Several suburban small businesses awarded $10K enhancement grants

A dozen Illinois small businesses will receive $10,000 Backing Small Business enhancement grants from American Express and Main Street America.

Among the recipients are: Bocaditos Cafe, Inc. of Batavia; Abalabix Books of Crystal Lake; Andre Alfonso Music of Lake Villa; and Reeses Barkery & Pawtique in McHenry.

The nationwide initiative awarded 400 grants to locally significant small businesses, helping them fuel growth and continue to make a meaningful impact in their communities. Grant recipients demonstrated both resilience and a strong local impact and vision for the future in their applications, according to Main Street America.

For Abalabix Books in downtown Crystal Lake, the grant will provide funding to build the shop’s inventory, create custom cabinetry, fund a sweepstakes marketing promotion and support a community postcard mailing project, according to a news release.

Diane Steverson, owner of Abalabix Books, said she was overwhelmed when she got the news that the bookstore had been awarded a grant.

“I am so grateful to be recognized by American Express and Main Street America,” Steverson said. “Our bookstore exists in a historic downtown community with a wide variety of small businesses that work hard every day for their customers. This grant will go a long way towards helping us provide an even better bookstore experience for our community.”

Reeses Barkery pet supply shop in McHenry received news of its grant before the January fire that gutted its downtown McHenry shop.

Now the extra funds are helping Reeses as it quickly set up a temporary location nearby.

“This grant was awarded prior to the fire and became an even more meaningful investment as we rebuilt,” the business posted on Facebook.

“For our family and team at Reeses Barkery & Pawtique, this grant helped us continue strengthening our business after rebuilding from a total-loss fire,” the post said. “We used the funding to purchase new retail shelving and updated computer systems, allowing us to better showcase our products and serve our customers more efficiently at our McHenry location.”

The post continued: “We are incredibly grateful for programs that invest directly in small businesses and the communities we are proud to serve.”

Since its inception, Backing Small Business has distributed more than $14 million in grants to more than 1,600 small business owners across the U.S., the release said.