The NKY Restaurant Relief Fund, launched in April, made a new grant to Unataza Coffee in Dayton, thanks to new funding. Unataza was founded by Alejandra Flores, who wanted to bring together her passion for coffee by sharing the high-quality coffee of Honduras in Northern Kentucky.
Flores launched Unataza in 2015 with a coffee cart at pop up events throughout the Cincinnati region and opened her retail location in Dayton on September 23, 2019. Unataza offers single-origin Honduran coffee at the store, online and in pop-up events throughout the region.
A joint project of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED and Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, the NKY Restaurant Relief Fund effort has made a total economic impact of $91,500 this year. The fund was established to assist local restaurants and bars forced to temporarily cease in-person dining this spring because of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic.
“I spoke to my family in Honduras a few days ago and shared that business was slower compared to previous weeks. My parents were optimistic, telling me it will get better. To my surprise, the next day we got the news that Unataza Coffee had received this grant! We’re deeply appreciative of the community, the organizers of the NKY Restaurant Relief fund, other small business owners that have our back and we have theirs, our CUSTOMERS, and the people who bought the gift cards that entered us as a candidate for the grant.”
“We are thrilled Alejandra and Unataza are receiving a grant from the NKY Restaurant Relief fund,” said Mayor Ben Baker, City of Dayton. “Since opening last fall, Unataza has become a gathering spot for the community and residents of Dayton. We know our small and independently-owned businesses have suffered in 2020 and it’s incredible to see the community’s support for them and the difference this grant will make for Unataza.”
The NKY Restaurant Relief Fund received $47,000 in donations and more than $44,500 in gift card/gift certificate receipts were uploaded by supporters to enter bars and restaurants in Northern Kentucky into a drawing for $1,000 grants. Between the gift card purchases and grants awarded, more than 120 local bars and restaurants benefitted from the program.