How West Side Bazaar Is Changing Hundreds of Lives | Bon Appétit

"On September 20 a fire caused serious damage to the market; no one was hurt, but until a new location opens in Fall 2023 the operating nonprofit has been searching for a new kitchen space and is soliciting donations. Housed in a repurposed former Blockbuster on Grant Street, the market functions as a food hall and business incubator where immigrant, refugee, and longtime local entrepreneurs sell goods and run restaurant stalls amid racks of imports, patterned silks, beaded jewelry, and jewel-tone clothing. The scent of Sudanese sambusas, Chinese shrimp-pork shumai, and other international foods fills the space. Operated by a nonprofit development initiative, the market selects diverse cooks and vendors from a waitlist of more than 120, provides microloans, business education, and relationship managers to help tenants establish credit and graduate to brick-and-mortar or online businesses, and intentionally steers people away from predatory lenders. Tenants often work with family members, forge tight community ties, and reinvest in the surrounding West Side neighborhood; a planned move to a much larger warehouse on Niagara Street will dramatically increase capacity and opportunities for early-stage entrepreneurs." - ByAlana Pedalino