Union County enterprise proprietor helps one other native enterprise revitalize amid struggles – Information 12 New Jersey

A Union County enterprise proprietor has gone above and past to assist one other native proprietor hold their enterprise operating.

The proprietor of Erika’s Cucina in Clark says that her café would have gone out of enterprise if not for the assistance of her neighbor. Erika Dent’s café was struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic and her personal well being points.

“I really feel very blessed that I’m nonetheless right here,” Dent says.

Dent suffered from problems from a automobile crash through the pandemic and was at risk of shutting down till the proprietor of Good Tidings Plumbing, Heating & Cooling got here to her rescue.

“After I heard her plan was to only shut her restaurant and stroll away, I believed for positive I wanted to assist,” says David McKenna.

McKenna’s household enterprise opened 32 years in the past. He says that the HVAC trade was in an upswing post-pandemic. A distinction to Dent’s struggling restaurant.

“I needed to once more put my enterprise on the again burner. They needed to do emergency surgical procedure, so due to this fact not solely COVID, I used to be additionally going via rehabilitation since I could not really feel my proper facet from the waist down,” Dent says.

“The cash was drying up, inflation was consuming her alive, every sandwich she bought was making ends meet,” McKenna says.

McKenna and Dent had solely met over this previous 12 months. They did not have a lot in widespread, apart from a deep-rooted connection to their faith.

“We prayed after which we prayed for my enterprise. That’s how he discovered my enterprise wasn’t doing nicely,” Dent says.

McKenna and his household determined not solely to supply a financial present that will fully revamp the cafe’s know-how and enterprise mannequin, however they went a step additional and rebranded the corporate totally to “Kitchen Delights Clark.”

“We have been working tougher on her enterprise for 4 months than I’ve on mine,” McKenna says.

Dent was in a position to modernize her meals supply to Uber Eats and Grubhub.

“It is selecting up, with catering we do extra. Individuals are keen to do extra events now,” Dent says. “I’m very grateful. I’m past phrases. Everybody who has supported me through the years.”

The “Kitchen Delights Clark” web site has a bit on their About Me part that shares extra of their private story and likewise had a GoFundMe web page.