Yale’s Community Investment Program supports black-owned businesses

In mid-June, Yale University properties, the City of New Haven and the downtown community celebrated the opening of Philadelphia’s independent black-owned Taste of Philadelphia located at 1008 Chapel Street. Owned and operated by Shem Adams, the restaurant serves authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteak sandwiches.

For Adams, who opened the first Philly location a decade ago in Norwich, Connecticut, the new location on Chapel Street has been years in the works. “I’ve had my eye on New Haven for a while,” Adams said. “New Haven is the soul of Connecticut, so we knew our next restaurant had to be here.”

His instincts were right. And with the support of Yale University properties, he says the restaurant hit the ground running and has met with success beyond expectations.

““The outpouring of love we’ve received from Yale University properties, city officials, the press and the community has been second to none,” said Adams.

Black-owned businesses are an important part of the New Haven community. Yale’s management of commercial properties — including retail stores, office space and residential units in New Haven — has played a critical role in helping these brick-and-mortar businesses thrive through the community’s investment portfolio.

Yale supports local tenants in a variety of ways, such as hosting trade association meetings, organizing events to attract visitors, overseeing advertising and promotion efforts, investing in improvements and creating spaces, and as the community weathers the challenges of Covid-19. 19 provides crisis, much-needed rent relief.

Earlier this year, Yale University properties More Amour Boutique celebrated the opening of an independent, woman-owned, black-owned boutique at 1130 Chapel Street, offering fashion-forward women’s clothing and accessories that cater to diverse tastes. Styles and budgets.

“It has always been my dream to open my own boutique in downtown New Haven because of the foot traffic and the beautiful clientele,” says owner and operator Kim Poole. “Yale University Properties helped me find the exact retail location I was looking for, and it’s proving to be the best business decision I’ve ever made. I love being on Chapel Street – it reminds me of my home in Baltimore.

Yale University Properties is proud to support black-owned businesses, said Lauren Zucker, associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and University Properties at Yale. “Yale University’s Community Investment Program supports independently owned businesses, brings jobs to New Haven residents and expands the city’s tax base,” Zucker said. “We are proud to continue to support the growing number of New Haven Black-owned businesses and look forward to their continued success in New Haven.”

The partnership between Yale and local business owners has helped promote many inspiring success stories. Some recent examples include:

• B Natural Kitchen, now located at 260 College Street, has been a tenant of the Yale University properties since 2007. Owned by Prophet Showaye and its ecosystem, it has become a thriving, farm-fresh, build-your-own-bon concept.
• Ricky D’s Rib Shack, owned and operated by Ricky Evans, started as a food truck in 2013. The business was so successful that Evans decided to expand to accommodate his growing customer base. In the year In 2016, Yale University properties paired Evans with the perfect location, at 302 Winchester Street in Science Park, where it has become one of New Haven’s most popular barbecue restaurants.
• Also In 2016, Black restaurateur and Yale alumnus Carl Franz, a restaurant owner in Harlem, reopened The Anchor Spa at 272 College Street, and combined the restaurant’s iconic menu with pan-Caribbean style cuisine and high-end cocktails.
• In the year In early 2018, New Haven resident and black business owner Neville Wisdom opened his second retail clothing store, Neville Wisdom Fashion Design Studio at 1090 Chapel Street. Working with Yale University Properties, his dream of producing a retail storefront on one floor downtown became a reality in 2020 when he moved to 27 Broadway, another Yale-owned property, next to J. Crew and Lou Lou Boutique. Allowing space for retail space in the front of the store, the space was just the right size to fit Neville’s 27 sewing machines, a computerized Samba fabric cutting table and specialty machines.
• Salon Iselim, which opened in 2018 at 45 Whalley Avenue, is an independent, woman-owned and black-owned salon offering a wide range of services for men and women including haircuts, extensions, color, bridal services, up-dos, natural hair care and more. The salon is owned by Ebony Selima Peterson-Dez.

In addition, Yale University properties recently signed leases with two new black-owned, women-owned small businesses, MINIPNG and SOAP-ED. MINIPNG, a creative fashion boutique at 77 Audubon Street, New Haven, owned by Eiress Hammond, will open in September. And Francia Fortune, owner of Soap-Eddie, which makes and sells all-natural beauty products, plans to open in the fall of 2022 at 1022 Chapel Street.

This month, in recognition of National Black Business Month, Yale University Properties partnered with local radio station WYBC to show its support for 18 black-owned brick-and-mortar retail, restaurant and service-based businesses throughout New York. Haven. The two partners ran similar promotions for these businesses during the spring and holiday season.

“We are very grateful to all of our tenants who add to the life and vibrancy of downtown New Haven,” Zucker said. “As we strive to support a diverse range of tenants, we encourage prospective tenants to contact us for additional information.”

Enabled by Yale’s Community Investment Program, Yale University Properties is committed to enhancing the quality of life in New Haven by developing high-quality retail and office spaces and revitalizing surrounding neighborhoods. Because of the University Properties Community Investment Program, Yale University is one of the top taxpayers in the city of New Haven. Learn more at ONHSA.Yale.edu.