After contracting COVID-19 symptoms in March, and eventually losing her mother to the virus in April, Bernadette Rey Lara needed to not only protect herself, but also her 74-year-old father from the disease.
Although she purchased her first few masks from a shop online, she wanted to start supporting local businesses after witnessing storefronts close in her neighborhood – Jackson Heights, Queens – because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While scrolling through a community Facebook page this past June, Rey Lara finally found a match. Little did she know at the time that Jonathan Armendariz, the seller, lived just a couple blocks away, and that the comfort and quality of his three-ply face masks would keep her coming back for more.
Armendariz is the co-owner of One NYC Shop, a Jackson Heights-based small business that sells reusable, cloth face masks both online and at their daily pop-up shop. He founded the business with his wife, Lisa Suneesa, after the coronavirus pandemic put his career as a freelance photographer and filmmaker on hold. With nearly 24,500 deaths from COVID-19 in New York City, currently the highest death count reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many New Yorkers have realized the importance of wearing masks in helping to stop the spread. Known for their vibrant prints, One NYC Shop offers a fashionable and more comfortable alternative to the blue and white surgical masks commonly seen on people’s faces today.
“We get emails in the middle of the night, messages all times of the day just thanking us,” Armendariz said. “Some people giving us full stories as to how frustrating it was having the wrong kind of face covers, and then they would find us and somehow it’s different, it would improve their life in some way.”
“Some people giving us full stories as to how frustrating it was having the wrong kind of face covers, and then they would find us and somehow it’s different, it would improve their life in some way.” – Jonathan Armendariz
One NYC Shop’s masks are made from a dry-tech fabric blend of 60% cotton and 40% polyester. The business’s specific fabric proportion paired with a three-layer structure and adjustable ear loops allows customers to experience increased breathability and comfort.
Armendariz and his wife recognized the importance of making a good-quality face mask early on in the pandemic. They understood how uncomfortable masks could be when worn for extended periods of time, especially with glasses that tend to fog up due to condensation. “We just want to make people happy, give them an option,” Armendariz said, because when people sometimes feel uncomfortable wearing masks, “they then decide to not wear one altogether.”
Rey Lara is one of those customers who have not had issues wearing glasses with a One NYC Shop mask. “I had eye allergies and had to wear their mask with my glasses,” she said. “My glasses did not fog up one time. Even with my shades it doesn’t fog.”
What primarily attracts customers to One NYC Shop is the wide array of colors and patterns that their masks come in. From solid-colored masks to ones embellished with floral and animal prints, Armendariz said that he and his wife handpicked each design, oftentimes looking at a catalog for hours right before bed.
A vibrant and fun mask can often be a source of joy, especially during a global pandemic. “Since the pandemic started, I have been basically shopping just for groceries and essential household items,” said Bridget Bartolini, a Jackson Heights resident who purchased a limited-edition leopard print mask from One NYC Shop. “This was my first fun purchase for myself. Normally you get clothes and are excited to wear them, and I felt that excitement about this mask.”
“This was my first fun purchase for myself. Normally you get clothes and are excited to wear them, and I felt that excitement about this mask.” – Bridget Bartolini
Many of One NYC Shop's customers felt so satisfied that they continue to support the business throughout the pandemic. “I have bought at least over 30 masks from them,” Rey Lara said, “When I believe in a product, I really go support it.”
Other customers, like Mattie Byrneheim, feel there is a responsibility among residents to support local mom-and-pop stores like One NYC Shop. “I think everyone has an obligation to support the businesses in the neighborhood that you live in,” said the Manhattan native now living in Jackson Heights. “It would be against the reason I moved here to buy a mask from a chain store.”
“I think everyone has an obligation to support the businesses in the neighborhood that you live in. It would be against the reason I moved here to buy a mask from a chain store.” – Mattie Byrneheim
The couple has also gained recognition from several local public figures, including Jimmy Van Bramer, the deputy leader of the New York City Council who also represents their district. The two met Bramer at the Japanese Autumn Pop-Up Market in Sunnyside, Queens this past October, where the councilman talked with them, bought a mask and even gave them a shoutout on Instagram. Telemundo Reporter Carolina Ardila is another one of One NYC Shop’s more prominent customers. Ardila wore the couple’s “Beige Rose” face mask while reporting live in early November.
Since founding One NYC Shop, the couple have started creating new products, including tote bags and socks, in order to expand their business. Armendariz said they recently launched a Christmas-themed socks collection to show their customers that they could “create products that are of the same quality of their masks, but something different,” and ultimately see them as a brand rather than just a “great mask company.”
Many people look forward to the day when they do not have to mask up every time they go out, but for now, face coverings are here to stay.
Although Armendariz does not know what the future holds for One NYC Shop, he is appreciative of the people who took a chance on his business, and have inevitably become family to him. He continues to enjoy making customers, like Rey Lara, happy, all while doing it under the freedom that comes with being a small-business owner.
“In the end, we are the pilots of our own destiny,” he said. “We’re holding the steering wheel, and we’re able to control where we go, even if we’re not always sure where we’re going to go next.”
To get to know One NYC Shop even more, check out their online store and social media handles down below:
Online Store: www.onenycshop.com
Facebook: One NYC Shop
Instagram: @onenycmasks
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