30 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • JULY 12, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
Independent Astoria makers market gears
up for fi rst anniversary celebration on July 15
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
An Astoria-based makers market is celebrating
its one-year anniversary next
Sunday.
On July 15, the Queens Craft Brigade
(QCB) will hold a special anniversary
market at the Rocco Moretto VFW Hall,
located at 31-35 31st St. Th e independent
market will feature Queens-only vendors,
who sell a range of homemade artwork,
fashion, food, jewelry and craft s.
Vendors at the event include Frank
Ape, Flattopps x Queens Comfort,
Hellgate Farm, Justine Gilbuena, Caryn
Cast and Key & Arrow Leather. For a full
list of participating vendors, visit queenscraft
brigade.com.
Th ose who are interested will also get
the opportunity to meet with the market
vendors at Queens Craft Brigade: Meet
the Makers, which will be hosted at Th e
Brass Owl on July 12 at 8 p.m.
Attendees will be able to meet with
the seven participating vendors, Unifi ed
Queens, Queens Knits, Bench Flour
Bakers, Caryn Cast, Paige’s Candle Co.,
Metrix Jewelry and Poppin, to discuss
their experiences starting and running a
small business.
QBC will also be at Th e Brass Owl that
night to discuss the history of the market
and what their plans are for the future.
Th e Queens Craft Brigade was founded
by Robert Duff y in 2017. Duff y is also the
founder of Unifi ed Queens, an apparel
line that features original designs inspired
by the history of its namesake borough.
The Queens Craft Brigade celebrates its one-year anniversary on July 15.
“When we launched our T-shirt company,
Unifi ed Queens, two years ago,
there were not a lot of monthly markets
in Queens where we could sell our
designs. We do well selling online and in
other boroughs, but selling in Queens to
our neighbors always has the best results.
I live in Astoria and felt the community
could support a market like this, so I got
to work,” Duff y said.
Th e founder added that creating the
QCB has been “one of the most fulfi lling
things I’ve ever done.”
Since its inception, QCB has worked with
over 60 businesses throughout Queens,
and space is also provided for a local nonprofi
Photo via Queens Craft Brigade Facebook
t of organization that is making a positive
impact in the community.
Th e free event runs on Sunday July 15
from noon to 5 p.m. For more information
on the Queens Craft Brigade, visit
queenscraft brigade.com or follow them
on Facebook and Instagram @queenscraft
brigade.
Bayside chef, JetBlue boss honored at Beep’s business forum
Queens Borough President Melinda
Katz recognized two outstanding business
persons in Queens during the “Only
in Queens” business-to-business forum
on June 26 at the Helen Marshall Cultural
Center in Queens Borough Hall.
Th e honorees were Maria Petridis,
owner of Maria’s Mediterranean Grill on
Bell Boulevard in Bayside, who opened
up her kitchen in 2011 and won fi rst prize
on Food Network’s “Chopped” cooking
competition back in 2015; and Robin
Hayes, president and CEO of JetBlue
Airways Corporation, based in Long
Island City.
Th e event itself encouraged small and
large business owners from across Queens
to mingle with one another and hear from
representatives of various city, state and
local agencies.
Pictured at the award presentation are
(from left to right) Rick Cotton, executive
director of the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey; Hayes; Petridis; and
Photo courtesy of the Queens Borough President’s offi ce. Borough President Katz.
/
