The scent of apple pie was the first sign that something bigger was baking. Long before Brookline’s Finest opened its doors, it began in a quiet kitchen, where a simple family recipe stirred up more than flavor–it stirred purpose. Christiana Lehman, the proud owner of Brookline’s Finest, along with her supporting father and the store operator, Stephen Rogers, kindled the spark of their vision.
The Beginning of Business
Before the official arrival of Brookline’s Finest were the many pies that overcame the kitchen of Christiana’s home. Inspired by Mary Grace, a late mother and wife, the spirit of Brookline’s Finest first sparked in this period. “She [Christiana] called me up and said, ‘Dad, what do you think?’ And I went, oh my God, it was beautiful. I said, ‘Let’s go, I’m on board!’” Steve (Stephen) recalled.
They’d make pastries that ranged in sizes, including the family favorite, apple pie. “I would go to her house, we’d work in the kitchen… Then that’s where she taught me how to make my first pie.”
While also stuck in the ambiguity of the pandemic, Christiana decided to embark on her vision, with her supporting father, Steve, alongside her. “We didn’t know when we would go back to work, so my daughter decided to start this situation at home in her kitchen, making pies, dry rubs, candy, fudge and going on the internet and reaching out for each state to farm stands and gift shops,” as Steve recalls.
The grown network of Christiana’s homemade goods cultivated the outside encouragement to indulge more on the idea of Brookline’s Finest. “So it progressed slowly from her kitchen and she decided to name it ‘From Gracie’s Table’ in tribute to her mom. Her mom’s name was Mary Grace but everybody called her Gracie,” Steve explained.
These were the stepping stones to create an operation that had meaning in each dish they’ve created in Gracie’s name. “It was generated as a work and then generated to a business with love,” said Steve.
Thoughts of running an official business encourage the action of the vision of Brookline’s Finest. “Mom always wanted to do this with her. Mom always wanted to do this.”
Brookline’s New Recruit
“After the pandemic, life lifted a little bit, she said. ‘Dad, I think we can’t do this anymore.’ and I was heartbroken. I go, ‘What do you mean? You put so much time and effort into it?’ ‘No, you knucklehead.’… She said ‘No, I want to get a retail store so people can come in touch, smell and feel wanted and welcomed.’”
Within June of 2021, off of Route 13 and up by Scribble’s Daycare was a new business as we now know as Brookline’s Finest. “When we first went up to the first place, we were all gung ho. We redid the floor, repainted, we put the cabinets in and all of that, a kitchen in there,” Steve stated.
However, the main struggle within their move-in was the left over space. “We brought in a couple of shelves and we put all our stuff on the shelves and we looked around and there was more wall than there were shelves, so my daughter and I looked at each other go ‘Okay, now what genius? Now what are we going to do?’ so my daughter being smarter than her dad said, ‘Why don’t we just ask around if anybody wants to come in and rent some space?’”
Over time, the shelves held varied fragments of Brookline. The work of small local vendors cradled the Brookline community. “Once we got the idea to bring in all the vendors, it was like the community came together,” Steve stated.
Having vendors incorporated into a business helped create connections faster than just the business alone, so it was no surprise that Brookline’s Finest quickly became a highlight of the Brookline community. “One by one, people would rent the shelves and that’s how it grew and grew,” Steve shared.
Brookline’s Finest brought itself out as an outlet for creativity for many small business owners. Many who started the same as Christiana and Steve, have used vendering to expand on their business. “A lot of the vendors, when the old store was first opened, they were doing stuff at home. They were making these same things that they eventually came in and sold at the store. They would make stuff at the holidays with the families. That was it,” Steve explained.
Steve added, “And I’d always say ‘Well, if you’re making it for your families and everybody loves it, why don’t you take that same recipe the same way you do for your family, bring it in here for $35 a month for that one shelf. Try it, and see if it sells and then if you then move from there,’”
For a round up of three years, Brookline’s Finest continued to inspire others, just as Mary inspired them.
In September of 2024, Brookline’s Finest successfully transplanted their business elsewhere in Brookline to broaden their impact. Looking back in their original spot, Steve notes, “It was a nice little store to start out with, but we were confined to what we could do and what we couldn’t do per the state,”
A Polished Purpose
In the summer of 2024, Christiana and Steve were offered a commercial spot next to the studio of Andres Institute of Art. What was long ago a Chinese restaurant, was then settled as unused space until Andres’ offer was gratefully accepted. “It was a blessing that Andres came up…We really wanted to stay in Brookline and this was, like I said, a godsend,” Steve said.
Now obtaining the space to lengthen their operations, Brookline’s Finest had grown into the hopes they initially began with. Their menu expanded, along with vendors and connections towards aiding the community. “In the Original store we could not do soups, we could not do sandwiches, we could not make meals because the state said the septic system would not allow the amount of water that we would need to do all that stuff,” Steve shared.
However, standing within a new found horizon one thing was clear. “We’re on the verge of making something better for the community and for ourselves,” Steve commented.
One of Steve’s favorite routines, as the store operator, is meeting new people and offering help when he can. “For me, it is getting here in the morning, getting things set up and thinking which one of my customers are gonna surprise me with something new today or what new interesting person am I gonna meet today.” He continued to say, “We’re connected with Andres Institute of Art, which brings a lot of different cultures and people to see the art and the sculptures up on the hill.”
A web of friendly connections is the crucial factor towards being a strong community. But, strengthening the community starts with individual acts of kindness and support, which Brookline’s Finest does everyday. From things like their Pre-paid Meal Ticket program and random acts of kindness. “We never turned anybody away if you came through that door to ask for a legitimate contribution or donation to your cause. We’ve had the Girl Scouts set up inside here and they sell their cookies. We have cheerleaders come in here and they set up booths so they can make money to go on tours. We’ve had baseball teams come in here, try to make money so they can go to tournaments and things like that,” Steve recalled.
These ripples of kindness fostered the care, trust, and mutual support that goes into having a community, which strengthened Brookline to be a foundation everyone can lean on. As Steve describes, “It’s just a tight, tight community. You can go online and say, hey, does anybody have a dozen toothpicks? And you would get 14 different responses. That’s how tight Brookline is… Those are the types of things that I would think that Brookline’s Finest helps out in securing the community,”
Christiana and Steve’s motivation to care for those around them has never run dry or short. Each kind act is a direct way of honoring Gracie, along with Brookline’s close knitted community from these acts makes her name stronger.
Brookline’s Finest is a second home and a reliable support system for all. Since it started, it has always been more than a shop, it continues to inspire the Brookline community. If Steve and Christiana could offer one message to the community, it would be “Welcome.”
