Mayor Dan Horrigan announces $1M awarded to Akron small businesses

The peak of the COVID-19 pandemic may appear to be behind us, but the economic damage it has wrought on Akron's local businesses has repercussions that are still being dealt with today.

Some businesses have succeeded with profits and staff drastically slashed, while other businesses have shuttered their doors for good.

For 100 small businesses in Akron whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic, help is near by way of a 2021 national economic stimulus package.

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Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced Tuesday the 100 businesses that will be recipients of a one-time $10,000 small business grant. Funding for this grant comes from Akron's allotment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, according to officials.

"Akron's small businesses have endured so much over the past several years to keep their doors open and to continue serving this community," said Horrigan. "I'm proud to be able to invest into these businesses with our ARPA dollars and help them bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic."

"We hear stories every day of how our small businesses stepped up through the height of the pandemic to take care of their customers, their employees, and their communities," said Director of Strategic Development Catey Breck. "These grants are our way of mitigating the fallout they experienced from COVID-19 and putting these once in a generation funds back into the community. We're excited to support our small businesses in this way."

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According to the mayor's office, of the 100 grant recipients, 43 are minority-owned and 40 are women-owned businesses. Hannah Hamad, owner of Hamad's on Main, one of the 100 grant recipients, said it feels good to know the city is there to provide help for these small businesses.

"Maintaining a small family business downtown after the pandemic sometimes feels like being a captain of a slowly sinking ship," Hamad said. "Receiving the Small Business Relief Grant has finally given us a shore in sight. We are grateful to have been given this opportunity to help keep us downtown where we belong."

Brent Wesley, owner of the Akron Honey Company, mentioned that with "funds like this available, we can move faster in buying the equipment we need in order to increase in scale."

Small businesses that applied for the grant were provided instructions for allowable uses of the grant funding, including for rent or mortgage costs, or utility costs for the business location.

In order to qualify, recipients such as Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks on 147 Main St. in downtown Akron had to be a legal for-profit business, as well as in operation in the City of Akron on or before Jan. 1, 2020.

To see the complete list of recipients, visit akronohio.gov.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Small businesses affected by COVID-19 in Akron Ohio awarded relief