We recently asked our readers to vote on the best merch in the city, and winnowed it down to a winner: the San Diego Zoo. That got us thinking about what it takes to make the best merch.

The big picture: While it seems like every coffee shop and brewery these days has their own branded T-shirt, some local businesses put extra thought and care into their merch.

It almost feels unfair to award the top prize to the zoo, such a goliath in the merch world.

• But they do have really cute clothes, and who can resist their "Save the Chubby Unicorn" tees with pictures of rhinos on them?

What they're saying: "We are constantly on the lookout for trends and are not afraid to test the waters with new suppliers if they are offering differentiated products that fill a void," Zoo spokesperson Meghan Breen said in a statement.

• Recently, the zoo has collaborated with handpainted clothing designer Reyn Spooner and the Padres.

Meanwhile, the runner up in our merch poll, OB People's Food Co-op, has been designing merch since the 1970s when they first made their colorful fruit-filled logo.

• "We have always carried merch that featured our very colorful logo, since the beginning of time, and our customers really love this logo," Mariah Ortiz, marketing and membership coordinator, told Axios.

What they did: Their T-shirts, hoodies and tote bags are meant as a service to their very loyal customer base, Ortiz said.

• Plus it's a way to show the rest of the city that people love their store.
• "It's really fun getting to see our customers wearing our products," she said. "Of course we see people shopping with our tote bags in the store, but I've also definitely been out in OB and been like, 'Oh my god, someone's wearing the tee that I designed.' That's so fun that they are proudly representing our little food co-op."

Yes, but: The colorful logo is actually really hard to screen print, Ortiz said.

• They work with local retailer Big Frog to do water-based screen printing that doesn't feel "crunchy and plasticky," she said.

To the surprise of no one, co-op customers are very particular about the kind of merchandise they want, Ortiz said, meaning 100% organic cotton made in the U.S.

Context: Local business merch is the new band tee, as customer loyalty and pride has grown since COVID, small business experts told Axios.

• Small businesses got creative during the pandemic to reach customers, and that included merch. So much merch.

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In case you missed it, more than a dozen new places to eat and drink popped up around San Diego this month.

🍣 Sugarfish, the LA sushi chain with a cult-like following, in Little Italy

🌸 Saya Brasserie, an Instagrammable café from Dubai that's exploding with pink, floral decor in Gaslamp.

🌴🍸 Nighthawk, an oasis with Mediterranean dishes and well-crafted drinks, and Fallen Empire, a champagne and oyster speakeasy, in Coronado.

🌮 Las Cuatro Milpas reopened in a new, more modern space in Barrio Logan.

🍔 Queenstown, serving up New Zealand-inspired bites and cocktails for brunch, happy hour and dinner, has a new location in Del Mar.

☕️ Cala La Jolla Café, a cute new coffee shop

🍕 TNT Pizza is now slinging slices and pies in Chula Vista.

🍸🥐🍕 Encinitas has some new faces along the 101 with Arcana speakeasy, Mon Cheri Café & Bistro, and Isola pizza.

🥞 Black Bear Diner, an all-day breakfast chain, in Vista.

🥯🍻 PopUp Bagels and Koakai Brewing Company's beer, sushi and barbecue are now in Oceanside.

🥘 Plus, Telerific Barcelona is opening soon at Westfield UTC mall with tapas, paellas and sangría.

Tell us: Have you spotted any new restaurants, bars or coffee shops that just opened in your neighborhood?

• Hit reply and let us know so we can spread the word.

Dig in

🍕 In other food news, Tribute Pizza in North Park was again named one of the 50 best pizzerias in the U.S. We can confirm it's our favorite slice in the city. (50toppizza)

🐝 Our local spelling whiz was eliminated in the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee, tying for 31st place. (City News Service)

🗳️ Gov. Newsom signed a new law this week that prohibits any person, including federal agents, from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order.

• He said his goal is to prevent the Trump administration from meddling in midterms. (KPBS)

💰 The proposed countywide half-cent sales tax hike got enough signatures to make the November ballot.

• If passed, it would raise millions annually for healthcare, child care, public safety and the Tijuana sewage crisis. (Times of San Diego)

We've got you covered if you're looking for plans this weekend.

🎤 Pitbull — Mr. Worldwide brings the party to North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista tonight with a set full of arena-ready hits.

🏃 Rock 'n' Roll Running Series — Thousands of runners take over the streets for the annual race weekend.

✊🏾 Kuumba Fest — The free annual celebration of Black arts and culture returns tomorrow in Encanto.

🎨 Seek Fest at San Diego Made Factory — Logan Heights hosts this eclectic Saturday night festival with live music, drinks, vegan food, live painting, chainstitch embroidery and massages.

🌞 Fiesta del Sol — Check out this free, family-friendly arts and music festival with more than a dozen bands at Fletcher Cove Beach Park tomorrow and Sunday.

🍷 Vintners Wine Festival — Enjoy unlimited tastings of local wines, charcuterie and live music at this wine festival at Bernardo Winery on Sunday.

More events

The annual Mission Trails photo contest picked this action shot of a hummingbird to win "Best in Show" and "First Place, Adults - Animals."

The contest is meant for amateur photographers, and they got 207 submissions this year.

• The 104 finalists, including entries from kids and teens, are on display at the Visitor Center.
• You can still vote for the People's Choice winner through July.