On March 16, Moco Downtown, a restaurant in downtown Fredericton, celebrated four years in business.
A day later it was closing its doors and laying off its staff as a result of COVID-19.
“Closing our restaurant is the hardest thing we’ve had to do,” said Shawna Foster, the restaurant’s owner.
Now, determined to survive, the owners of the rustic Italian restaurant have converted their office into a takeout window and installed a patio.
“In order to pivot and make the change we decided to open Bella MoCo to Go,” said Foster
The changes are a result of a Canadian Business Resilience Network Small Business Relief Fund grant she applied to through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Salesforce.
Across Canada, 1,100 small businesses applied for the $10,000 grant.
“In the Atlantic region there were eight businesses that were selected to receive one of the 62 grants, there were only three in New Brunswick and only one right here in Fredericton,” said Krista Ross The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce CEO.
After months of lost income, the ability to ease the financial load of COVID-19 was a shock for Foster.
“Sometimes miracles do happen,” said Foster
Recipients like Forst presented a plan on how they would allocate the money to best sustain the business’s recovery in a 750-word essay. Staff at MoCo call it Foster’s $10,000 letter.
In the sombre essay, Foster said that the current climate made guests nervous and said her sales revenue had dropped by 75 per cent.
Determined to survive the pandemic, the owners of the rustic Italian themed restaurant converted their office into this take out window and installed a patio.
Determined to survive the pandemic, the owners of the rustic Italian themed restaurant converted their office into this take out window and installed a patio. Megan Yamoah / Global News
“As a community, we need to support our local businesses if we want them to be able to exist during these times and be here when the pandemic is finished and we don’t know how long that will be,” said Ross.
Shawna is confident Bella MoCo to Go will fill in the take out gap and she says the money will go a long way.
“It keeps paycheques in our staff’s hands and it just makes life, a little easier to breathe,” said Foster
https://globalnews.ca/news/7132246/moco-10k-grant/
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Fredericton’s MoCo Downtown receives $10K grant from Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Salesforce
Thursday, July 2, 2020
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Business Truth & Reconciliation
The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce is taking proactive steps to promote reconciliation and respect for Indigenous rights within the corporate sector. In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 92, the Chamber urges its members to embrace the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a guiding framework. This entails a commitment to meaningful consultation, fostering respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before embarking on economic projects. Moreover, the Chamber advocates for equitable access to employment, training, and educational opportunities for Indigenous communities, ensuring they reap sustainable benefits from economic development initiatives.
Recognizing the importance of education, the Chamber encourages businesses to provide comprehensive training for management and staff on the history of Indigenous peoples, including the legacy of residential schools, Indigenous rights, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. Emphasizing intercultural competency, conflict resolution, and anti-racism, these efforts aim to foster a more inclusive and harmonious corporate environment rooted in mutual understanding and respect.
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