Image by Ty Hapworth

At the Forefront of Commerce for over 400 Years

As the first and formerly wealthiest seaport in the New World, Salem has a rich heritage which it continues to build on with modern day flare. Bursting with creativity, commerce and culture, today’s Salem is home to a diversity of technology firms, an emerging climatetech industry, creative agencies, architects, film production companies, and creative industries. Salem’s bustling retail businesses, seemingly unlimited number of restaurants, breweries and hotels are ideal for employees and visiting clients and customers alike. Complimented by a vibrant local residential community, university students and academics, and commuters, Salem’s got a lot to offer without the cost, traffic, and congestion of larger Massachusetts cities.

Images by Ty Hapworth, Kate Fox, Creative Collective, Jim McAllister

What You’ll Find

More than one million visitors flock to Salem each year, bringing in millions of tourist dollars annually.  Salem is fortunate to be home to numerous attractions that draw visitors from down the street and from across the oceans.  At one time the tourism season was relegated to the fall with the industry focused on business during the month of October and Salem’s annual Haunted Happenings calendar of events.  Slowly the tourism season expanded, including late September and early November, bookending Haunted Happenings.  Now, tourism season is year-round with high concentrations of visitors coming to Salem from May to November to take advantage of the New England spring season, Salem’s summertime waterfront activities, and flowing into the fall and Halloween.  Over the past few years, Salem has seen an uptick in visitors throughout the winter months, a trend that will likely continue as the diversity of visitor amenities, activities, and attractions continue to expand, making Salem a year-round destination.

Let’s Hear from Salem’s Business Owners

Marnie Greenhut
Curly Girl Candy Shop

Since I moved to Salem, I’ve seen the city transform from being primarily a seasonal stop with lots of empty storefronts to a thriving year-round destination. As I explored the next chapter in my professional career, and as a longtime resident of Salem, there was no other community where I would choose to open my own shop – Salem was the place. Curly Girl Candy Shop opened September 3, 2021.

Our customer base is primarily tourists, even in the winter months. I’m also happy to say that Curly Girl has become a stop on people’s annual visits to Salem, which is exactly what I’d hoped for. While many tourists come through our doors, Curly Girl has its share of local customers that have their favorites we always keep in stock. While it may seem obvious that we’d be a destination for families with children, we see an equal number of adult groups wanting a sweet treat. #everyonelovescandy!

The local business community in Salem is thriving. The city itself is extremely supportive of small businesses and wants to see business owners succeed. From local government support to local organizations focused on small business success, like The Enterprise Center at Salem State University, Salem Main Streets, Destination Salem, and the Creative Collective, Salem has the resources to help everyday people build a business and see their vision come to fruition.

Salem is a fantastic place to live and work and open a business. The location can’t be beat with its proximity to Boston, access to public transit, its waterfront location and beach vibes, the presence of Salem State University and college town vibes. Salem has both the feel of a small town and the experiences and opportunities of a large city. There is history around every corner and new things popping up every day. One of the things I love about Salem is, that despite being known for the Salem Witch Trials, it’s probably the most open, welcoming, and inclusive community I’ve ever lived in. Everyone can thrive just being themselves.

Angel and Jordan Santiago
Santiago Family Properties

Salem is home in every sense of the word for us. Between Angel’s local roots and our shared love for the city’s rich history (especially its historic homes!), we chose Salem as the place to build our life together and expand Santiago Family Properties when we moved back up north from Virginia in 2023. Surrounded by so many beautiful old homes, and being challenged and inspired through restoring our own 200-year-old home, we felt there was no better place to continue our journey in real estate, property management, and home improvement.

As both a Hispanic and woman-owned business, we are grateful to be part of such a diverse, welcoming, and supportive city. While Salem’s growing tourism economy is a strong resource for many local businesses, our business, primarily focused on locals and residents, has been greatly supported by Salem’s sense of community and powerful word-of-mouth culture. We’ve found that neighbors and local networks are quick to support businesses (and especially the people behind them) that they trust. About three-quarters of our clients have come to us through word-of-mouth!

Outside of our business, we love walking our dogs on the Common and Collins Cove, spending summer days at the Willows with our niece, and enjoying Salem’s incredible local seafood. We love Salem’s beaches and coastal charm (to this day, Jordan still can’t get over hearing seagulls in the morning!) and most of all how it combines the diversity and opportunity of a big city with the community and kindness of a small town.

Gary and Lisa Young
Not Ya Mama’s Vegan Cafe

Not Ya Mama’s originally started as a pop-up in 2021 and from there grew into a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. Having grown up in Salem, we decided to relocate the business to Salem in March 2025 to stay close to our roots and to be a part of its vibrant community, rich history, and strong support for local, creative ventures. We felt a deep connection to the city’s energy and saw it as the perfect place to bring our vision of plant-based comfort food to life. Salem’s blend of locals and curious travelers made it an ideal location to share our passion.

At the café, we welcome a diverse mix of locals and visitors who are passionate about great food, whether they are plant-based eaters or just curious. We serve everyone from long-time vegans to first-timers, college students, families, tourists exploring Salem, and supportive North Shore residents who appreciate bold flavors and comfort food done differently. Since we opened our doors in March, we have seen a steady stream of customers that has continued to grow.

Salem boasts a rich tapestry of history, culture, and tourism, drawing visitors throughout the year and lending a unique charm that helps local businesses stand out. We love Salem because it is home, and while it’s not the Salem we grew up in, its weird, quirky direction that it has since gone is welcoming and amazing.

Adam Shoemaker
Couch Dog Brewing Company

We decided to start our business in Salem because of its supportive and business-friendly outlook and the community at large. While other cities had restrictive zoning laws or slow and disinterested communication, everyone we met in Salem was positive and encouraging, plus supportive by connecting us with small business support resources, low-cost community lenders, and organization like Salem Main Streets and the Creative Collective. We opened our doors in 2023 and feel so grateful for the way Salem embraced us and woven Couch Dog into its fabric.

Salem’s greatest strengths are its warm and quirky community (both residents and the business community) and its supportive local government and nonprofit organizations that promote locally owned businesses. While the broader business climate right now is challenging due to political and financial uncertainty, we are lucky to be in Salem. We are fortunate to have the community’s support, the opportunity to collaborate with our fellow small business owners, and to benefit from Salem’s robust tourism industry.

At Couch Dog, we welcome all, from parents with young children to pet owners of all ages. We’ve had beer lovers from nearly every state, and a number of other countries come through our doors wanting to try something unique and specific to Salem. We are looking forward to continuing this journey for many years to come.

Annie and Leo
Koto Asian Fusion
Annie's Asian Mart

In 2015 we were living in Beverly with a passion for cooking and sushi and dreams to open a restaurant. As we looked for the perfect spot and frequently traveled to Salem, we fell in love with the feeling of the City and decided it was the perfect place to start our business. We opened Koto Asian Fusion shortly thereafter and quickly added live entertainment in our space. Koto became known as the place to go for rock, metal and punk bands, burlesque shows, trivia nights, DJ's and karaoke. When the commercial space next to Koto became available, we scooped it up and opened Annie's Asian Mart in 2022 where we offer freshly made grab and go options, boba tea, and pre-packaged items.

We are fortunate to have a very loyal customer base that are local to Salem and the North Shore region. In October, both of our businesses are flooded with tourists from all around the world. Annie's Asian Mart, in particular, is a spot that attracts people who are interested in and love Asian culture, pop culture, and food. While October is our busiest season, Salem is always buzzing with people and activities year round. Salem seems to get busier and more vibrant year after year and it this energy that fuels our businesses.

Salem is an absolutely majestic and magical place. The businesses support each other, the community is open and welcoming, and the tourists bring energy and culture. The vibe in Salem is unmatched anywhere else. There is no other place like it!

Karen Davis
Moons Gift Shop

While the store has been in this location since 1953, I purchased it in 2002 when it was known as ‘Coon’s Card and Gift Shop’. Living in Salem, I had always dreamed of owning my own gift shop and had told the previous owner that if he was ever interested in selling, I was interested in buying.

It was slow at first, but upon encouragement to put tents on Essex Street to create a lively atmosphere, business picked up. The early days were tough; I worked seven days a week with two employees. Back then there was no social media, marketing, or influencers – Salem was popular solely by word of mouth.

Over twenty years of working alongside my growing team and learning from many mistakes and overcoming many obstacles, we have grown to be one of the most popular, busiest shops downtown. I recently rebranded the business to Moons Gift Shop to really make it my own.  What started as something that felt more like a ‘mom and pop’ shop has grown so much that I am now able to offer career opportunities in many ways – employing a general manager, assistant managers, supervisors, and more fulltime employees. I love mentoring my staff and sharing the lessons I’ve learned as a small business owner with others.

I love living in Salem and owning a business here. The tourism, the business camaraderie, and Salem’s history are what make this community so special. My team and I love sharing the magic of Salem with those who live here and those who visit.  I am grateful for this magical city that has helped me grow into the person and business owner I am today, surrounded and supported by my community and my team at Moons.

Beth Crowley
Witch City Broom
Witch City Walking Tours

Witch City Walking Tours' story is really quite funny and interesting. I actually never intended to start a business. After a lay off in the corporate world where I worked a recruiter, I ended up going back to college in my thirties to become a teacher. I had to double major in an art or science and I happened to pick history. Turns out I loved history (though I never realized it!). While taking classes, I worked part time as a tour guide in Salem and loved it. I loved meeting new people and sharing my love of Salem. The semester of my student teaching, I decided to start doing tours on my own and came up with the name Witch City Walking Tours! My first tour in my business was August 2024. The rest is history! 

Our guests are from all walks of life, from different countries, states, young and young at heart. The best part of the job is meeting all different types of people and being able to give them a better understanding of Salem and expanding their knowledge beyond the 1692 Witch Trials.

As a business owner, I appreciate the variety of businesses the City has to offer. It's vibrancy is directly related to the many museums, shops, tours, and restaurants. I am also thankful for the support of my fellow business owners who are able to work together and support each other. My staff and I always recommend our favorite hotspots to our guests and know that my fellow business owners are doing the same for us.  Salem is constantly evolving and it is this continual growth, with the support of organizations like Destination Salem, the North Shore CDC, Creative Collective, Salem Main Streets, and the Chamber of Commerce, there is space for all businesses to thrive.

Salem is the place that gave me the opportunity to completely change my life. Owning a business here has transformed me in more ways than I could have imagined. I love Salem's history, community, and culture. I can't imagine living and owning a business anywhere else!

Ed Berman
Tropical Products

My story began 23 years ago when I purchased the vacant Sunburst Fruit Juice building. From there, Tropical Products, Inc. was born. We manufacture personal care, ped care, and home care products for other companies. For example, we produce many brands of hand soaps, lotions, shampoos - for humans and for pets, laundry detergents, Aloe Vera gels, natural plant-based cleaners that are sold in Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, TJX, Amazon, and Shopify.

Originally operating in Essex, my VP of Operations, Renee Dionne, who grew up and lives in Salem, told me about the Sunburst building.  With its 45,000 square feet of space, it was perfect for Tropical Product's continued growth.  The City of Salem was a resource for us as we made our move with the then-Mayor Kim Driscoll very interested in the company and our growth.  I have found Salem to be very accommodating to our needs and, in general, having a pro-business outlook. In fact, we recently finished construction on a new facility with 100,000 square feet of space, still in Salem, down the road from our former home. Again, the City was helpful in making permitting and development go smoothly, which was beneficial because a project of that size can be difficult.

Many towns look at businesses as 'the enemy'. Salem looks at businesses as 'partners'. The business-friendly atmosphere coupled with the charm and beauty of the city, plus its rich history, makes Salem a great location for businesses of all kinds, including major manufacturers.

Frequently Asked Questions