CLEWISTON, Fla — A new Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has launched in Hendry County to support the growing Hispanic business community. Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, went to Clewiston to meet with the team and learn how they plan to make an impact.
At a small café in Clewiston, Angel Rappard has been serving up his famous Cuban coffee, homemade pastries, and sandwiches for the past two years. But he said getting to this point wasn’t easy. Having some support when launching his business, he says, would have made a big difference.
Find out how the new Chamber will help Hispanic business owners:
"If you have a source you can go to for help and a plan for where you can go, it would probably have been a lot easier," Rappard said.
Rappard said his biggest hurdles hit early—trying to secure loans, understand permits, and even figure out where he could put a sign. Figuring it out himself, he says, took a lot of time.
That’s where Roly Gonzales and the new Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hope to step in. "We want them to be able to pick up the phone and say, ‘Here's a problem we don’t have a solution for.’ We want to be able to help them as much as possible," said Gonzales, the Chamber’s president.
The team says this resource comes at a critical time. As Hendry County’s Hispanic community continues to grow, so does the number of entrepreneurs looking for guidance.
"I think a lot of business owners here in Hendry County need some representation and help to push their businesses forward," said Daniel E. Santiago Jr., the Chamber’s chairman.
Now, just like the community around him, Rappard says he wants to see his business thrive - and he hopes the Chamber can help him get there.
"I can't wait to see that get started here and talk to the people to see what's up. We need the help," he said.
