Seth Chitwood
reprinted from the Standard-Times – 1/26/22
NEW BEDFORD — Only a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered restaurants in March 2020, Deanna DiCorpo and her business partners opened 19 Prime Tapas. Since the pandemic, it’s been a struggle to survive for the 10-seat Fall River restaurant that opened in December 2019, she said.
But now, 19 Prime Tapas is among a handful of women-owned SouthCoast restaurants to receive a $5,000 grant from the Massachusetts Conference for Women, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing women in the workplace.
“I’m very thankful,” said DiCorpo. “We’re a really small business. It helped with rent, paying my chef. Everything basically.”
This year, the organization awarded a total of $400,000 in $5,000 grants to 80 women-owned restaurants in the state.
“It went a long way. It was definitely a big help,” DiCorpo added.
In the SouthCoast, the grant was also awarded to Spicy Lime Thai Cuisine, Taqueria La Raza and Tropical Smoothie Cafe in New Bedford, Country Whip Inc. in Acushnet and Savor the Moment cafe in Fall River.
“I am overwhelmed with joy to have received the grant. It will go towards employee wages and food cost,” said Sherri Rego, owner of Savor the Moment cafe. “Last year, I had to take out a loan to continue to be open so this will help tremendously.”
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