Businesses Of The Year: Chappaqua And Mount Kisco

MOUNT KISCO, NY — It's been a roller-coaster year for Hudson Valley businesses. The coronavirus pandemic presented enormous challenges for most, from the stay-home orders in the spring to restrictions and other hurdles from fall into winter.

To recognize all their efforts, we asked readers to nominate Local Businesses of the Year, whether it was the restaurant that made special accommodations for takeout, the shop that opened early, the pizzeria that went out of its way to deliver, the hardware store owner that offered invaluable advice or something else.

We've received hundreds of responses from all over Westchester.

Here are the nominations Patch has received in Chappaqua and Mount Kisco:

Mt. Kisco Seafood "because they are always trying to accommodate their customers and stay as safe as possible," said Nancy Strong.

Little Thai Kitchen. The staff has been working hard during the pandemic to make deliveries, including online orders, said customer Abhishek Gupta.

Ibiza Kitchen. To help neighbors in need once the shutdown started, the restaurant provided thousands of free meals on Friday afternoons, no questions asked, between March and October.

GAP. Excellent customer service, friendly employees, great store - clothes for all - ages from 0-100, said the nominator.

Chappaqua Okinawa GojuRyu. "While there are many reasons to nominate this school/business and Mark Dwyer (the man who runs it), I think that the most compelling one is that the dojo (karate school) has been a part of this community for nearly three decades and has mentored and trained hundreds of local kids and adults," said nominator Philip Imperial. "Further, when the pandemic started, he was able to put together immediately an effective way to continue the teaching services he delivers and has been selfless in how hard he works to serve his "customers" in a safe manner." An 11-year-old student nominator said, "During this pandemic, kids have had very few activities that can engage them ... Not only does he provide in-person classes, and private lessons, but he also teaches classes via zoom, so even people concerned with the safety of these classes can attend ... He then went to great lengths to increase the number of classes he hosted, and spent some of his free time teaching art sessions after the classes, to engage his students, and increase interaction between the students, in a safe, socially distanced, and fun, manner.

Villarinas. Villarinas stayed open and safe throughout the past few months," said customer Lisa Fitzgerald. "In addition, Carlos has helped us provide safe meals to families staying at the Ronald MacDonald to support their children in the hospital house when we could not go in-person to cook. He wrapped everything individually so the food was safe and quick to grab and go. When a family is in need in town, Villarinas has fantastic family meals that can be picked up and delivered easily. Lastly, Villarinas was one of the restaurants in town that prepared meals for healthcare workers during the first wave of the pandemic."

LifeWorx, Inc. "LifeWorx was really a lifesaver. When my mom took ill and needed assistance, they provided wonderful, experienced aides. The general manager was very responsive and spent a lot of time making sure we found the right fit. Highly recommend!" said a customer.

The Event Of A Lifetime, Inc. "Owner Melisa Imberman did an unbelievable job helping her clients navigate these unprecedented times. She's been there for them as a party planner & as a friend. She's postponed & preplanned & re-postponed countless events all while staying positive for her clients and keeping up with the everchanging COVID protocol. For 5 months we did not have one single event. Postponed events were getting postponed for the second, third or fourth time or canceled. As we flattened the curve, COVID restrictions eased and people began to feel more comfortable socializing. The Event Of A Lifetime quickly became experts in Zoom, micro & mini celebrations. Over the last few months The Event Of A Lifetime, Inc. has helped so many families celebrate safely. Melisa keeps finding new ways to make a small wedding or bar/bat mitzvah beautiful, personal & COVID compliant. These last few months we became experts in tents, generators and safety. Unfortunately the cold weather has now put an end to our newfound niche in small outdoor parties. It's going to be a long winter, but we're hoping to help our clients celebrate life's special moments again in the Spring," said staffer Maura Bohan.

You can nominate any local business you feel should be recognized.