Small Business Grant Program for On-line Applications

The Morris County Small Business Grant Program will begin accepting on-line applications at 8:00 a.m. on February14, 2022, Valentine’s Day, to aid local small companies, entrepreneurs and non-profits impacted by the pandemic.

Details may be found at morriscountysmallbusinessgrant.com on eligibility guidelines, supporting documents required to submit an application and more.

The program will provide grants of up to $15,000 to reimburse small businesses and non-profit organizations for specific pandemic recovery expenses incurred on or after March 3, 2021 – a timeline established under the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which is the source of the funding.

“We have committed $5 million in ARPA dollars to this program to help small businesses, which are critical to the character, vitality and economy of every town in Morris County. We also want to help the non-profit organizations that do so much to inspire civic engagement, enrich our culture and provide shelter, food, counseling and comfort to our most vulnerable populations. We would not be able to continue as a community without them,” said Tayfun Selen, Director of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners.

The Small Business Grant Program eligibility requirements include: · Available to businesses with 25 or fewer full time employees (or equivalent) · In operation since Jan. 1, 2019 · Located within Morris County · Less than $5 million in sales/revenue · Proof of a decline in sales/increased expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The Morris County Chamber of Commerce will be coordinating outreach to potentially eligible businesses, including those who may not have traditionally sought government grant funding in the past.

“We will be working with the Morris County Commissioners to connect qualifying small businesses throughout the county with this grant program. It offers an opportunity for some of them to cover costs they incurred trying to stay open or reopen while struggling to keep their employees working and meet the needs of their customers,” said Meghan Hunscher, President and CEO of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Corporation.

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Morris County Office 385 Route 24, Chester, NJ (908) 888-2547 pclawnj.com “This grant will give the small businesses of Morris County some much needed financial relief. The Chamber of Commerce truly appreciates the Morris County Commissioners’ commitment to the success of our small businesses,” said Michael Stanzilis, Morris County Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Membership and Government Affairs.

Have a craving for Asian food, but the family cannot agree on what kind? Someone wants Chinese, another wants Thai, and then someone else is really in the mood for Sushi. Dilemma solved!

Joining the eclectic Parsippany culinary scene this past November 29, despite all the unpredictable and challenging issues facing small businesses, was a very welcomed new addition to our community, Ai Sakae Asian Cuisine. Ai Sakae, an attractive, classy-looking, glass-fronted building nestled in the Tabor Road Plaza, a small strip mall on Tabor Road, also known as Route 53. Ai Sakae’s cordial manager, Lynnsie, who was kind enough to spend time answering my many questions, explained that the name comes from “Ai,” a Chinese word for love, and “Sakae” a Japanese word for prosperity. And despite its Morris Plains address, this great new venue is in fact situated in the Township of Parsippany.

This family-owned and operated eatery, owned by Ken and Cindy Chen, is not an Asian fusion restaurant, nor is it strictly a sushi restaurant, even though their sushi and sashimi selections are excellent. Ai Sakae’s menu interestingly consists of a wide variety of authentic selections and modern interpretations of classic dishes from China, Japan, and Thailand. Not to forget a wide selection of sushi and sashimi choices artfully prepared and presented by the restaurant’s extraordinarily talented and skilled sushi chef, Ai Sakae’s owner Ken.

Ken Chen’s culinary journey includes many years in the restaurant industry, sharpening his skills and mastering

Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce holds a ribbon cutting ceremony for Ai Sakae Asian Cuisine

the different food preparation styles, cooking techniques, and various nuances common to the three diverse cultures to ensure authentic dishes, before he and his wife, Cindy, opened their former restaurant, Mintea in Cedar Knolls, an Asian eatery utilizing the same multi-Asian menu concept that we now find in Ai Sakae.

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