One Year After the Main Street Strong Accelerator: Introducing New Participants in Boston

By Waleed and Quiana Shamsid-Deen, Owners, Supreme Burger, Former Main Street Strong Accelerator Participants

Living here in Decatur, Georgia, we see first hand how food brings our community together. It's why we do what we do each day - serving up meals at Supreme Burger and bringing delicious food, well-paying jobs, and good community spirit to our neighbors in Atlanta.

Last year, our restaurant was selected as one of the inaugural cohort participants of the Main Street Strong Accelerator, providing financial support and specialized educational resources to small businesses with a particular focus on women, immigrant and BIPOC-owned restaurants.

The support from DoorDash came at just the right time. Like many other small businesses, our operations were turned upside down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: Our business lost nearly 50 percent of its revenue, and Supreme Burger had to shut down for 2 months. This was especially challenging - our employees are like family, and it was extremely difficult to see some leave.

As Black business owners, we're unfortunately especially vulnerable to the challenges of launching a business. Businesses owned and operated by people of color are at a greater risk of permanent closure and financial setback because of financial and systemic disparities that existed long before the pandemic. And over the course of the pandemic, Black-owned businesses closed twice as fast as other businesses.

That's why we're so excited to be where we are one year later: Putting the business education and skills we learned in the Accelerator curriculum into practice, we're back on our feet. With the help of the $20,000 grant we received as a cohort participant, we've added two food trucks in Atlanta, GA and Jacksonville, FL, and opened another Supreme Burger franchise in Charleston, SC.

Not only have we stabilized our business and adjusted to the COVID landscape, but we've also carried through on our broader mission to give back to our community, launching the first Halal Meals on Wheels Program for Muslim seniors in Metro-Atlanta, partnering with Frontline Food to provide meals to hospital and frontline heroes, and launching Supreme Cares to provide scholarships and donations to families in need. We've also helped other local business owners write and raise over $1 million in grant opportunities to help struggling businesses stay open, and launched a franchise development corporation that will help entrepreneurs build brands and create income for their families while making a difference in their communities.

For us, this is one of the most rewarding parts of participating in the Main Street Strong Accelerator - connecting with other restaurateurs and having a network of like-minded business owners to lean on for support. We've visited our cohort partners to try their best meals (Tigi's Ethiopian in Parker Court has heavenly Sambusas!), and all stay connected to share opportunities and inspire each other to do better each day.

That's why we're so excited this program has grown, and we're proud join DoorDash to introduce a new cohort of 17 Main Street Strong Accelerator participants, all based in the Greater Boston area. The Accelerator participants represent a diverse cohort of restaurateurs and business owners. Overall, 47% of Main Street Strong Accelerator participants are women; 76% of participants identify as immigrants or refugees; 70% identify as people of color. These Boston restaurateurs will be guided through the Accelerator curriculum by local chefs and entrepreneurs. They'll receive a $20,000 grant, one-on-one business coaching, and the opportunity to connect with other local restaurant owners.

• Phouthanome (Joy) Phoubaykham / Neighborhood Kitchen / Medford, MA - Phouthanome (Joy) Phoubaykham is a first generation immigrant whose family came from Laos. She began working in restaurants when she was 13 and started dreaming of owning one shortly after. She started off as a server, then worked in many different positions in the restaurant business. This experience has helped her along the way. She enjoys cooking and eating. Neighborhood Kitchen serves a fusion of Asian and Caribbean cuisines and aims to provide its community with a safe space where many cultures can enjoy variety and flavor. During the pandemic, Neighborhood Kitchen provided lunches to food-insecure children and provided food to nurses and medical staff.
• Chris Thigpen / Corner Cafe Newton / Newton, MA - When Chris Thigpen purchased Corner Cafe Newton right before the pandemic, he'd never worked in the restaurant industry. Corner Cafe Newton is a small breakfast and lunch spot--a true neighborhood joint. Chris knows most of his patrons on a first-name basis and exhibits work from local artists on the walls. During slow months of quarantine, Chris started a free meal campaign for local students who relied on school lunches for food. He is proud to have pulled through the pandemic and is ready to focus on growth and scaling to full potential.
• Wendy Issokson / Chill on Park / Dorchester, MA - Wendy and Alan Issokson had the idea for Chill on Park during the summer of 2014 and they worked hard to make it a reality. Chill on Park is a gathering place in the heart of Field's Corner, Dorchester. It is a neighborhood destination where adults and children can come together to enjoy locally made ice cream, coffee, smoothies, pastries, and more. Wendy is committed to creating an environment that customers and their families will want to return to again and again. They are passionate about their desserts and coffee, and pride themselves on bringing great quality, value, and service to the customer experience.
• Tracy Chang / PAGU / Cambridge, MA - Tracy Chang is the chef and owner of PAGU, a Japanese tapas restaurant in Cambridge. She is an alum of Boston College, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and the James Beard Foundation Bootcamp for Policy & Change. Chang was a 2020 James Beard Best Chef Northeast nominee and a 2020 Star Chefs Rising Stars Game Changer. During Covid-19, she co-founded Off Their Plate, which serves meals to healthcare workers in Covid-19 wards while providing economic relief to restaurant employees and Project Restore Us, which employs restaurant workers to pack groceries for essential worker families in high-covid, low-income neighborhoods. Through food and service, PAGU aims to celebrate family, friends, innovation, and creativity.
• Adilai Shadike and Aishanjiang Kuerban / Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine / Brookline, MA - Adilai Shadike and Aishanjiang Kuerban are partners in running Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine. Silk Road is the only Uyghur restaurant in Massachusetts. It opened 5 years ago and has never been closed for a single day since. Part of the mission of the restaurant is to raise awareness about the persecution of the Uyghur people in Western China by the Chinese government and to teach Americans about Uyghur culture--to build a bridge between Uyghurs and Americans.
• Marcia Satchell / Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant / Mattapan, MA - Marcia Satchell is a graduate of Northeastern University and holds a MBA from Chadron State University. She has been cooking since she was ten years old. It was her grandmother that taught her the art of cooking. She was able to pursue her dream by opening Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant in Boston where she serves various Jamaican, American, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. To Marcia, watching the joy on customers' faces and receiving their positive feedback makes it all worth every moment spent prepping and cooking. She is excited to be a part of the restaurant industry, changing the way people eat by giving her customers choices.
• Joseph Spagnuolo-Kazonis / Cini's / Boston, MA - After a rough start in life, Joseph Spagnuolo-Kazonis decided to turn things around. He made a promise to himself to be self-sufficient and successful. And he decided to do it by opening a restaurant serving the classic Italian food he grew up eating with his family--but with a modern twist. He'd been missing his grandmother's arancinis and decided he could make his own. In Italian culture, food is in the center of all get-togethers and Joseph hopes to make those get-togethers flavorful and full of happy memories for all who dine at Cini's.
• Huseyin Kocaman / Inbound Pizza / Allston, MA - Huseyin Kocaman moved to the US from Turkey 20 years ago. He decided to open a restaurant because he believes that being a small business owner is one of the best ways to connect with a community and that food is a great way to build connections and start conversations. He enjoys getting to know his diverse customers and donating pizzas to local events and hospitals. Inbound Pizza serves a combination of Middle Eastern and American classics like pizza, kebabs, shawarma, and subs.
• Eddie Oscar Garcia Jr. and Ana Celia Ribeiro / La Catrina / Boston, MA - In April 2018, two months after Eddie Oscar Garcia Jr. and Ana Celia Ribeiro got married, they jumped into the idea of buying a restaurant. Eddie loves to cook, Ana Celia has experience in business management, and they both enjoy big gatherings of family and friends. Of course that wasn't all they needed, but they were determined to start their hospitality entrepreneurship. Today, La Catrina is a local business cooking up traditional and street-style Mexican food with a Caribbean twist--and with love. The restaurant does not use plastic, and is committed to become more sustainable every day.
• Morad Bouzid / Mo'Rockin Fusion / Boston, MA - Morad ​​Bouzid's love for cooking stems from his childhood growing up in Morocco, helping his mother in the kitchen. He moved to the U.S. in his 20s and worked at a number of fine dining restaurants in Atlantic City and Boston, but he always wanted to have a business of his own. He knew that the kind of food he liked to cook was unique (and delicious), so he decided to test the market by opening a food truck. The early days were tough because the American market wasn't familiar with Moroccan food, but Morad persisted, eventually attracting a steady food truck and catering customer base. Morad is trying to grow the business despite pandemic difficulties. He has now opened a restaurant stall in Boston Public Market and his next goal is to get a brick and mortar restaurant of his own.
• Adilai Shadike and Aishanjiang Kuerban / Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine / Brookline, MA - Adilai Shadike and Aishanjiang Kuerban are partners in running Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine. Silk Road is the only Uyghur restaurant in Massachusetts. It opened 5 years ago and has never been closed for a single day since. Part of the mission of the restaurant is to raise awareness about the persecution of the Uyghur people in Western China by the Chinese government and to teach Americans about Uyghur culture--to build a bridge between Uyghurs and Americans.
• Erin and Khadija Bashllari / Donut Villa Diner / Cambridge, MA - Born in Albania in 1987, Erin Bashllari moved to the US in 2000 where he peeled potatoes at his uncle's diner as a prep cook, studied nursing, and eventually became both manager of the diner and an emergency room nurse. But he always wanted to open his own diner. In 2017, Erin took a hiatus from nursing and purchased what is now Donut Villa Diner in Malden. Khadija Bashllari is the Senior Manager of Programs and Strategic Alliances at Moderna Therapeutics. Her background is in business consulting and she has worked all over the world. With Khadija's help, Erin recently opened a second location in Cambridge.
• Khalid Karroumi / Bravo Pizza / Malden, MA - Khalid Karroumi worked with and around food for many years before deciding to start his own halal pizza restaurant. He enjoys donating food to local churches, mosques, police departments, schools, and sports teams.
• Chieha Chleuh / Bon Appetit Crêperie / Boston, MA - Cheiha "Mimi" Chleuh is the Owner of Bon Appetit Creperie, a stall in the Boston Public Market, which she runs with the help of her twin daughters, Salma and Samira. They opened in July 2018. The family moved to East Boston ten years ago from Timbuktu in Mali, the West African country and former French colony. Mimi has always been a passionate and excellent home cook. Her vision for Bon Appetit Creperie is to be the McDonald's for crepes. Prior to starting Bon Appetit Creperie, Mimi was a Teacher at Harvard University in the African Languages Department.
• Bruce Sabokrooh and Tatiana Sabokrooh / Gyroscope and Sprout / Boston, MA - Bruce and Tatiana Sabokrooh, husband and wife, loved going to different restaurants to try different types of food and analyze the pros and cons of different businesses. This hobby, as well as their passion for healthy comfort food, gave them the idea to open their own restaurant and give the best they could to their customers. It has been a great, if challenging journey. They learned a lot on the way that made them stronger.
• Fiex Thevenin and Denise Omarde / Cafe Juice Up / Mattapan, MA - Denise O'Marde and Fiex B. Thevenin are the owners and operators of Cafe Juice Up in Mattapan, Massachusetts. Both of Caribbean descent, Denise is from Antigua & Barbuda, and Fiex is from Haïti. Though they had experience in various fields, they had never worked in the food and restaurant industry before opening their juice bar together in 2019. They are proud to serve affordable and nutritious alternatives to the presently available food in their community. They hope to help people get a quick, convenient, and tasty daily fruit and vegetable serving!
• Baheja Rostami / Ariana Restaurant / Brighton, MA - Baheja Rostami comes from a big family with many wonderful, strong women who love to cook and know their way around the kitchen. They taught her to cook at a young age and she has loved cooking since. In 2010, she opened Ariana Restaurant, which serves cuisine from Afghanistan, with her husband. To Baheja, the restaurant represents her background, her country, and most of all, Afghanistan's hospitable culture. When you are in her restaurant, you are a guest in her home. In this way, Ariana serves not only Afghani food, but a little culture too.

As small business owners ourselves, we understand the power we have in growing local economies - we create jobs, uplift our neighborhoods, and serve as the heart of our communities. We're honored to be a part of DoorDash's Main Street Strong Accelerator and excited to see what the new cohort of Boston restaurateurs accomplish with this opportunity.