Stories of Resiliency: Supporting Latina-Owned Restaurants
The LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund has provided a much-needed wave of financial relief and recovery tools for small businesses, non-profits providing essential services, immigrant-owned enterprises and the most vulnerable Angelenos impacted by the pandemic. Serving as the Fund Administrator, LISC LA has awarded grants to over 1,000 businesses. Each week, we’ll be sharing the stories of our resilient grant recipients.
Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work. On top of the public health crisis, the lockdowns and operating restrictions in effect across the city and county have made running a business a daily struggle. Some were able to transition their services online and develop protocols to meet new safety standards, but with less revenue coming in and bills piling up, Angelenos needed economic relief. A number of financial relief programs were created to address the needs of local businesses, but unfortunately, the many cultural, technical and financial barriers in receiving this aid have caused many businesses to fall through the cracks.
To support the small businesses that form the backbone of the diverse Los Angeles community, the City and County created the nearly $100 million LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund to provide $5,000 to $75,000 grants to small businesses, microentrepreneurs and non-profits. With over 40 years of experience connecting communities to resources and opportunities, LISC LA ensured grants were distributed equitably and reached the most vulnerable Angelenos.
In the LA restaurant industry, two local women-owned businesses who became recipients of the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund grant program are La Lupita Restaurant in East LA and La Taverna Cubana in Valley Village.
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Silvia Chavez runs her family restaurant La Lupita, which has served the East LA community for almost 30 years. When COVID-19 hit Los Angeles County back in March, Silvia was forced to close the restaurant under the countywide shutdown. With her business closed, bills began to pile up and Chavez was unable to pay rent on her restaurant. Even as restaurants were allowed to reopen, La Lupita had no parking or space they could use to host outdoor dining and they were struggling to get by on takeout orders. During these hard times, things got harder for Silvia — she contracted COVID-19 and was forced to close the restaurant. What money she had left started going to getting the care she needed as she battled both the coronavirus and a case of pneumonia. The building owner began applying pressure to La Lupita and Silvia, threatening to get a new tenant, when she discovered the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The $5,000 grant she received helped her catch up on her rent and bills for the restaurant. While Silvia is still recovering from her health scare, she is hoping to be able to reopen La Lupita soon.
Maricela Guerrero is a proud Latina business woman and another LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund recipient. Guerrero established Valley Village-based restaurant La Taverna Cubana, with the hopes of passing down the family business to her children one day. However, like many others impacted by business restrictions in the pandemic, the Cuban restaurant has seen a decline from their usual customers from nearby offices and studios. Though Guerrero has seen some walk-ins dedicated to purchasing some of her authentic cuisine, customers have not been allowed to dine in and her landlord has prevented her from building outdoor patio dining. She attempted to get several neighboring restaurants to collectively set up an outdoor dining tent — but many were afraid to take on the risk of defying their landlord. To Maricela Guerrero, this business is like her baby: she learned to walk and grow with it, having started her small shop from scratch. All her profits have gone back into the restaurant, ensuring the best ingredients are used in her dishes and has even invested in high-quality food containers to maintain a quality customer experience. Guerrero loves interacting with customers from a variety of backgrounds, while providing top-quality food with great service. Unfortunately, as a result of her financial pressures, she had to let go of one of her cooks and take over as a kitchen cook.
After hearing about the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, Guerrero applied and received a grant which helped her pay rent, payroll, liability insurance, and merchandise fees while she awaits the return of dine-in services. She hopes other women of color-owned businesses will have the same opportunity to receive similar support.
“I am 100% positive and I will not let the situation or people around me shut me down,” Guerrero said. “I am so grateful for the grant — I saw it as a good sign that I had to keep on fighting and working.”
While the Fund’s final round of its grant program is now closed, LISC LA continues to build resilient and inclusive communities for people, places and businesses through a number of programs they offer throughout the year. To learn more about LISC LA and the programs they offer, visit https://www.lisc.org/los-angeles/.
