KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
Over the last several years, downtown Shawnee has experienced significant growth, with new businesses opening their doors, thanks in part to a city grant program that has helped entrepreneurs get off the ground.
Gilda's Bar De Tapas recently opened in Shawnee. The restaurant is one of the latest businesses to benefit from the Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development fund, known as SEED.
"Spanish tapas with a hint of glamorous Hollywood, like the golden era of Hollywood," Co-owner Bryan Albers said. "We went to a full-service restaurant because the city said we'll step in and have some incentive money to help you get a hood and the grease interceptor and the things that cost a lot of money."
Chamber of Commerce President Ann Smith-Tate said more than a dozen downtown Shawnee businesses have utilized the SEED fund since its inception around 2018. She said the program has resulted in a 60% increase in downtown sales taxes.
"Those are exceptional, extraordinary expenses that are very hard for a small business to cover," Smith-Tate said. "We've utilized that fund to do some very targeted grants downtown to incentivize these local, locally owned businesses to come downtown and take buildings that are old, had never been restaurants, had never been retail, and reinvent them."
The SEED grants are funded through impact fees from the city's waste management grant. The city aims to use SEED grants to match around 10 to 15% of a business's investment.
For Albers and his partners at Gilda's Bar De Tapas, the support represents more than just financial assistance—it's about community investment.
"We all live in this area, and we just want to support this area," Albers said.
Despite being a recent addition to downtown Shawnee, Albers has clear long-term plans for the business.
"Long term vision is just to be here for the long term. I mean, we're not going anywhere," Albers said.
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