Halton Hills Small Business Week: How to Shop and Support Local in 2025

Justin and I are proud residents of Halton Hills, and we're so excited to celebrate Halton Hills' Small Business Week. Small businesses are the heart of our town, and every small business has their story.

These establishments are cherished local gems that unite the community, whether it's a decades-old mainstay or a new addition. We're going to share how you can shop local and support local this Small Business Week and beyond.

Plus, we'll be sharing the stories of four unique businesses in Georgetown, Acton and the surrounding rural area.

Jump to:

How to Support Small Businesses
The Autumn Discovery Pass
Our Town, Our Story: Celebrating Small Business Week
More Blog Posts About Halton Hills

How to Support Small Businesses

There are many ways to show love for small businesses in Halton Hills. Here are a few ways that we love to support our small business community, many of which don't cost a dime!

Find a new restaurant or cafe to dine in or take out (for take out, place your order directly with the restaurant instead of using third party delivery services!)
Follow local small businesses on social media and engage with their content
Visit local farms and participate in their agricultural activities and offerings
Leave a positive online review for a local business
Buy gift cards for friends and family members to encourage them to shop local

The Autumn Discovery Pass

Discover Halton Hills, support local, earn discounts and have the chance to win prizes with the Autumn Discovery Pass!

This is your FREE digital passport to shopping local in Halton Hills and over 20 businesses are participating. With your pass, receive exclusive discounts at local farms, cafes, retailers, artisan shops, and galleries.

Check-in and shop at participating businesses to earn points. These points will earn you entries into grand prize giveaways. Plus, have the chance to get a free Visit Halton Hills mug and exclusive seasonal stickers (while supplies last!).

Here's how the pass works:

Get your pass on your mobile device. There's nothing to download, simply sign up on the website.
Receive the text. Your discovery pass will be instantly delivered to your phone via text and email and is ready to use immediately.
Earn and redeem. Show your Discovery Pass discount to staff to redeem your offer. Check in at the locations (there's a 4-digit pin number on display). Every 3 check-ins = 1 entry into the grand prize draw.

Participating businesses:

Our Town, Our Story: Celebrating Small Business Week

This Small Business Week, we're celebrating the people and places that make our town so special.

From new beginnings to legacy, from growth to connecting the community, these are the stories, the faces, and the businesses that make Halton Hills thrive.

This is Our Town, Our Story.

We shined the spotlight on four local small businesses from Acton, Georgetown, and the rural countryside of Halton Hills. Here's more information on Too Good Friend's Diner, The Holland Shop, Foliage, and Andrews Farm Market & Winery.

Too Good Friend's Diner

Too Good Friend's Diner is one of the newest small businesses to open in Acton, opening just this past spring. Best friends Dong Oh Kwak and Ben Bae opened Too Good Friend's Diner together to bring Asian-inspired dishes to the heart of Acton.

The pair are both Korean-Canadians and aim to unite both Canadian and Korean flavours to Acton. There are a blend of Western and Korean meals on the menu with options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.

Their Asian-fusion menu offers classic Canadian comfort dishes with a Korean twist. Justin and I sampled Korean classics, like Bibimbap, Korean BBQ and Japchae. Everything is so flavourful and delicious.

Both Kawk and Bae lived in London and decided to open their establishment because Acton reminds them of what London was years ago. They note that everyone is friendly and kind, still greeting one another on the street. That's one reason why we love living in Halton Hills, too!

The Holland Shop

The Holland Shop is a true mainstay in Acton as they've just celebrated their 70th anniversary in September! We met with owner Carolin Tolkamp to chat about The Holland Shop, a business that her grandfather started 70 years ago.

The Holland Shop shares Dutch culture for those living in Halton Hills and beyond. Some visitors come from far and wide to shop the unique offerings here. Tolkamp is often a trailblazer for Dutch and European products, noting that eventually some larger grocery chains end up carrying the products after she does.

Tolkamp's grandparents immigrated to Canada after the Netherlands was heavily bombed in World War II. They started importing items from the Netherlands, primarily food items that Dutch people were missing in Canada. It was a big hit and continues to be incredibly popular, whether customers have Dutch heritage or not.

The Holland Shop offers pantry items, sweets, chocolate letters, Dutch gifts, and even intriguing imported Advent calendars for the holiday season containing jam or cheese. You'll find The Holland Shop in an adorable little house right in downtown Acton.

Foliage

Foliage is Georgetown's own little jungle! Founded and owned by Cheryl Discenza, Foliage is a vibrant houseplant boutique bursting with plants and greenery.

Discenza is an amazing example of a local female entrepreneur in town. Prior to owning Foliage, she worked as a healthcare professional and had no business experience. She followed her passion for plants and created an inviting community space for fellow plant parents.

At Foliage, you can learn more about caring for houseplants and take home some new leafy friends for your home. Foliage has wonderful gifts for plant enthusiasts that brighten up any living space. There are also workshops and repotting services, too.

Foliage recently received a facade improvement grant through the Town's Community Improvement Plan. This enabled Foliage to upgrade their windows and doors with new double-paned glass that's more energy efficient and comfortable (not to mention beautiful!).

Andrews Farm Market & Winery

Andrews Farm Market & Winery also celebrated a huge milestone recently. They've been in business for 45 years! Founded by Bert and Lauraine Andrews, Andrews Farm Market & Winery has grown so much (and continues to grow!).

We spoke to manager Matt Setzkorn about the importance of Halton Hills' agricultural history and rural communities. Andrews Farm Market unites those from Halton Hills and the Greater Toronto Area, allowing families and visitors to have their own farm experiences.

At its heart, Andrews is a pick-your-own farm with numerous offerings throughout the seasons, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pumpkins and fresh cut flowers. They also have a fantastic farm shop with baked goods, plus they are the only winery in Halton Hills.

Whether it's going for a tractor ride or making friends with chickens and goats, Andrews Farm Market & Winery is a memorable experience for guests of all ages. We even saw some pet parents with their dogs and cats in the pumpkin patch.