New Honey Shop Makes History In North End

BOSTON (CBS) – In the historic North End, history was made Thursday night when a new honey shop opened. The owner, Ivy Lawson, is the first person of color to open a store in the neighborhood.

"Most of the businesses are restaurants, Italian restaurants. Here I am with honey-based products. Couldn't be more different!" said Ivy Lawson of Ivyees Everything Honey.

That's how she likes it. A decade ago, working for IBM, Ivy wanted different when it came to her hair and skin care, and what she ate.

"I was always concerned about what I'm using or what my family is using, on our skin or what we ingested," Ivy said. "I started reading labels and learned that tons of chemicals are in the products we use on a daily basis."

Ivyees Everything Honey is the first black-owned business in the historic neighborhood, something Mayor Marty Walsh says strengthens this city.

"When you talk about small businesses like this, family owned businesses, they invest their whole livelihood," Walsh said. "It should mean more to the community because these people are making an investment in the neighborhood."

Now working with bee farmers around the world, Ivy hopes her story inspires her sons.

"I'm an engineer by trade," Ivy said. "You don't have to stay within expectations of others. You can do what you want to do and you can you know extend your horizon. I just follow my dreams."

Ivy hopes you'll visit her new North End home while holiday shopping, but you can also find her products on Amazon and in Whole Foods.