A Home Away from Home: Finding Community and Entrepreneurial Support with The Source
Angel Emmanuel Alcantar, Owner and Operator of Frida Room, pictured in the Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL location
Eight years ago, Angel Emmanuel Alcantar launched his business, Frida Room, a restaurant showcasing the vibrant colors and traditional flavors of his hometown of Mexico City. In his words, the Chicago restaurant “uniquely showcases the flavors he grew up with,” with dishes inspired by recipes passed down to him from his grandmother. With Frida Room, Angel carefully curated each detail, even designing the restaurant’s interior himself, capturing the lively decor and culture of Mexico City.
Frida Room is not Angel’s first entrepreneurial venture, however. “I have over 20 years of experience as a business owner, but never as a restaurateur,” he said. Despite his extensive experience, Angel shared with the Source that “running a business is not easy.” To overcome the challenges that come along with owning and operating a small business, Angel participated in business advising with The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), a Business Support Organization (BSO) partner with the Source. With IHCC, Angel found not only the technical support he needed but also a friend within his advisor, Uriel Mendez. Angel shares “I can call him whenever I need him, we have had a great relationship. He always lends me a hand and has been closely involved in the build-out of our new [Lincoln Park] location.”
From left to right: Angel Emmanuel Alcantar, owner and operator of Frida Room, with his business advisor, Uriel Mendez of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC)
Angel credits the success of his recently opened location in Lincoln Park to the work he has done with Uriel as his business advisor and IHCC. His online marketing, he claims, has been imperative to the initial stage of client acquisition for the new location. Angel has worked extensively with his advising team to develop his website and Google business profile, which he correlates with the heavy foot traffic they have been receiving on the weekends.
When Angel was asked if he would recommend working with an advisor, this is what he had to say:
Ready to take the steps towards success for your small business? Take advantage of free business advising through the Source and develop a one-on-one relationship with an advisor from our network of trusted Business Support Organizations today, learn more here.
*All quotes are directly translated from Spanish.
