FACINGEAST
Barbequeen is a family-owned restaurant serving a Polynesian -based menu and offering catering services in Ocean Park on the Washington coast. Our business grew from serving at farmers markets, festivals and private events to our current brick and mortar location with a large kitchen and 39 seats We provide great Polynesian food, wonderful service and jobs in our disadvantaged community. As one of the few minority-owned businesses in our area, we are grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community by participating in regular local efforts to feed hungry people We are fun, our food is great and so is our attitude
Yu-Ling Wong started Facing East in 2006 as a small, 8-table restaurant. A self-taught cook and single mother, she ran the restaurant by herself while she raised me, developed her own recipes, and eventually expanded her business into the space next door. At the time, we were one of a handful of restaurants that specialized in Taiwanese food in the Greater Seattle area. We are constantly in awe that we can be a part of such a diverse, multigenerational community of the Greater Seattle area. Through the support from our community for the last 16 years, we ’ ve been able to continue to operate our family-run restaurant in times of immense struggle
andPrizeWinners
2022 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
BARBE-QUEEN
We would use it to build up and strengthen our Food Based Incubator program so that we can continue to provide culturally relevant food based education, resources, support and opportunities to bring people from hobby level to entrepreneurship.
-SUSI&SIMIONEFELTCHMALOHIFO'OU,PREMIERCATERING& CAFE,UTAH
Receiving this grant would help me tremendously operate my business and allow me to offer a competitive pay for a chef to hire and cook my full menu, to pay my part-time workers more graciously as they’ve supported me and my family.
-WANSAWANGRAETHONG,THAI NOODLEWORLD,OKLAHOMA
This grant will allow us to expand to another location and also allow our managers to move up in the business with us, as they have played a vital role in our everyday success We realize small businesses rely heavily on the community and so we plan on hosting events that will keep the community and staff engaged.
-SIPHAM,PHOBOARDWALK,TEXAS
We will first use the funds to update and upgrade our website in order to reach more people and promote our concepts. We will then use the second portion of the funds to increase cultural awareness of foreign culture experiences in the local neighborhood
-HUYINIPING,NINEWAY, WASHINGTON
2022 WINNERS
These funds would help us get back on track We want to offer salaries to a some crucial employees who would help our operations immensely. We also have major repairs to take care like replacing our walk-in freezer which has been broken for over a year.
-PHILIPWANG,BOPOMOFOCAFE, CALIFORNIA
We are planning to get a NSF dumplings machine. We have one right now, but since it does not have NSF certification, we can't use it. We are planning to use this fund to buy a NSF dumpling machine, or to apply for the NSF certification for the current one
-CUIYINGBLYTHE,SISTERLIU'S KITCHEN,NORTHCAROLINA
With this grant money we could finally begin an e-commerce operation With the amazing press we've had, we've been fortunate to have received literally hundreds of requests for my mom's homestyle Bangladeshi cuisine from people all across the country.
-NUR-EFARHANARAHMAN,KORAI KITCHEN,NEWJERSEY
We are doing our very best to continue pursuing our family's dream. I will use the funds from the AAPI Strong Restaurant Fund to endure through this trial while uplifting others through Korean soul food and continuing to show the Asian American community that we CAN overcome challenges and find joy in everything we strive to pursue!
-SONYOUNGJUNG,YEISANJIB, CALIFORNIA
These funds would help us design our outdoor seating to be more comfortable for our guests Our first iteration was nice, but definitely put together quickly. We made plater boxes to act as visual markers for dining space.
-ROBYNNEMAII,FÊTE,HAWAII
We would utilize the founds to build and strengthen our relationship with our surrounding community by investing heavily into digital presence and marketing through qualified digital marketing companies that emphasize working with their community
-HENRYPINEDA,MFKBYAYSEE, CALIFORNIA
We will use to purchase new oven, new refrigerator, and add outdoor seating Besides that we will use some of these funds to hire and pay the employees, pay rent operational products such as coffee and other food items And the remaining funds will be spent on marketing
-VINIJOSEPH,INDIEGOCOFFEE,
UTAH
We would use the funds for renovation of the walls, bathroom, and dining area to better appeal to customers. Most importantly, we would make use of this grant to improve security through upgrading our security camera system and purchasing shutters so we can ensure the safety of the business during hours we are closed
-BIAOCHEN,RUBYCHEN'S,FLORIDA
Our restaurant is new business and we try to attempt more funding in order to provide more job opportunities for restaurant workers and provide better service to our royal customer. The funding can be help to improve our business growth.
-HUICHEN,GRANDCHINABUFFET
SHUSHI&GRILL,WESTVIRGINIA
We would focus on hiring better experienced kitchen staff to have a more stable ack of the house team. We would allocated some of the grant to pay back deferred rent and CAM charges. Then use the rest of the grant funds to stock up on inventory and dry goods.
-JOHNCHEN,MOMONOKI,GEORGIA
I will use the fund to build a digital presence as everyone else is doing it. Without it, I see my business not survive. I will also use the fund for advertisement to increase sales and hire more employees to help. A better pay package for employee is necessary to attract and keep employees.
-YANWU,CHICKENSHACK,SOUTH CAROLINA
We are going to apply for soft liquor license and get some equipment for storage all wines and beers. We mainly want to working with local wine company and the more than 50% of our beers will be Asian brands. Most importantly we want to have enough funds for the future to pay our employees and our location rents
-DILIMULATISUBATI,JAHUNGER RESTAURANT,RHODEISLAND
We'd like to replace our oven because the upper half has been broken for a while and the model is too old to repair due to the discontinuation of parts Our display board for pricing is too old and needs replacement We'd like to offer higher wages to be more competitive in finding better staff
-JONATHANWENG,UKNEADSWEETS, MISSOURI
We started our business during the pandemic, unfortunately, we didn’t qualify for any government assistant programs since our operating date was after Jan 2020. Tourism has been a big part of the Chinatown small businesses, with travel restrictions, our business has been hit dramatically in 2020 and 2021
-CHRISTYLANG,SMOOVEICECREAM, NEWYORK
We would spend in all areas to stay in business. The future I think looks very good, but we might not make it there PPP money and other programs like yours have been the only reason we are able to survive the pandemic
-BORMANYANG,TAIWANDELI, NEVADA
This grant would greatly help our business not only stay sustainable but also to continue to help our business grow. Being that we are in our first year in business, it is very critical for us to stay relevant and continue to market ourselves well during the slower seasons of summer and fall
-THOANGUYEN,BÁNH&BUTTER
BAKERYCAFE,COLORADO
The landlord has yet again raised the rent by roughly $600/month, my mother has to shoulder the financial burden entirely herself (both from the increased rent and loss of sublease. The grant money will be used to help offset this price while my mother establishes the expansion of her operations which will hopefully help with sustaining a revenue stream that makes rent more bearable.
-MIHEEAN,YUMMYPIZZA,INDIANA
We had to make a tough decision to pay less than balance due rent portion and to help keep our employees income that is needed for their family It was such a hard decision but when you deal with a family source of income we believe we made the right choice. It was affecting not only them personally but their whole household
-PHUONGNGUYEN,PHOKIMANH, CALIFORNIA
The funds would be used primarily to increase staff with better compensation. As of now, we are unable to increase staff due to significant loss of capital from Covid, reduced revenue, and increased costs of labor, food, and supplies, as well as other expenses.
-RONALDLEE,SPICEISLANDTEA
HOUSE,PENNSYLVANIA
The restaurant has been in the Jade district for over 13 years Everything has became so old and needs to be remodeled ( include new floor, ceiling, painting, extend the room104 to become a private room, and also separately the room to create a big, open entrance).
-QINGHUATAN,PURESPICECHINESE
RESTAURANT,OREGON
We will give priority to the use of this fund to pay the rent of the store, upgrade the technology and update the equipment in the store. I hope to carry out a new business plan, a specialty store about professional Japanese-style rice (Donburi), and plan to settle in the Korean supermarket food court
-SUNGCHENGHSIEH,SNOTEACAFFE, FLORIDA
We are looking to renovate/repair our restaurant since we have been in business for over 10 years There are many areas we can make improvement and repair. We will use the money to continue paying our employees. We also want to enhance our website/online marketing
-ZHENFEICHEN,HAPPYSTAR RESTAURANT,NEWHAMPSHIRE
Our building is almost 50 years old, there are a lot of necessary upgrades and improvements that are necessary to adjust to the increasing growth and volume of our business New prep tables to accommodate storage, speed and efficiency
-CAMILLEDELOSREYES,SARI-SARI FILIPINORESTAURANTMARKET& BAKERY,TEXAS,
This fund will be a huge help for us to go to the market for our special Dolan tea as a product and increase our offlocation revenue, service opportunity, and wholesale through online and other sales channels.
-ABUDUHAMITIABUDUKEYIMU,DOLAN UYGHURRESTAURANT,DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
We barely make enough for our rent payment for the restaurant. Any amount of grant would be so much appreciated as we have put all our hearts and soul into this business to provide for our family and provide delicious authentic Thai food to our loyal customers. .
-VIRADAANDCHANHOMESENGKHAMVILAY, THAIORPHO,OKLAHOMA
At the beginning of the pandemic, we had to shift to a marketplace business model that served gallons of milk, loaves of bread, and other key staples that were essential to the community. This was crucial in serving families or elderly folks that couldn't wait in very long lines at grocery stores
-ANNIECHOI,FOUNDCOFFEE, CALIFORNIA
In order to rebuild the business, we’d like to advertise ourselves by the way of marketing thus creating more revenue and in turn we can hire more people and give our current employees a raise. We would also like to participate in more fundraisers and also expand our business to make it more well known.
-NIFENG,1+1RESTAURANT&TEA, IOWA
I worked almost full time in restaurant but also part time at AstraZeneca, as a scientist who works on vaccine development and technological transfer It is normal for me to sleep at 2 Am each morning and get up earlier. So far, I did not receive any federal support yet because those fund needs to have at least previous operation and income pre-pandemic
-LIMA,RANKENNOODLEHOUSE, MARYLAND
Nori's has struggled with obsolete computer & printer at a time when many financial functions have completely switched to on line management. We want to update our e-equipment to help us make timely tax deposits & payments, plus access the many grants and SBA programs available to small businesses on line.
-BETHANNISHIJIMA,NORI'SSAIMIN ANDSNACKS,HAWAII
The world-famous Republic Cafe is celebrating our 100th anniversary this year and would love to make some aesthetic improvements. Our landmark neon sign was damaged and needs repair also It is the oldest neon sign in Portland Oregon’s Chinatown.
-WINGWEIMUI,REPUBLICCAFE, OREGON
Through the years, and through this restaurant, I’ve grown my voice. And my vision for Sprig and Sprout has evolved with my growth. I see my restaurant as not just an income stream but a positive mechanism to build our Asian-American foothold.
-JENNNIFERHOANG,SPRIGAND SPROUT,DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA
We would prioritize taking care of our employees, the majority of which are either minorities, females, or in the LBGTQ community. We have given generous raises out in 2021 to meet the demands of the labor market and our margins have decreased tremendously in 2022 due to increase in labor, cogs, supply chain issues, and other operational costs
-RONALDHSU,LAZYBETTY,GEORGIA
Most of this grant, if we were to receive it, will help subsidize the wages for my 4 employees Popoki + Tea simply could not exist without them, and I'm so grateful to have such a strong and dedicated team, in this and any economic climate A smaller percentage of this grant will go toward minor technology upgrades.
-LIBERTYPERALTA,POPOKIAND TEA,HAWAII
After 35 years of hard work, Sunny and Paulina are ready to pass the torch to their 2nd daughter, Michelle, to carry on their legacy We hope to use the funding to support her new ideas in the Bakery business, and hope AAPISTRONG investment in small restaurants like ours can deter gentrification in our neighborhood.
-SUNNYKWAN,KEEFERCOURTFOOD, MINNESOTA
We are a small mom-and-pop restaurant, and our technology is not as savvy as most, very simple and easy. We use a manual cash register, and we don't offer an online ordering option. With this fund, we would like to upgrade to a POS system. This can help us monitor and keep track of our weekly and monthly sales
-LAOVUE,THAICAFE,MINNESOTA
While we were able to put off our re-opening most of 2020, this grant would be greatly helpful for us to invest in our business and build up to where we were prior to the pandemic. We have seen an uptick in deliveries in the past few months and we are gradually building up our sales
-ROONGKANTPREECHATHAMMARACH,LIL CHEFMAMA,NEWYORK
We are all motivated and have strong faith in what we stand for With these funds, we would work towards bridging a gap: bringing the food of our culture to a predominantly white, plant-based community, and bringing healthy, plant-based foods to our families and friends from the AAPI community who helped shape the people we ’ ve become today.
-BRANDONDINH,CHAYCORNER, CALIFORNIA
The Green Tea Restaurant is a cornerstone in the Bangor community and has been recognized for its outstanding Sushi cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff I will use the funds to pay employees, purchase product, and pay rent.
-JOYCELIN,GREENTEARESTAURANT, MAINE
This summer, BHL will focus our efforts toward the PROMOTION and EDUCATION of our Made in Hawaii products. These developments will offer a new menu of locally produced ingredients such as coffees, honey, and tea. This project aligns with current state-recognized goals toward a greater exposure to Made in Hawaii goods.
-XINHONGZHONG,BLUEHAWAII LIFESTYLE,HAWAII
My main objective is to employ my extended relatives that have language challenge and do not have skills to work in other industries. Secondary objective is to provide part-time job opportunity for younger adults to learn good work ethics, earn money and gain real-life work experience so they can build good foundation for challenges ahead in life.
-RAMBHULANJA,ROYALGARDEN+ EVERESTCAFE,WISCONSIN
We continue to serve the Roanoke community by employing individuals who are challenged with finding employment (i.e. elderly, people of color, undocumented, etc.). We believe that everyone, regardless of identity or status has the right to employment and a living wage.
-JOHNATHANJEONG,WONJU KOREANRESTAURANT,VIRGINIA
Filipino cuisine can often be costly and receiving these funds would allow us to purchase expensive ingredients and products that aren't readily available through traditional food service outlets. We would like to update our digital presence and provide our customers with the ability to order from us online.
-WELHILMAFROGOSO,WHILMA'S FILIPINORESTAURANT,ARKANSAS
I will use some of the funds to upgrade the equipment first due to the customers said the food is excellent but the interior of the building is a little worn down Then I will use the remaining funds to pay for employees.
-YONGYAOLIU,LIU'S,NEBRASKA
Ooink would like to expand the business. We had a strong team since we open 6 years now We have reliable key employees who also want to become part of this business. We will need money to open second shop. Key employees will invest into this second shop and become a shareholder
-CHONGBOONOOI,OOINK, WASHINGTON
If we receive this fund, we will use it to pay employees, rent and purchase inventory to maintain the daily operation of business. Finally, I would like to thank AAPISTRONG 2022 restaurant fund for providing this opportunity.
-JIANPINGJIANG,THEWHALETEA, IDAHO
We plan to increase our presence online and in our community by working on our marketing and business signs We've dreamed of hosting a night market for our community, giving a space for other local businesses to bring goods to sell and creating more foot traffic for our area
-MALIAMURPHEY,RAISEDBYTHEWAVES, HAWAII
Throughout the entire pandemic and beyond Folk has been able to continue to support many of the same as well as new food and beverage partners / makers / farmers; grow our primarily minority team by from two to eight individuals; prepare and distribute hundreds of community hot meals; provide free of charge grocery bags to in need hospitality workers and grow our business model into what It is today
-ROHANIFOULKES,FOLK,MICHIGAN
We have sacrificed all our personal finances to make this restaurant a reality--and were happy to, as it is our dream!-and are now focusing on making it viable long term. We need to expand our footprint with outdoor seating and a parklet to ensure we hit our financial benchmarks.
-KAYLAABE,SHUGGIE'STRASHPIE+
NATURALWINE,CALIFORNIA
I started business when COVID19 just started so I have to invest money for my business to pay rent, purchasing the product for coffee shops but if I have a chance to get a funds then I am going to purchase local stuff (arts, ingredients etc ,) so people will be out more and spend money for culture experience and support for the locals
-SAMLEE,UNIQCOFFEE,ALABAMA
We would use these funds to provide security to a business we have owned and operated for 8 years. The pandemic is just now rearing its aftermath with a nonexistent workforce making it very difficult to find new employees and offer competitive wages.
-DANNYCHANG,KOY,MASSACHUSETTS
I will pay more to employees who keep working during pandemic.
I will pay a little bit for my rent.
I will update some equipment because it is too old.
-HSINTILIU,OCHATEACAFE& RESTAURANT,ALASKA
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, one of our two locations that offers Vietnamese food was forced to close its door temporarily. If we receive the fund, we would like to reopen its door and continue to serve the community with authentic Vietnamese food and hopefully expand to include couple Korean dishes.
-WANLIN,BRADY'SSUSHIAND HIBACHI,KENTUCKY
These funds would be vital to updating our dining space to accommodate for the new and changing regulations due to Covid19 The only way to maintain a sufficient rate of revenue is to endure the elements in our outdoor patio. Unfortunately, when the weather is bad we lose more than 80% of reservations.
-SHAWNCAMACHO,PRUBECHU, CALIFORNIA
We will use the funds to buy new equipment for the kitchen because the restaurant is almost 10 years old. Also we will use leftover funds to pay the rent and employees.
-XIAOQIANQU,SAKURAJAPANESE STEAKHOUSE,NORTHDAKOTA
Mainly the use of funds are going to be use for the purchasing of supply which has increase in price due to inflation, and to pay for the rent. We are a family restaurant so all of us are taking a pay cut so we can keep the restaurant afloat, and the grant would really help us stay open and reduce a lot of stress
-SHUNFENGJIANG,IMPERIALWOK, OHIO
These funds we are going to mainly use for repairs. In May of 2022, we detected gas leaks in the restaurant, Vermont gas shut down the service and we hired technicians to replace the gas pipe!
-TOMLI,ESSEXJUNCTIONGRANDBUFFET, VERMONT
Side Practice Coffee, also known as SPC, opened right in the middle of the pandemic However, it strived by showcasing the community's side projects–or we like to call them, Side Practices. We've highlighted the art, baked goods, clothing, small businesses for those who didn't have a voice, especially in the AAPI community.
-FRANCISALMEDA,SIDEPRACTICE
COFFEE,ILLINOIS
The fund will be used to cover the increased cost of the supply, cost of labor and cost of equipment With more fund available, the restaurant will be able to afford more labors for food preparation, therefore, it will increase the capacity of service including both delivery and dine in.
-XINZHU,CHINAPAVILLION,KANSAS
We would use funds to pay our rent and to help pay for our supplies during this time of rising costs. This would help us not worry so much about if we will be able to stay open during these uncertain times
-YINGJUNZHENG,KHAN'S
MONGOLIANGRILL,LOUISIANA
We would like to pay good employees more to keep them We would like to pay some bonus to old employees who stay with us during this hard time and to make up some of their salary because we close early. We also wants to pay higher hourly rate to keep good servers we have currently.
-JOYSZETO,FONDNESS,MICHIGAN
The funds from this grant afforded us the opportunity to move on from our brewery residency and into a shared kitchen & co-working space! In utilizing thisspace,we'vebeenabletoexpandourofferingsasabusinesstorunmore freelyandefficiently Theresultsofthesechangeshavebeenwonderfulforthe evolution of our concept. Being able to fully control our operations and programming has lead us to tremendous growth, creativity, and stability. We've hosted multiple large-scale events and pop-ups in addition to regular programming with another Japanese-American owned hospitality businessKonbini & Kanpai We were also nominated for a Jean Banchet Award in CulinaryExcellencefor"BestAlternativeDining"2021
-KellyIjichi,Mom's
Long term effects that the funds have on my business was employee retention Weareabletoincreasepayratesaccordingly,thatweweren'table toduringthepandemic Theseemployeesstoodbyoursideandhaveshown their loyalty through those difficult times, and now we are able to help them back by paying it forward to support them and their family. Without their sacrificesandhelpinghand,wewouldn'thavebeenabletokeepourbusiness doorsopen Thebrightoutcomeofitall,ithasmadeusintoastrongerteam, nowafamily
-VictoriaNguyen,SaigonBistro
The AAPISTRONG fund has been monumental for our business to sustain operations & stay afloat amidst the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic Through the AAPISTRONG fund, we were able to put the majority of that grant to our payroll, and help pay our employees Thishashelpedusoutwhensales&businesswerenotthathighearlierinthe year. We were able to use the rest of the funds to pay for monthly expenses such as: publicutilities(electric&water),rent,andsupplies.Withthehighinflationpricesaffecting food & the restaurant supply chain, finding & purchasing supplies & food have now been very expensive; The most expensive that food has cost in our last 10+ years of operation To be able to have funding to purchase necessary food supplies without having to not buy it due to high prices is a blessing Ultimately, this fund was able to help sustain our business earlier in the year, when business was extremely slow, and when we were in the earlystageoffullyre-openingourrestaurant.Thefundsusgreatly,andweareextremely gratefultoNationalACE.
-JiexiaZhang,FortuneGardenRestaurant
2021 WINNERS CHECKING IN: ONE YEAR LATER
CHECKING IN: ONE YEAR LATER
The funds received helped a lot in stabilizing the business. In particular, it has been very helpful to the hiring of employees and the online ordering system, and now the sales are maintained at before COVID pandemiclevel
-DonghunAn,BlossomTree
We have paid off some of the debt. We had to use our pocket money for building the outdoor seating so we paidourselfbackfromthegrant Thankyousomuch!
-JambyRoiMartin,Co-FounderofTATANG
Throughfunding,wehavebeenabletosupportthebusinesstoretain employees to work and also maintain our restaurant location Although the number of customer dining-in has significantly decreased compared to the pre-pandemic level, we were able to slowlyshiftingtoto-gorestaurantthroughfundingthroughACE.
-TakeyasuNunokawa,EastWestConnection
We are so glad to receive the fund from you. The fund that we receivedhelpedustopaypartoftherestaurantexpensesandhelped us to go through the hard time that we had With the fund, we also renovated the restaurant which created a nice environment for our customers.
-YeniWong,ChinatownGarden
there is a long lasting or long-term effect of the Restaurant Fund from an emotional standpoint, which is the notion that somebody out there care about us, minority-ownedsmall-business. It really makes us think harder and wanting to better on how we treat peoplefromemployees,vendors,andothersw/inthecommunity,andhowasaminorityowned-small-business, we should be an example of how a minority owned business shouldconductitselfwithintegrity,compassion,andsinceritytothelocalcommunity
-ChresnaChandra,OnoSushi
2021 WINNERS
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