Starting a business is no small feat and if you don’t have the proper resources to back you up, you may never see your vision come to life. That is where the West Side Bazaar steps in to help. Many people have been here before without recognizing the impact this place has on business owners in WNY.
A recent article from bon appetít highlights the West Side Bazaar and how it is changing the lives of immigrants and refugees as they find their home in the food sector.
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The article explains, “That’s where the Westminster Economic Development Initiative, or WEDI, came into play. WEDI is the nonprofit that operates the bazaar, a business incubator. With a waitlist of more than 120 entrepreneurs hoping to secure a space inside, the bazaar is WEDI’s most public-facing project. From the long list of hopeful business owners who apply for a stall in the bazaar, WEDI selects cooks and other entrepreneurs who represent a variety of cuisines, cooking techniques, and cultures. Once business owners have secured a stall in the bazaar, they can remain until they have the resources, the confidence, and the customer base to graduate into their own brick-and-mortar location or transition to an online shop.”
While the waitlist continues at the current West Side Bazaar, in April, they announced their plans for their new home to come on Niagara Street. This new location being larger in size will provide further opportunities to support these new business owners.