AMHERST — After spending 18 months developing the concept and securing funding for Masuda’s Cafe, a restaurant serving North American and South Asian cuisine, owner Masuda Abdullah praised the assistance and guidance she received before opening.
Understanding the need for a strong foundation as she focused on the day-to-day activities of the business, Abdullah took it upon herself to join the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Amherst Business Improvement District. Over the last four months, Abdullah said those organizations have been critical in helping Masuda’s get established on Kellogg Avenue, in the heart of the business district that reminds her of her hometown of Toronto, if only on a smaller scale.
“This is one of the most supportive towns,” Abdullah said.
This concept of having sufficient backing for success is one that the Asian Business Empowerment Council, a statewide organization established three years ago, aims to bring to other commercial entities. The council, with some state funding, provides resources and access to Asian American and Pacific Islanders and has a goal of being “a platform to increase economic power within the AAPI business community and to address systemic disparities that limit business ownership, growth, and sustainability.”
“We know our community is vital to the commonwealth’s economy,” said Q.J. Shi, the council’s senior director.
The council ventured to the western half of the state for the first time on Tuesday to conduct a roundtable and walking tour with downtown Amherst businesses owned by those of Asian descent. Shi was joined at the daylong event by staff from her office and legislators Rep. Tackey Chan, D-Quincy, chairman of the House Asian Caucus, and Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, vice chairwoman of the House Asian Caucus. In addition to Masuda’s, the tour included stops at Iya Sushi and Noodle on East Pleasant Street and LimeRed Teahouse on Main Street.
Shi said the work is to include AAPI stories in the business community narrative and to open new doors, while also celebrating a resiliency and drive and to learn about what improvements can be made. The council has helped more than 600 businesses since its launch in 2022.
“This event marks a historic moment for the AAPI small business community in western Massachusetts, ” Shi said. “For the first time, we’re bringing together local entrepreneurs, legislators and community partners to listen, connect and build relationships that will shape the future of this region.”
For Shi, bringing the council’s work to the western part of the state also marked a homecoming, as she grew up in Amherst, coming to town when she was 10, and eventually graduated from Amherst Regional before attending the University of Massachusetts. Shi recalls that her parents arrived without a car, little cash, few friends and no English skills.
But even as her parents tried to make a go of it, they ran into obstacles, such as when they opened a restaurant in Chicopee.
“They were pretty underpaid and overworked,” Shi said. That restaurant failed within a year due to a lack of access to capital and support systems.
The day began at the Cape Cod Lounge inside the Student Union at UMass, where those gathered enjoyed a breakfast and were welcomed by Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst. Domb said she was grateful that the group located its meeting in Amherst and that she would be an ally to connect to resources.
Chan, referencing the struggles of his parents and grandparents in escaping communism in China, said Asians have been a part of Massachusetts since the colonial days, bringing spices and teas, though were then kept below deck.
“We have always been a part of the economy in this state,” Chan said.
Chan also noted that a state budget earmark will keep the business council active, even as agencies that combat all forms of discrimination are losing federal funding.
Nguyen said being a community partner is important. “We need to start promoting each other. Representation matters,” Nguyen said.
Eevents like these can address that and uplift voices, and become a moment to build power, she said.
“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” Nugyen said. “And I don’t want to be on the menu.”
Shi hosted a panel in which three representatives of the buisiness community offered advice to those gathered, including students and area professionals.
Matt Yee, chief operating officer for Enlite Cannabis Dispensary in Northampton, said he wants to “continue a tradition of servicing the local community and help people to become better versions of themselves.”
But as more states legalize cannabis, the company has to target local populations for sales. “Taking care of the immediate community was a high priority for us,” Yee said.
After serving as general manager at Johnny’s Tavern, Yee said he has created a happy work environment, only losing three employees in four years.
“If we take care of employees correctly, this will trickle through the community and customer lives,” Yee said.
Lena Redd who opened SouLao’d Kitchen in Springfield four months before the pandemic, credited her family for the resilience.
The menus there feature details about family members’s favorite dishes, such as spring rolls and sticky rice and eggs.
Redd said a small business program and Common Capital supported the enterprise, and that people need to put themselves in uncomfortable spaces to access money, as her husband did to start Reddy Redd Trucking in Springfield
“Food is one of the best ways to showcase our culture,” said Emma Chen-Banas, a member of the state’s AAPI Commission who serves as the United Nations representative and chief administrative officer at the Changier Education Foundation.
But she said the area needs more variety, such as hotpot, and the Pioneer Valley is an opportunity for businesses due to the lower costs for start ups.
“Just don’t do the same thing over and over again,” Chen-Banas said.
She encourages people to engage with the community and maintain a sense of belonging, even as DEI initiatives are diminished, and called on small and big banks to help businesses grow.
Chen-Banas has also organized a Lunar New Year celebration staged at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, recognizing the importance of being seen
“We’re not creating great visibility for ourselves,” Chen-Banas said.
Shi said visibility is power and restaurants are one place others can learn about Asian culture, though the council launched the Ignite program to tell stories about Asian-owned businesses.
As Abdullah was discussing Masuda’s, Yee said restaurants need to be supportive of each other, and shouldn’t be seen as competitors, but allies in ensuring success.
“The more people you can bring to the downtown core, the better off everyone is,” Yee said.