Mary Cotton has owned and operated Newtonville Books, specifically in Newton Centre, for 13 years. In 2023, Barry Tilles opened Good Dog Records & Books almost right across the street.
Cotton didn’t mind. In fact, she and Tilles regularly recommend each other’s shops to customers.
“I didn’t see competition,” Cotton said. “I saw an opportunity to collaborate.”
Something unusual is happening across the Newton Villages, and it radiates a spirit of collaboration among local businesses.
Despite the expectation of businesses constantly in competition with one another, some local business owners are masters of collaboration – working with other owners for mutual success.
A business model of ‘collaboration over competition’ echoes throughout Newton Centre, where businesses like Johnny’s Luncheonette, Newtonville Books, and Thistle & Leek have become more than just shops — they are community gathering spots.
Cotton’s partnerships have extended beyond Tilles. Kate Smith, owner of Thistle & Leek restaurant located just across the Newton Centre Triangle parking lot, has partnered with Newtonville Books to host ticketed author events where patrons can enjoy light bites from the restaurant while listening to authors speak about their books.
At Johnny’s Luncheonette, just a couple doors down from Newtonville Books, families laugh over syrupy pancakes during storytime. Here, Cotton partners with Kay Masterson of Johnny’s to host children’s authors who read their books while families enjoy breakfast. This unique partnership strengthens the bond between the community and local businesses.
This spirit extends beyond the Centre, too. In Newton Highlands, Knot & Purl, a new crafting center owned by Tracy Herman, is helping to build a strong network of local business owners. Herman also highlights how collaboration can be fun: “The [recent] Valentine’s Day Craft Crawl [marketed through All Over Newton] is a great way for me to not only be seen, but allows other craft shops to know we’re not competitors, we’re collaborators.”
All Over Newton hosted its second annual Craft Crawl on Saturday, February 8 – a day of Valentine’s-themed DIY activities at ten local businesses across the Newton Villages. Participants created gifts like “stained glass” suncatchers, silkscreened cards, decorated fortune cookies, and flower-pressed cards while supporting the local crafting businesses.
It’s not just about joint events; small acts of collaboration go a long way. Matt Santarpio, owner of The Walnut Market in Newton Highlands, offers a 5% discount to customers who shop at multiple local businesses, in the Villages, on the same day – encouraging people to shop locally. Customers often buy a bottle of wine before heading upstairs to Herman’s BYOB adult craft sessions across the street.
The heart of these efforts is a shared belief that local businesses thrive when they support one another. “If I can help bring business to other shops, they’ll return the favor,” Santarpio says. “We all want the same thing: a strong, connected community.”
This spirit of collaboration has spread all throughout Newton. In Newton Upper Falls, Bettina’s Bakery partners with Cotton to offer children’s books from her bookstore. Bettina displays little baskets on her cafe counters, facing the windows with a Venmo account attached and books for a bargain inside.
“Every week or so I’ll get a random Venmo of three dollars and think ‘aw, I love it’,” says Cotton. “It’s proof that it’s working,” expressing her gratitude, further demonstrating that support for one another is vital at every level, even with the smallest of gestures.
In Newtonville, Shara Ertel, owner of Fulfilled Goods, a low-waste market, collaborates as far out as Nonantum with Linda de Valpine, owner of Greentail Table, a contemporary homeware store. Regularly staying in touch with each other for feedback and insight, they share updates on customer trends, seasonal shifts, and successful promotions, helping each other navigate the challenges of running a small business.
“If you share information, it both endorses the business that you think is worth your customers looking at and shares similar values,” says Ertel. “I think it’s those kinds of things that resonate with customers when they see other businesses doing it.”
Recently, de Valpine reached out to Ertel with an idea for a potential collaboration in honor of International Women’s Day on March 8. Though still in the early stages, the idea centers around a promotion encouraging customers to support women-owned businesses throughout Newton.
Phuni Meston, who owns Karma, an artisan boutique store on Union Street around the corner from Thistle & Leek, believes strongly that community support is key. “Use the power of your wallet to support small businesses. When we show up for each other, the community thrives,” says Meston. “We’re all here helping each other. That’s how a community grows—together.”
Alexyss Lopez is a senior majoring in journalism at Boston University and working with Fig City News via her department’s new program, BU Newsroom.
