Columbus City Council's plan to get more minority and women-owned businesses to open up shop in vacant ground-floor retail spaces downtown is off to a strong start.
Two of the five businesses in the first round of grants opened in the last two months at the corner of Broad and High streets. Black Kahawa Coffee is one of the two businesses, while a collaboration between Little Cat Boba and Three Bites Bakery is the other.
Columbus native Douglas Buckley launched the coffee shop and bar downtown after years of developing his business as a coffee roastery in Tanzania and later as a food trailer around the city. That trailer still sits proudly outside the shop along High Street.
With the help of the city's rental support program, Buckley opened up his brick-and-mortar business in December.
The program helps get businesses like Buckley's into a permanent space by funding 50% of the first year of the lease, 30% of the second year of the lease and 10% of the third year of the lease. The program also provides tenant improvement funds, not to exceed $40 per square feet of the space and ongoing business counseling.
Buckley said he's glad the program exists so that businesses like his can help revitalize downtown.
"What is Black Kahawa? It's about east African coffee. And there's a significant kind of story and personal experience that's very strong about our brand that I felt having a brick and mortar would help," Buckley said.
Businesses who get the grants are supposed to open up potential spaces in the area of downtown east of Front Street, west of North Fourth Street, south of Spring Street and north of Broad Street.
The initiative was in partnership with Downtown Columbus Inc. and the Columbus Empowerment Corporation.
Columbus City Councilmember Nick Bankston said the initiative helps businesses get past some of the biggest financial hurdles to move toward opening. He says he proud of what he's seen so far from the businesses that have opened up.
"It tells this story of diversity, this story of opportunity that we are trying to showcase. Because what I've learned is that this is not about handouts. This is about providing opportunities for businesses that never had an opportunity to tell their own story," Bankston said.
Bankston said five more businesses are set to get these grants from a second round of the program. The winners will be announced this summer.
Buckley and Bankston said this is the perfect time for businesses to start opening downtown, because many employers are requiring employees to return to the office either full time or most of the time. Bankston said downtown residential developments are expected to add thousands of housing units over the next few years.
Together, these two changes could bring more foot traffic downtown compared to during the COVID-19 pandemic when downtown traffic in most cities in the U.S. took a hard hit.
Buckley said an increase in foot traffic will be crucial for businesses like his.
"When we're open during the week, you know, people are walking by and getting a morning coffee. Even maybe when they're going to get lunch, they'll stop by and get an afternoon coffee. And it's just very important for a business like this," Buckley said.
Buckley said he hopes people will also stop in for the alcoholic beverages Black Kahawa Coffee offers since it is also a bar.
"Buckley also has the best espresso martini in the city," Bankston said. "And I'm just vouching for that here and now it's on the record."
