COVER STORY: Queens Small Business Grants

COVER STORY

COVER STORY COHEN HOSTS RECIPIENTS OF BIZ GRANTS

GET OPPORTUNITY TO THANK METS OWNER FOR $20K LIFELINE

In January, new Mets owner Steven Cohen and his wife Alexandra donated $17.5 million dollars to fund the Queens Small Business Grant Program. That money was in turn dispersed in $20,000 grants to small business owners and street vendors throughout the borough, which for many was the lifeline they needed to weather the pandemic.

In total, 755 grants were awarded, 90 percent of them to minority and women-owned businesses.

Last month, some of those business owners had the chance to thank Steve Cohen during “Queens Small Business Comeback Night” at Citi Field. Business owner attended a ceremony with Cohen and were invited to stay for the game, a Tuesday night matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.

“When you see the actual people and how they’re expressing how much it helped, it makes it that much more meaningful,”Cohen told This Is Queensborough after spending nearly a half-hour posing for photos with many of the business owners he and his wife helped. “You give money and you don’t always see how it helps, so this means a lot.”

The Queens Chamber of Commerce was one of several organizations tasked with dispersing the grants. Chamber President and CEO Thomas Grech said the Cohen’s went above and beyond to support small businesses in Queens.

“It has been a difficult year and a half for small businesses here in Queens, but throughout the pandemic we have seen firsthand so many remarkable stories of resilience,” said Grech. “This will ensure that cherished local institutions can stay open and continue employing Queens residents, serving our communities, and adding character to the neighborhoods we all know and love.”

Here’s three of the businesses who benefited from the generosity of Cohen and his wife and their stories.

PLAQUES BY AZRA

Born and raised just two miles from Citi Field, Azra Khalfan-Kermali says she’s always had a front row seat to New York Mets games.

But it wasn’t until recently that the small business owner actually got to experience her hometown team from inside the ballpark as part of “Queens Small Business Comeback Night” at Citi Field.

A current owner of Plaques by Azra, founded in 1974 by her parents, Khalfan-Kermali is one of the hundreds of local small businesses to receive a $20,000 grant funding thanks to Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alexandra.

“During that time when I was kind of bootstrapped, I realized this funding helped me take one burden off of my shoulders,” said Khalfan-Kermali. “It allowed me to think outside the box and say that I got this.”

Specializing in custom awards and signs, her business took a downward turn at the start of the pandemic, she said. The scenes of nearby Elmhurst Hospital overwhelmed with patients was difficult to watch on the local news.

“To see the loss of life was absolutely heartbreaking, and to be a business owner and seeing the ups and downs, nothing really meant more to me than the lives that were being lost at that time,” said Khalfan-Kermali. “It felt like everything came to a screeching halt. It was very, very difficult to see all of that. I was content I could isolate myself and have my family around.”

Her family ended up contracting the virus and her business faced eviction notices . Khalfan-Kermali says she started using her time to join online webinars and looking for different ways to stay afloat.

“When I was asked to leave, when I was originally planning to buy the building, it was very heartbreaking,” Khalfan-Kermali. “I’ve had so many memories in that building.”

Looking to give back to the hospital where she and her son were born, Khalfan-Kermali kept in contact with Elmhurst Hospital to see if any emergency signage or protective gear was needed.

“I felt like that was my obligation given that I had the machinery and the ability to start creating PPE,” she said.

With the pandemic lingering, Khalfan-Kermali recently expanded her business to include “Away in a Box,” which aims to bridge different cultures through locally sourced products from other minority- and women-owned small businesses.

Inspired by her own worldly travels, Khalfan-Kermali says she

COVER STORY

Azra Khalfan-Kermali (second from right) of Plaques by Azra with (left to right) Jawad Khalfan, Borough President Donovan Richards and Chamber President and CEO Thomas Grech.

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hopes to bring the world to companies and educate their employees one nation at a time.

For example, in her “Discover Dubai Kit” she includes the country’s traditional welcoming food and drink, dates and coffee. She hopes that education breeds acceptance.

“We’re sharing a way that they can actually experience the drink, taste, smell and sounds as an some educational experiences,” said Khalfan-Kermali. “We’re looking to cover the entire world. We have big dreams in that sense.”

MOM’S KITCHEN & BAR/WILLIAM & WILLOW

Patrick Schmidt of HKH Hospitality said the $20,000 grant he received went toward keeping employees working and motivated through the pandemic.

At Mom’s Kitchen and Bar in Astoria, Schmidt recalls the first few months of the pandemic as unpredictable and intense. The same can be said for his other restaurant, William & Willow, located just south of Astoria Park.

“You didn’t know what to expect,” said Schmidt. “All of the businesses are only worth anything if they’re open, and we didn’t know how long this thing was going to be. We had a bunch of keys to front doors, which is pretty much all we had.”

Business temporarily shut down for about a month between March and April of last year, but Schmidt said that by taking it day-by-day and seeking different relief opportunities helped maintain a working staff and keep morale high.

“I stayed plugged in, watched a lot of webinars and kept up to date with opportunities to request relief,” he said. “This has been a great opportunity for us, and it’s really helped to put some of those funds back into the place and to make sure we kept our staff on.”

With limited outdoor seating before the pandemic began, Schmidt says expanding outdoor dining has been a massive success for the restaurants, even in the winter months.

“We were surprised at how many people were willing to sit outside in 30 degree weather with their coats on,” said Schmidt. “We stayed open for the community and they supported us, and now here we are hopefully on the other side of it.”

Schmidt hopes to see permanent licenses granted to the roadside structures that were built for outdoor dining.

“It’s really changed the game,” said Schmidt. “It’s changed the way people dine in New York City. Hopefully, it’s something that is here to stay.”

As the recipient of two separate grants from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Schmidt says the relief has “lessened the blow” his businesses endured over the past year-and-a-

EMOJI BURGER An employee of several years also passed away during the pan-

Jarvis Fernandez is still dream- demic, Fernandez said, adding to ing big. the personal and business burdens

As the owner of Emoji Burger of the past year-and-a-half. in Jackson Heights, Fernandez “When you have weekly sales has high hopes of expanding the that cover you, as a business perkid-friendly burger joint to differ- son, you know what’s your lower ent parts of the neighborhood. end to make ends meet,” said Fer-

The healthy alternative to fast nandez. “When you’re at that point, food has been serving sliders that you ask yourself, ‘Is it worth it to are free of antibiotics and hor- continue, or is it time to quit?’” mones, as well as several different However, thanks to the Queens varieties of milkshakes and fries Small Business Grant Program, since 2015. Fernandez received a $20,000 grant

But once the COVID-19 pan- that helped keep his business afloat. demic hit in early 2020, Fernan- “I’m very grateful for the grant, dez, like many small business there’s no words that can describe owners in New York City, was our gratitude,” Fernandez said. “It faced with difficult decisions. really did get us over that hump that

“Where we were in Queens was we needed.” like a cemetery,” said Fernandez. Fernandez says his upcoming “We were one of the last ones goals for the eatery include balopen on the street, everything else ancing out costs for the next few was shut down.” months, especially with prices of his inventory going up, from beef to bread.

Nonetheless, Fernandez credits a positive mindset during the pandemic that kept local customers coming back and keeps his spirits high looking towards the future.

“We don’t know if Mr. Cohen has a million dollars and wants to put an Emoji Burger right here in the stadium, you never know,” said Fernandez.

COVER STORY

Patrick Schmidt, Rob Doyle, Julian Dennison and Tony Doyle of HKH Hospitality.

half.

“The whole last 18 months hasn’t been about making profit, it’s been about surviving,” said Schmidt. “Getting to now or next year, you’re just trying to stay open, stay relevant and keep it moving. The money that we got from the grant opportunity has been really helpful to put that back into the business and make sure we’re keeping our team going.”

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