Some small businesses in Hartford may be eligible for a microgrant from the city, and leaders say it will help bolster Hartford’s economy in the wake of the pandemic.
There’s a taste of the Dominican Republic, bringing sizzle to downtown Hartford, at Morisoñando Food Truck.
“Hamburgers, empanadas, yaroas!” Eunice Alers, owner, said in Spanish.
Alers dreamed about running her own kitchen since she was a little girl.
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“She's a great cook,” Rafael Alers, Eunice’s husband, said.
So Eunice and Rafael went mobile, moving from Brooklyn, New York to Hartford, and rolling out their food truck in October.
“We decided that this is going to be our new venture,” Rafael Alers said.
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While it is a passion, business expenses are not cheap. It’s why they are planning to apply for the city’s new Microenterprise Microgrant Program.
“We're going to try,” Rafael Alers said. “That little funding would definitely help with supplies. Gasoline for the generator, propane tanks, the food.”
City leaders announced Monday that $500,000 is on the table for microenterprises. Applications are open now.
To qualify for a grant, a business needs to have five or fewer employees. It must have a physical Hartford address and a business plan. An eligible enterprise can get up to $2,500.
“It's a really important part of our recovery from everything we've been through over the course of this pandemic,” Harford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
Bronin says the program is just the latest of several small business development initiatives created by the city in the past two years. Others include the Hart Lift program, to help property owners and brick-and-mortar retail businesses fill vacant storefronts; as well as the Small Business Façade Improvement program to beautify the exterior of storefronts.
“We see so many microenterprises, small entrepreneurial ventures that may be operating out of a living room, or a garage or just online, but that have the potential to grow and to take root and to create jobs in our community,” Bronin said. “They're a promising idea with a courageous entrepreneur. And we want to make sure that we give those business owners a chance to bring their business to its highest level.”
At Morisoñando Food Truck, the perfect recipe for “Yaroa de tres carnes,” offers a bit of comfort.
“We try our best to serve the community,” Rafael Alers said.
Proving that a traditional Dominican dish can be part of the American dream.
“If it wasn't for small business, where would we be?” Rafael Alers said. “The small mom and pops, you know, they need to they need to thrive also.”
The microgrant applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. Anyone who wants to start the application process can do so online at www.hartfordct.gov/smallbiz.
