Chicago Ave.
• Leonidas Chocolate Cafe - 1907 Central St.
• Evanston 1st Liquors - 1019 Davis St.
• Siam Splendour - 1125 Emerson St.
• Gigios Pizzeria - 1001 Davis St.
• Foster Food Deli - 831Foster St.
• Mustards Last Standard - 1613 Central St.
• Windy CityGarden Center - 2000 Green Bay Rd.
• Kiara Nail Spa - 1633 Chicago Ave.

Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $210 billion at small businesses across all 15 Small Business Saturdays combined.

There are 1.4 million small businesses in Illinois, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 state profiles. About 43.7 percent of Illinois employees are small business employees.

The majority of small businesses in the state are in the transportation and warehousing industry, with 210,396 in total.

Women owned businesses make up about 43.3 percent of small businesses in the state, and veterans own about 3.7 percent of small businesses. Hispanic people own about 12 percent of small businesses in Illinois.

Local businesses depend on increased sales in the last few months of the year to help them reach their revenue goals, and you’ll find plenty of in-store cheer and holiday happenings that will make the shopping experience fun.

Locally owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. Independents return about 48 percent of their revenues back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent returned to the local economy by chains.

Small businesses are typically defined by the federal government as those with fewer than 500 employees. They are responsible for about two of every three jobs since 1995, according to the Small Business Administration. Even a partial collapse of small businesses could weaken the overall U.S. economy.