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 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

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