LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Louisville's immigrant population grows, city officials are seeing a rise in local business owners who are sharing their cultures with the community.
The city's population growth has become dependent on immigrants in recent years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 6.8% of Louisville's population are immigrants. Louisville's foreign-born population has increased while it's native-born population has decreased in recent years.Â
That trend has allowed for more immigrant-owned businesses in Louisville.
Charlesetta Norkeh came to Louisville from Liberia in 2011. That's when she first dreamed of opening her own restaurant.
Charlesetta Norkeh cuts a ribbon at a grand opening for her restaurant Clarice Kitchen.
Norkeh opened Clarice Kitchen in October on Bardstown Road.
"It's a long, long dream come true," Norkeh said.Â
The restaurant serves West African dishes.
"We have so many choices, it's West African dishes from back home," Norkeh said. "We're making it so it can be variety to everyone."
Amos Izerimana, the Director of International and Immigrant Affairs for Louisville Metro Government, has noticed an increase in local immigrant-owned businesses.
"I think there is also this sort of pride people who come to our community feel that I can continue to celebrate my heritage and embrace my new nationality," Izerimana said. "A lot of what you'll hear when you referring somebody or inviting somebody to come here is you're able to find a job, you're able to open a business easily and it's a welcoming place, you'll be welcomed into the community as a whole."
The city attracted the family who now owns and operates Sweet Havana on Fern Valley Road.
Carmen Margarita Coro and Eduardo Fernandez started their careers in hospitality in Cuba decades ago. They operated their first bakery and café in Las Vegas, but later moved to Louisville. In 2020, they acquired Sweet Havana.
"Louisville is an amazing city with a lot of opportunities for families, especially families like ours," said Nachely Martinez with Sweet Havana.Â
The restaurant and bakery serves authentic Cuban food. But the family-owned business goes beyond serving up good eats.
"One of the things we love about Sweet Havana is it's a community hub because of its location alone," Martinez said. "The demographics, the people who do come here and dine with us start to create their own hub of networking and resources."
The Office for Immigrant Affairs supports local businesses in Louisville with an entrepreneurial program. REACH is a program designed to help immigrants grow their business. The program is led by the Office for Immigrant Affairs, Louisville Metro's Department of Economic Development and the Louisville Small Business Development Center.
Amos Izerimana, the Director of International and Immigrant Affairs for Louisville Metro Government, speaks to WDRB News.
"One of the things we learned during the pandemic is people were opening businesses but were not aware of the various requirements to be able to apply for a loan or a grant," Izerimana said. "We provide is a six workshop series focused on the nitty-gritties you'll need to know to grow your business from marketing your business to financial tools or making good financial decisions, operations."
The workshop series covers best practices for businesses and shares information.
"That's really important so that people are doing business right so they can be equal contributors to our economy," Izerimana said.
In terms of labor force participation, immigrants are working at a higher rate than the native-born population, according to census data.
At Sweet Havana, more than 20 people are employed, and many of whom are immigrants.
"Louisville has become an incubator for small businesses for immigrants to make it possible," Martinez said. "Everybody tries to pitch in and help each other. People show up for each other all across Louisville. We employ each other, we build businesses together, we lift each other up."
The local businesses also give people the chance to try something new in their own city.
"I always say our international restaurants are not just a place to go to eat, it's a place to go to learn a new language, a new culture, new people that are now part of our community," Izerimana said. "If you're wanting to learn about the world, you don't have to leave Louisville to learn about the world. Just go and try one of the restaurants we have in Louisville."
To learn more about REACH Small Business Program, click here.Â
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