Five years ago in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic, Mia Sakai opened Ándale Market in Andersonville on Chicago’s North Side.

“It’s an ode to the New York City bodega. We specialize in unique foods and locally sourced things. We also have international foods as well. It’s sort of a little bit of everything for pet, body, home and gifting,” said Sakai, a California native turned New Yorker who moved to Chicago with her husband about eight years ago.

Sakai’s bodega at 5232 N. Clark St. sells a hand cream she imports from Spain.

“I had an order for $1,400 worth of product, and the tariff bill on that was $1,200,” Sakai said.

The cost of tariffs is just one of the challenges businesses in Chicago are facing. That’s why a new initiative called Chicago Loves Local aims to get more Chicagoans to shop local and support shops from the North Side to the Southeast Side near Indiana.

“I think it’s needed more than ever. I feel like every time the holidays come up, it’s really sort of a make-or-break time. But this year in particular, it feels even more critical,” Sakai said.

The initiative is organized by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the Illinois Coalition on Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Chicago Is With You Task Force.

The effort has been in the works for most of the year, said Charlie Wein, director of marketing and communications with the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chicago Loves Local campaign is all about promoting Chicago and encouraging Chicagoans to shop in all of Chicago’s 77 community areas,” Wein said. “All those local businesses, all those small business owners, need support, especially right now.”

Wein said it’s not just tariffs that are impacting business owners but the ongoing immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.

Some people have been reluctant to shop and visit neighborhood restaurants in predominantly Latino areas such as Little Village and Pilsen.

“Some neighborhoods are being more adversely affected by what’s going on politically than others are,” Wein said. “A big part of this campaign is also helping to encourage people to go shop in some of those neighborhoods that are being more adversely affected.”

On its Instagram account, Chicago Loves Local highlights businesses in many of the city’s neighborhoods.

“Obviously, a big part of this is trying to encourage people to do their shopping, their dining, everything for the holiday season, more towards small businesses,” Wein said.