“Growing up in Colombia, I was surrounded by many family members who were business owners and that is where I get my entrepreneurial spirit. I owned and operated my own business for twenty-eight years in Colombia and I had never worked for anyone else,” said Jorge Castaneda Garcia

After arriving from Colombia, Jorge was hired at the restaurant he would buy five years later. The restaurant is located in “Little Colombia,” where Colombian immigrants represent the second largest immigrant group in East Boston. La Fonda Colombiana Antiguo Kiosko offers a wide array of fresh food – from traditional hand-made Arepas con carne y queso, to Colombian-inspired specialty platters of chicken, fish, and steak – food that feels like home for the neighborhood.

When the original owners decided they wanted to sell the restaurant, Jorge saw an opportunity to create a brighter future for his family and community. Today Jorge is again surrounded by family members – including his wife and two sons – who work alongside him at his restaurant.  When he purchased the restaurant in 2019, it had been in decline and was in need of repairs and a make-over. He took this challenge on with his own hands, knowing that it would pay-off in the coming months when he would host a grand opening for his family, friends, and the Colombian community. Then everything changed overnight. Just when he had opened his doors, business came to a grinding halt because of a virus.

When the pandemic hit Jorge’s business hard, like so many other businesses around him, he sought out help. It was a friend from East Boston Main Streets who told him about Ascendus. He connected with Ascendus who provided him guidance and technical assistance through the loan process. Despite Jorge having no credit history, he received a $12,000 loan to pivot his business – expanding his restaurant by opening a restaurant bar. Jorge’s business is doing better as the pandemic eases and with the added income after opening the restaurant’s bar this April, he’s kept his doors open: for him, for his family, and for his twenty-three employees.

“When you are a business owner, you are afforded more opportunities, doors are opened, credit provided, your business and social status elevated, and you are treated with respect when you own your own establishment,” said Jorge.

Jorge takes his role as a community leader seriously. When his community was impacted by COVID, he did not hesitate to volunteer the restaurant’s resources by providing meals to those on the frontline. His leadership and community spirit have led him to receive a Business Recognition Award by the Mayor’s Office.

He has a positive outlook and is extremely optimistic that the business will grow and thrive in the next five years. “I’m so thankful for Ascendus’s help and the support I received from the business community in East Boston!”