Locally owned small businesses in Apex, Cary & Holly Springs, NC

Locally owned small businesses in Apex, Cary & Holly Springs, NC

Shop small. See what locals like.

Plumbers, dentists, mechanics, bakeries and 100-some other kinds of small biz in Apex, Cary and Holly Springs, all of them locally owned. Instead of star ratings, your neighbors say which ones they like and love, and why.

Locally owned and run Liked by real locals Free for small businesses
Locally owned shops along Salem Street in downtown Apex, NC
Salem Street, downtown Apex
Locally owned only
2,150local small businesses
107categories
100%locally owned

Shop local

Browse by category

Every list is locally owned small businesses only. A list becomes a Best Of list once at least 3 of its businesses have likes from 3 or more different locals.

Featured

Featured businesses get a full profile and a labeled spot at the top of their category. They can't buy likes or a higher rank. What featured means

No stars, just neighbors

How likes work

A like is a neighbor saying "I'd send my friend here," with their first name, last initial and town attached. No stars and no anonymous reviews.

1

Find a business you love

Search or browse to the business and press Like. Your plumber, your kid's piano teacher, the shop that fixed your brakes right the first time.

2

Confirm by email

We email you a one-time link. Clicking it shows you're a real person with a real inbox, and one email can only like a business once.

3

Add your name and town

First name, last initial, and whether you live in Apex, Cary or Holly Springs. Add a line about what they did if you want. It shows on the listing within a few minutes.

Matt K. loves · Apex

I LOVE the New Yorker sandwich and the Rosalita breakfast bowl. This is a great locally owned restaurant in Sweetwater. I love having it close by!

Matt K. loves · Apex

Best tacos in the Triangle!! A must go spot.

Matt K. likes · Apex

The food here is great! I like how they rotate the menu and keep things fresh.

House rules

What it takes to be listed

Three rules, applied to every small business on the site.

Locally owned

The owner runs the business from Apex, Cary or Holly Springs and makes the calls here - plenty of them are owner-operated. The guide is built just for independent local businesses, so franchise and chain locations aren't listed.

Liked, not rated

There are no stars to game. A neighbor either puts their name behind a business or doesn't, and every like is confirmed by email before it shows.

Featured is labeled

Featured businesses get a full profile and a labeled spot at the top of their category. They never move up a Best Of ranking - only likes from locals do that.

Blog

From the blog

Tips for hiring well and shopping small in Apex, Cary and Holly Springs. All posts

For small business owners

Own a small biz in Apex, Cary or Holly Springs?

Your listing is free. Claim it to add photos, your story and your services, or add your business if we missed it. It takes about two minutes.