Locally-owned stores across Tulsa are preparing for what they hope will be a rush of holiday shoppers this weekend in honor of Small Business Saturday.
Tulsans will have a chance to win $500 if they make a purchase at one of 100 local businesses participating in Tulsa Go’s Shop Small Tulsa promotion Nov. 29 — and there’s plenty of other stores offering special deals, too.
The holiday, sponsored annually by the U.S. Small Business Administration, encourages consumers to buy from small businesses on the day following Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.
Reporters from the Tulsa Flyer and The Oklahoma Eagle spoke with business owners across T-Town about what they’re offering Saturday and how some are navigating an uncertain economy. (Not every business below is participating in the $500 giveaway. Check the full list for details).
Da Shade Room Eyewear
502 E. 3rd St.
Rene’ Bramlett opened Da Shade Room Eyewear in downtown two years ago with the goal of offering customers glasses frames, prescriptions and vision screenings.
Bramlett promotes eye health and beauty for those who are visually impaired. As a small business owner, she urged community members to shop within their neighborhood.
“We don’t have to go to the big places to get what we need that’s right next door. Vision care happens in many ways,” Bramlett said. “You can get a style that meets affordability in a small setting, that’s impactful at the same time. That’s our unique position we place in our community.”
On Small Business Saturday, customers will have the chance to be entered into a raffle to win a mobile phone video amplifier.
— Ismael Lele, business reporter, The Oklahoma Eagle
Hola It’s For You
11413 E. 21st St.
Inside east Tulsa’s Plaza 21, Hola It’s For You is creating flower bouquets, personalized gifts and candles this holiday season.
Owner Olga Ojeda opened in March, and sales were good throughout Mother’s Day, graduation season and Father’s Day. But those numbers began to dip in late summer to September.
“I hope December is a better month,” Ojeda said.
Her store is already decked out in Christmas-themed gifts. She will offer a 15% discount on most items Friday and Saturday, while some items will be 30% off. She hopes sales will increase this weekend with the discounts.
Clients have asked her to create gifts that only she knows how to put together and personalize.
“Gifts can be personalized and it can be done to the liking of the client,” she said. “I have some gifts already done and boxes decorated.”
— Angelica Perez, Eastside/La Semana reporter, Tulsa Flyer
Kiddlestix Toy Store
3815 S. Harvard Ave.
Kiddlestix Toy Store has inspired Tulsa’s children since 1987. On Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, that continues.
Kiddlestix is offering 20% off on all items on its top holiday toy list Friday and Saturday. The list includes items for kids of all ages.
“We really try to make sure that all age groups and kids with different hobbies are all represented, so we have something for everyone on this list,” said Alex Rumley, manager at Kiddlestix.
– Joe Tomlinson, general assignment reporter, Tulsa Flyer
Mi Tea Lounge
427 S. Boston Ave.
Mi Tea Lounge in the Deco District is a tea shop offering organic teas, personalized tea blends and health consultations.
TaNesha Rushing opened the shop in 2022, and has since offered Tulsans a place to enjoy tea, live music, comedy shows and even improv events. Customers can also ask store manager Zhyran Wilson, nicknamed “The Chemist,” for one of his 31 signature tea blends that aren’t on the official menu.
On Small Business Saturday, Mi Tea will host a late night pour event from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. with a $5 entry fee.
“If you have not tried it yet, I can guarantee to make sure you like the tea,” Wilson said. “Come for the experience. You will meet a lot of small business owners (and) a lot of entrepreneur people and musicians.”
— Ismael Lele
Variedades Julieta
2160 S. Garnett Road
Variedades Julieta sits inside east Tulsa’s Plaza Santa Cecilia and features everything one could need for baptisms, first communions, quinceañeras, baby showers and more. Co-owners Maria Cervantes and Angeles Arteaga have seen low sales in 2025 compared to previous years, and they expect a similar trend through the holiday season.
This year’s low sales are lower than the pandemic trends the store saw. Arteaga attributes the decrease to the national economy and fears in the Latino community over immigration. Ninety percent of their clients are Latino, so she sees the fears the community is facing.
Holiday season sales tend to be on the lower end. This year in particular, she says, they might have to consider getting a second job to make rent.
Variedades Julieta will soon start specials for dresses for baby Jesus. In the Catholic Church, families will often dress up baby Jesus and present them to their church for a blessing throughout the Christmas season.
“This is something impacting all businesses,” Arteaga said. “We have to have hope and trust in God that it passes quickly and everything will be OK because it’s not easy.”
— Angelica Perez
Garden Deva Sculpture Company
1326 E. 3rd St.
Founded in 1996, Garden Deva Sculpture Company has showcased and sold metal home and garden decor in Tulsa for nearly three decades.
For Black Friday, Garden Deva is offering 25% off in-store and online. From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, that discount increases to 40% off. After noon, the discount decreases back to 25%.
Jillian Bell, Garden Deva’s general manager and designer, said it’s the store’s biggest discount of the year and that Small Business Saturday typically draws long lines.
– Joe Tomlinson
The BluPrint Studio
10 N. Greenwood Ave.
Marquita Owens created her fitness studio in 2020 to provide Tulsans a space to exercise and take charge of their nutrition. Inside her studio, she hosts cycling classes and hair care services in a salon on the second floor.
On Small Business Saturday, BluPrint will offer $10 off its fitness package for $40 instead of its usual $50, which includes one month access to five different classes. The business is also offering two weeks of classes for $10. Owens said the deal is meant for people unsure of where to start their fitness journey.
“Even if you’re not even looking for fitness, but you’re looking for friendship, this is the best place to come to kind of get that connection as well,” Owens said.
— Ismael Lele
Next Door Escapes and Entertainment
7715 E. 91st St. Suite D
Open since March 2021, Next Door Escapes & Entertainment offers three different escape room experiences for customers to choose from.
Nicole Dawson, who owns the business with her parents, described escape rooms as large-format puzzles.
“There’s different puzzles throughout the room, different things that you’re trying to connect together to eventually escape the room,” Dawson said.
Escape rooms are something that all ages can enjoy, she said. While the business is not offering discounts this weekend, customers who book an escape room Saturday will be entered into the $500 giveaway for Shop Small Tulsa.
“We can take any dynamic,” Dawson said. “It can be something you do for fun, something you do with your family, your co-workers.”
– Joe Tomlinson
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.