Displaying items by tag: Family Business

The owners of Ben’s Chili Bowl’s flagship restaurant in northwest D.C. say that despite a glaring reduction in revenue brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, they remain committed to keeping their lone standing eatery afloat.

Sage Ali, who along with his elderly mother Virginia and other family members had expanded their business to seven restaurants at one point, told ABC News that while their small diner on U Street had survived the riots of 1968, they’ve never endured a financial fallout to the extent that the virus has left them to deal with.

Although the family applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the newly crafted federal government-operated stimulus package, they said they’ve been stuck in limbo as lawmakers who passed the $484 billion relief package clashed over how best to spend the funds on other rescue programs.

“I’ll be honest with you, it’s a little bit emotional. To tell Mom we didn’t get that loan, it was hard, seeing her face,” Ali told the news network. “Mom is 86 — a very young, very sharp 86. Mom understands very well the financial situation right now, and she knew how critical that funding was. So, for me to get off the phone and walk into that other room and say, ‘Guys, it didn’t go in,’ that was a very tough moment for me.”

Ali said that after applying for a PPP loan at Citi First of DC, it seemed like bank officials kept coming back for more information.

“We were following the guidelines — go to one bank at a time — but we got left out,” Ali’s wife Vida said, ABC reported. “I was shocked when the money was out.”

Yet the family has committed itself to keeping the U Street location up and running.

“The second it opens up again, we should be going right in,” Sage said of the PPP program.

“You want to be confident. You want to be hopeful,” Ali told ABC. “U Street could never close. We’re telling Mom, we can’t close that location after everything you did to survive. Even if it’s down to five people. Whatever it takes.”

Source https://www.washingtoninformer.com/owners-of-bens-chili-bowl-determined-to-keep-restaurant-afloat/

Every major city has legendary landmarks that serve as gathering places for community fellowship, a feel-good atmosphere, and, above all, great food.  In New Orleans, Barrow’s Catfish was one of them.

Founded as Barrow’s Shady Inn in 1943 by William “Cap” Barrow Sr. and his wife, Mary, Barrow’s served up heaping plates of delicious catfish seasoned with love and a savvy family flavor and tenacity.

In business now for 12 years, the husband-and-wife founders of the Just Add Honey Tea Co. are serving up more than tea at their café in Atlanta, Georgia. They sell extensions of their brand to wholesale accounts and for an elite group of tea drinkers, they offer afternoon tastings and tea experiences for special events such as a High-Tea” bridal shower.

Texas Wholesale Furniture Co., based in Houston, Texas, is owned and operated by Prairie View A&M Alum, husband and wife team, Brandon and Naima Townsend. Their company works with 200 manufacturers nationwide, and specializes in wholesaling high-end residential and office furniture.

It’s proven through entrepreneurship, that anyone can succeed without ever owning a prior business or having any additional background or skill set to support an initial dream. You can start with extremely humble beginnings, but with a strong passion to work for yourself, you can create your own path.

Southwest D.C. just got a little sweeter, with the opening of a brand new soda pop shop right in the heart of the District’s beloved Wharf.

Initially a father’s dream, the “Southwest Soda Pop Shop,” run by four dynamic young Black sistas (literally), made its official debut in early May, on the 1100 block of Maine Ave. and is already getting rave reviews from customers and fellow business owners alike, for the store front’s unique savvy sweetness.

For the first time in history, Walmart is selling a Black-owned bottled water brand on its shelves. It's called Live Alkaline Water, and it is 100% natural alkaline water that is bottled at the source from a natural underground spring, an aquifer, and a mineral rock bed that lies 800 feet below the ground.

All you need is one bite of Jackson’s Five Star Catering and it will have you wanting to come back for more. Founded by husband and wife duo, Anthony “Tony” and Cindy Jackson, the full-service catering company has been serving delicious food to the Detroit area since 1995, specializing in dinner parties, family picnics, baby showers, gourmet boxed lunches, elegant weddings, corporate events, and other amenities. And it all started through inspiration from Tony’s mother.

Netflix finally announced its deal with the Obamas to produce a series of high-profile films and series under the former first couple’s own production company.  Although details of the deal are still under wraps, Netflix said that the former couple has signed a multiyear agreement to produce films and series to be made available on the streaming platform to its more than 118 million global subscribers.

Meryanne Loum-Martin is a Parisian lawyer turned entrepreneur and founder of Jnane Tamsna, a boutique hotel located in Marrakech, Morocco. Beyond the fact that she has the only black woman-owned hotel in the area, she and her husband purchased land in 2000 and in less than one year, they built the hotel from the ground up.